Multiple (more than 1) private Github repos connected to cpanel - cannot create a second cpanel repository

Question

I have multiple private repos in Github. When I try to setup a second cpanel repository (using the prescribed Git Version Control and SSH key/pair configuration instructions), the second repository fails with the dreaded 128 error:

• Error: “/usr/local/cpanel/3rdparty/bin/git” reported error code “128” when it ended: Permission denied, please try again. Permission denied, please try again.

I have two subdomains on my hosting account (think of them as 'test' and 'prod'), each pointing to its own subfolder (in cpanel File Manager) and each one has its own private repository in Github. The first subdomain (test) works great - Pull Requests feed through from Github to my website successfully every time. But when I try to setup a second cpanel Repository, the above error occurs - can't seem to shake this one.

I verified the key pairs are properly configured (cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub and cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa3.pub), and found them properly loaded in the .ssh/ folder of cpanel. I even triple-checked my Github repos to make sure they each had their own Deploy keys (public SSH key from cpanel).

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks much!! Dan

Answer 1

open Terminal in Cpanel account

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -c "yourcpanalaccount@yourdomain.com"

it will ask you to give file name to save the key ,give the full path :

/home/usernameofcpanel/.ssh/filename_key

do not enter passphasrse - pree enter

It will generete SSH key

in Cpanel you can open SSHKEy section - you will see private and public key with the name filename_key

Authrise the key from cpanel

Add this key in Github - https://github.com/youraccount/Repositoryname/settings

you can go to settings from clicking on repository in Security section go to Deploy key -

click on Add Deploy Key

Add the Key details - Copy public key details from Cpanel SSH Key - for filename_key

and provdie name and copu the public key

chcek Allow Write acess - if you wnat to write to Github from cpanel

once done come back to Cpanel

go to .ssh folder open config file

add the following to config and save the file

Host [Repositoryname].github.com
  HostName github.com
  User git
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/filename_key
  IdentitiesOnly yes

Host [Repositoryname2].github.com
  HostName github.com
  User git
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/filename2_key
  IdentitiesOnly yes

Now open Terminal from Cpanel

ssh -Tv git@repositoryname.github.com

it should give the following message if successfully connected Hi [Gitowneraccountname]/[Repositoryname] you have successfully authenticated,but GitHub doesn't provide shell access.

you are now ready to connect the GitHub to gitversion

from your GitHub repository copy the clone URL of ssh

git@github.com:[Gitowneraccountname]/[Repositoryname].git

go to Gitversion inside cpanel

click on Create

copy the clone URL to clone text box

git@github.com:[Gitowneraccountname]/repository.git change the url to below

git@[Repositoryname].github.com:[Gitowneraccountname]/repository.git

add the subdomain as [Repositoryname] and you will be able to get the cpanel gitversion working with multiple git repositories

Answer 2

The fact the second key has not a default name means it would require a ~/.ssh/config file indeed, as you mentioned.
But the CPanel SSH documentation does not clearly mention it does use said config file (even though it is mentioned in this tutorial).

Check first if this is an issue with a passphrase-protected provate key, as mentioned here.
Or that the private key was imported in CPanel with the wrong eol (end of line) character.

Answer 3

As per comment chain on VonC's answer you cannot use an alias from ssh config when creating a Git repo in cPanel. Which makes life hard.

But for some reason you can when running the equivalent command via the API. So make an API call instead. The API endpoint we want is /VersionControl/create, documented at api.docs.cpanel.net/openapi/cpanel/operation/VersionControl::create.

The quickest way to make the API call is to simply plug a URL like the below straight into the browser.

https://hostname.example.com:2083/cpsess##########/execute/VersionControl/create?type=git&name=example&repository_root=/home/user/public_html/example&source_repository={"remote_name":"origin","url":"github_alias:github-user/yourreponame.git"}

Replace cpsess########## with whatever key you're assigned when logging into cPanel interface.

You'd then have a ssh config looking a little something like this:

Host github_alias
  Hostname github.com
  User git
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/github_key1
  Port 22
Host github_alias2
  Hostname github.com
  User git
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/github_key2
  Port 22

Answer 4

This exact error is usually caused by the ~/.ssh/config file. So you should definitely revisit the configuration in that file.

You should change the texts to this

Host github.com
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/{private_ssh_key_name}

To actually read more on this, check these documentation and article published by cpanel themselves out.

This is the documentation that explains the step by step processes to set up your ssh keys for single and multiple private repositories.

This is the link to the article that helped me solve the error.

Emphasis on option 2, number 11

"NOTE: If you want to use this private key when connecting to any remote host via SSH, you may use an asterisk character as the Host instead of a specific domain name: * Otherwise, use the domain name of your remote Git repository provider."