gh-auth

Log in with interactive prompt

$ gh auth login

$ echo [your_token] | gh auth login --with-token

$ gh auth status

$ gh auth logout

$ gh auth login --hostname [github.example.com]

$ gh auth refresh

$ gh auth refresh --scopes [repo,admin:repo_hook,admin:org,admin:public_key,admin:org_hook,...]

gh auth <command> [flags]

login
    Authenticate with GitHub.

logout
    Log out of GitHub.

status
    View your current authentication status.

refresh
    Refresh stored authentication credentials.

token
    Manually set an authentication token.

whoami
    Display the currently authenticated user.

The `gh auth` command is part of the GitHub CLI (`gh`) and manages authentication for interacting with GitHub repositories from the command line. It handles the login process, enabling secure access to your GitHub account and repositories without requiring you to manually enter credentials repeatedly. The command uses OAuth to obtain access tokens, which are stored securely on your system. The command supports different authentication flows, including browser-based and password-based authentication. Once authenticated, `gh` can perform various GitHub operations, such as cloning repositories, creating pull requests, and managing issues, all directly from your terminal. The command simplifies interacting with GitHub and automation processes from the CLI environment, removing the need to use public keys or provide passwords in scripts. It aims to streamline the workflow of developers using GitHub.

The authentication token is stored securely on your system, but its security depends on the overall security of your system. Ensure your system is protected against malware and unauthorized access.

Browser-based Authentication:
Opens a web browser to authenticate with your GitHub account.
PAT (Personal Access Token) Authentication:
Allows you to manually enter a personal access token for authentication.
Password Authentication:
Direct authentication using your GitHub account username and password. This is less secure and is generally discouraged.

The command saves the configuration on a standard location. The location depends of the operative system.

git(1), ssh(1)