How to Set Up a GPG Key for Signed Git Commits: A Step-by-Step Guide
Signing your commits with a GPG key is a great way to ensure authenticity and trust on GitHub. Let’s dive into the steps to generate and configure a GPG key for your Git commits! 🚀
Step 1: Generate a GPG Key 🛠️
Open Git Bash
Launch Git Bash from your applications.Generate a GPG Key
Run the following command:
gpg --full-generate-key
Choose Key Type
Opt for the default option:(9) ECC (sign and encrypt) *default*
Select Elliptic Curve
Stick with the default:(1) Curve 25519 *default*
Set Key Expiry Date
Enter0for no expiration.
Confirm Key Details
Typeyand press Enter.Enter User Information
Provide your name and email, then press Enter after each.
Real name: Your Name
Email address: example@gmail.com
Final Confirmation
Typeoto confirm.
Set Passphrase
When prompted, just click OK without entering anything.
Step 2: Locate Your GPG Key 🔍
- List Secret Keys Run:
gpg --list-secret-keys --keyid-format=long
-
Identify Key ID
Copy the key ID from the line starting with
sec:
sec 4096R/12345678 2024-09-15 [expires: 2025-09-15]
-
Update Git Configuration
Edit your
.gitconfigfile and add:
[user]
signingkey = 12345678
Step 3: Export Your Public Key 📤
- Export Public Key Run:
gpg --armor --export
- Copy Public Key Copy everything between the lines:
-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
...
-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
Step 4: Add Your GPG Key to GitHub 🌐
Log in to GitHub
Go to your GitHub account.Navigate to SSH and GPG Keys
Click your profile picture > Settings > SSH and GPG keys.Add New GPG Key
Click New GPG Key and paste the public key.
Authenticate
Enter your GitHub password if prompted.
Step 5: Enable Commit Signing in Git ✅
- Configure Git Enable signing by running:
git config --global commit.gpgsign true
- Verify Configuration Check that signing is enabled:
git config --global --get commit.gpgsign
It should return true.
Step 6: Test Signing Your Commits 📝
- Create a Test Repository Run:
git init test-repo
cd test-repo
- Make a Test Commit Add a file and commit:
echo "Test file" > test.txt
git add test.txt
git commit -m "Test commit"
- Verify Signed Commit Run:
git log --show-signature
You should see a message confirming the good signature.
Congratulations! 🎉
By following these steps, you can securely sign your Git commits, ensuring that your work is authenticated and trusted! If you have any questions or run into any issues, feel free to reach out. Happy coding! 💻✨
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