Configuring Git Server:
In this section, I am going to show you how to configure an Ubuntu server as a SSH accessible Git server.
First, update the APT package repository cache with the following command:
The APT package repository cache should be updated.
Now, install OpenSSH server and Git with the following command:
$ sudo apt install openssh-server git
Now, press Y and then press
OpenSSH server and Git should be installed.
Now, create a new user git with the following command:
$ sudo useradd --create-home --shell /bin/bash git
All the Git repositories will be saved in the home directory of the git user /home/git.
Now, login as the git user with the following command:
$ sudo su - git
Now, create a new directory .ssh with the following command:
$ mkdir .ssh
Now, allow only git user to have read, write, exec permissions on the directory .ssh/ as follows:
$ chmod 700 .ssh/
As you can see, the git user only has read (r), write (w), execute (x) permissions on the .ssh/ directory.
$ ls -ld .ssh/
Now, create a new empty file .ssh/authorized_keys as follows:
$ touch .ssh/authorized_keys
Only allow read and write to the file from the git user as follows:
$ chmod 600 .ssh/authorized_keys
As you can see, only the git user has read (r) and write (w) permissions to the file .ssh/authorized_keys.
In the .ssh/authorized_keys file, you have to add the public key of the users whom you want to access the Git repositories on the Git server.
Adding Client Public Key to the Git Server:
To access the Git repositories on the Git server, the client must add his/her public key to the Git server.
The client can generate a public-private key pair as follows:
$ ssh-keygen
Press
Press
Press
Press
Now, the client can find his/her public key as follows:
$ cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub
Client's public key should be printed. Now, the client can send this public key to the manager (who manages the Git server). The manager can then add the public key to the Git server. Then the client can access the Git server.
Let's say, the client sent his/her public key to the Git server manager. The manager uploaded the public key to /tmp/shovon-key.pub file on the Git server.
Now, the Git server manager can add the public key of the client as follows:
$ cat /tmp/shovon-key.pub >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
Now, the .ssh/authorized_keys file should have the public key of the client.
Creating Git Repositories on the Server:
The clients can't create new Git repositories on the server. The Git server manager must create a repository on the server. Then, the clients can clone, push/pull from the repository.
Now, create a new empty Git repository testrepo on the Git server as follows:
$ git init --bare testrepo
Now, the client only needs to know the IP address of the Git server in order to access the testrepo Git repository.
The Git server manager can find this information as follows:
$ ip aAs you can see, the IP address of the Git server is 192.168.21.185. Now, the server manager can tell it to the clients who will be working on the project.
Cloning Git Repository from the Server:
Once the client knows the IP address and the Git repository name, he/she can clone it to his/her computer as follows:
$ git clone [email protected]:~/>testrepo
Now, type in yes and press
The testrepo Git repository should be cloned from the server.
A new directory testrepo should be created.
Making Changes and Pushing Changes to Git Server:
Now, the client can add commits to the testrepo/ repository and push the changes to the Git server.
$ cd testrepo/$ echo "Hello world" > test.txt
$ git add .
$ git commit -m 'initial commit'
[/cc[
[cc lang="bash"]
$ git push origin
Adding a New Team Member:
Now, let's say, bob wants to contribute to the testrepo Git repository.
All he has to do is generate a SSH key pair and send the public key to the Git server manager.
$ ssh-keygen
Once the Git server manager has the public key of bob, he can upload it to the Git server and add it to the .ssh/authorized_keys file as follows:
$ cat /tmp/bob-key.pub >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
Now, bob can clone the testrepo Git repository from the server as follows:
$ git clone [email protected]:~/testrepo
testrepo should be cloned.
A new directory testrepo should be created in bob's computer.
Now, bob can navigate to the Git repository as follows:
$ cd testrepo/
He should find some existing commits.
$ git log
Now, bob can do his own work and commit it. Then, push the changes to the server.
$ echo "Hello World 2" >> test.txt$ git add .
$ git commit -m 'Changed message'
$ git push origin
Now, other people working on the same repository can pull the changes as follows:
$ git pull origin
He/she should find the commits that bob made.
So, this is how you configure a Git Server with SSH on Ubuntu and use it. Thanks for reading this article.