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Is it possible to use pip to install a package from a private GitHub repository?

I am trying to install a Python package from a private GitHub repository. For a public repository, I can issue the following command which works fine:

pip install git+git://github.com/django/django.git

However, if I try this for a private repository:

pip install git+git://github.com/echweb/echweb-utils.git

I get the following output:

Downloading/unpacking git+git://github.com/echweb/echweb-utils.git
Cloning Git repository git://github.com/echweb/echweb-utils.git to /var/folders/cB/cB85g9P7HM4jcPn7nrvWRU+++TI/-Tmp-/pip-VRsIoo-build
Complete output from command /usr/local/bin/git clone git://github.com/echweb/echweb-utils.git /var/folders/cB/cB85g9P7HM4jcPn7nrvWRU+++TI/-Tmp-/pip-VRsIoo-build:
fatal: The remote end hung up unexpectedly

Cloning into /var/folders/cB/cB85g9P7HM4jcPn7nrvWRU+++TI/-Tmp-/pip-VRsIoo-build...

----------------------------------------
Command /usr/local/bin/git clone git://github.com/echweb/echweb-utils.git /var/folders/cB/cB85g9P7HM4jcPn7nrvWRU+++TI/-Tmp-/pip-VRsIoo-build failed with error code 128

I guess this is because I am trying to access a private repository without providing any authentication. I therefore tried to use Git + ssh hoping that pip would use my SSH public key to authenticate:

pip install git+ssh://github.com/echweb/echweb-utils.git

This gives the following output:

Downloading/unpacking git+ssh://github.com/echweb/echweb-utils.git
Cloning Git repository ssh://github.com/echweb/echweb-utils.git to /var/folders/cB/cB85g9P7HM4jcPn7nrvWRU+++TI/-Tmp-/pip-DQB8s4-build
Complete output from command /usr/local/bin/git clone ssh://github.com/echweb/echweb-utils.git /var/folders/cB/cB85g9P7HM4jcPn7nrvWRU+++TI/-Tmp-/pip-DQB8s4-build:
Cloning into /var/folders/cB/cB85g9P7HM4jcPn7nrvWRU+++TI/-Tmp-/pip-DQB8s4-build...

Permission denied (publickey).

fatal: The remote end hung up unexpectedly

----------------------------------------
Command /usr/local/bin/git clone ssh://github.com/echweb/echweb-utils.git /var/folders/cB/cB85g9P7HM4jcPn7nrvWRU+++TI/-Tmp-/pip-DQB8s4-build failed with error code 128

Is what I am trying to achieve even possible? If so, how can I do it?

Solution

  • You can use the git+ssh URI scheme, but you must set a username. Notice the git@ part in the URI:

    pip install git+ssh://[email protected]/echweb/echweb-utils.git

    Also read about deploy keys.

    PS: In my installation, the "git+ssh" URI scheme works only with "editable" requirements:

    pip install -e URI#egg=EggName

    Remember: Change the : character that git remote -v prints to a / character before using the remote's address in the pip command:

    $ git remote -v
origin  [email protected]:echweb/echweb-utils.git (fetch)
#                     ^ change this to a '/' character

    If you forget, you will get this error:

    ssh: Could not resolve hostname github.com:echweb:
         nodename nor servname provided, or not known