Personal Access token

Personal Access Tokens (PATs) serve as an essential alternative to passwords for authenticating with GitHub, particularly when using the GitHub API or command line interfaces. Unlike traditional passwords, PATs offer a more secure and flexible way to control access to GitHub resources. They are integral in situations where it's impractical or impossible to use regular passwords, especially in automated scripts or other development workflows.

In this topic, you'll learn about the different types of Personal Access Tokens, their creation, usage, and best practices for security. We'll guide you through the steps to generate and manage these tokens, ensuring you have the knowledge to integrate them effectively into your GitHub-related activities while maintaining optimal security standards.

Types of personal access tokens

GitHub offers two main types of Personal Access Tokens: Fine-grained Personal Access Tokens and Personal Access Tokens (Classic), each catering to specific needs and security requirements.

Fine-grained Personal Access Tokens are a more recent addition designed to provide users with enhanced control over access and security. These tokens limit access to resources owned by a single user or organization and can be restricted to specific repositories. They offer the flexibility to assign specific permissions, which is a more controlled approach compared to the classic tokens. Additionally, they are required to have an expiration date, adding a layer of security by ensuring they don't remain active indefinitely. In some cases, especially for accessing organizational resources, these tokens may require approval from organization owners.

In contrast, Personal Access Tokens (Classic) are a less secure option but necessary for certain GitHub functionalities. They are the only type of token that provides write access to public repositories not owned by the user or their respective organization. They are also essential for outside collaborators to access repositories in organizations where they contribute. However, it's important to note that classic tokens have broader access capabilities, which can be a potential security risk. They enable access to all repositories the user is affiliated with, both within their organization's and personal accounts.

Understanding the distinction between these two types of tokens is crucial. While classic tokens are necessary for specific operations, GitHub recommends using fine-grained tokens wherever possible due to their superior security features. In the following sections, we'll explore how to create, manage, and securely use these tokens in your GitHub activities.

Creating personal access tokens

The process of creating PATs on GitHub involves several steps, whether you opt for the more secure fine-grained tokens or the classic ones. Here's how you can create each type:

Creating a Fine-Grained Personal Access Token

1. Email Verification: First, ensure your email address is verified with GitHub.
2. Access Settings: Navigate to your GitHub profile's settings.
3. Developer Settings: Select 'Developer settings' from the sidebar.
4. Token Selection: Choose 'Fine-grained tokens' under 'Personal access tokens'.
5. Token Generation: Click on 'Generate new token'.
6. Token Details: Provide a name and, optionally, a description for your token. Select an expiration date and the specific permissions needed.
7. Resource Owner and Repository Access: Specify the resource owner and select the repositories the token should access.
8. Permissions Assignment: Choose the required permissions based on your needs.
9. Finalize Token Creation: Click 'Generate token' to create your fine-grained personal access token.

Creating a Personal Access Token (Classic)

1. Email Verification: Verify your email address if it hasn't been done already.
2. Navigate to Settings: Click on your profile photo and go to 'Settings'.
3. Developer Settings: In the sidebar, select 'Developer settings'.
4. Choose Token Type: Under 'Personal access tokens', click 'Tokens (classic)'.
5. Generate Token: Click on 'Generate new token (classic)'.
6. Token Details: Assign a descriptive name to your token and set an expiration date.
7. Select Scopes: Choose the scopes or permissions that your token should have. Remember, a token without assigned scopes can only access public information.
8. Create the Token: Finalize by clicking 'Generate token'.

After the token is generated, it's important to copy and store it securely, as GitHub will not display it again.

Securing personal access tokens

Securing Personal Access Tokens (PATs) is as important as safeguarding passwords because they carry equivalent risks. It's essential to take a proactive stance on securing your GitHub resources.

Before you choose to use a PAT, see if a more secure authentication method is suitable. Tools like GitHub CLI or Git Credential Manager offer command line access and may reduce the need for PATs.

If a PAT is necessary, handle it with great care. Don't store your PAT in plain text or in a location where it's easily accessed, like within scripts. Secure storage solutions are a must. For instance, consider using a password manager that encrypts your PAT, or store it as an environment variable for your projects.

For scripts that require a PAT, especially those in public repositories or shared environments, avoid embedding the PAT directly in the code. Utilize environment variables or secret management tools to provide the token dynamically at runtime. This method keeps the PAT out of your codebase and any logs.

Make it a habit to review and refresh your PATs regularly. GitHub suggests using tokens with an expiration date and updating them frequently. This reduces the chances of exploitation of older, possibly forgotten tokens. If you ever believe a PAT has been compromised or if it's no longer necessary, delete it at once to cut off any potential unauthorized access.

Using personal access tokens

PATs are especially useful for command line operations in Git. For instance, when cloning a repository, you would typically use the command:

git clone https://github.com/your_username/your_repository.git

After entering this command, you'll be prompted for a username and password. Here, instead of your GitHub password, you enter the PAT:

Username: your_username
Password: your_personal_access_token

Remember, PATs replace passwords for HTTPS Git operations. If your repository uses an SSH remote URL, you should switch to HTTPS or use SSH keys. For frequent operations, consider caching your PAT using Git's credential storage, which temporarily remembers your token, so you don't need to enter it every time.

To avoid entering your PAT every time, you can store it using Git's credential storage system. There are two options for storing credentials: cache and store. The cache option keeps credentials in memory for a default period of 15 minutes, while the store option saves them on disk.

For the store option, create a credentials file at ~/.git-credentials and add a line in the following format:

https://{username}:{personal_access_token}@github.com

Then, configure Git to use this file:

git config --global credential.helper store

Alternatively, if you wish to store the credentials file in a different location, use:

git config --global credential.helper 'store --file /path/to/credentials/file'

This method stores your PAT in plaintext, similar to how private SSH keys are stored locally.

You can also set a timeout for the cache (in seconds). For example, to set it for one hour:

git config --global credential.helper 'cache --timeout=3600'

If you need to update the remote URL of an existing repository to include your PAT, you can reset the remote using:

git remote set-url <remote_name> https://<user_name>:<token>@github.com/<owner>/<repo>.git

This updates the remote URL to include your PAT, allowing subsequent operations like push and pull to authenticate using the token without prompting for a password.

These methods provide a seamless way to integrate PATs into your Git workflow, enhancing both security and convenience.

Conclusion

PATs are a fundamental aspect of secure and efficient GitHub operations. They come in two types: the more secure Fine-grained PATs and the broader-access Classic tokens. Understanding how to create, use, and secure these tokens is crucial for anyone interacting with GitHub, especially for API and command line tasks. Effective use of PATs enhances workflow automation, contributes to robust security practices, and is essential for modern development operations.