gvm

nvm for Git identities. Switch between multiple GitHub accounts with one command.

Installation · Quick Start · Commands · How It Works

---

The Problem

You have a personal GitHub account and a work account. Every time you clone a repo, you have to remember which SSH key to use. Your commits show up with the wrong email. You Google "multiple GitHub accounts" for the 47th time.

The Solution

# Set up your identities once
gvm add personal
gvm add work

# Bind repos to identities
cd ~/my-side-project && gvm use personal
cd ~/company-repo && gvm use work

# That's it. GVM auto-switches when you cd between repos.

Installation

Homebrew (macOS/Linux)

brew install abhikb101/gvm/gvm

Script

curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/abhikb101/gvm/main/scripts/install.sh | sh

From source

go install github.com/abhikb101/gvm@latest

Quick Start

# 1. Initialize GVM and create your first profile
gvm init

# Already have SSH keys and git configs? Import them:
gvm migrate

# 2. Add another profile
gvm add work

# 3. Bind repos to profiles
cd ~/work-project
gvm use work

cd ~/personal-project
gvm use personal

# 4. GVM auto-switches as you navigate between repos
# Your commits, pushes, and pulls always use the right identity

Commands

Command	Description
gvm init	Interactive first-time setup
gvm add <name>	Create a new identity profile
gvm login <name> <ssh|http>	Add/update auth for a profile
gvm use <name>	Bind current repo to a profile
gvm switch <name>	Switch identity globally (session)
gvm list	Show all profiles
gvm whoami	Show active identity
gvm clone <name> <url>	Clone with specific identity
gvm remove <name>	Delete a profile
gvm unbind	Remove profile binding from current repo
gvm migrate	Import existing SSH keys, git configs, gh CLI auth
gvm doctor	Health check
gvm config	View/edit settings

use vs switch

• gvm use work — "This repo belongs to my work identity" (permanent, saved in .gvmrc)
• gvm switch work — "I want to be my work identity right now" (temporary, session-only)

Repo bindings (use) always override global switches.

How It Works

GVM manages three things:

1. SSH keys — Each profile gets its own Ed25519 key (~/.ssh/gvm_<name>)
2. Git config — Automatically sets user.name, user.email, and core.sshCommand per-repo
3. Shell hook — Detects .gvmrc files on cd and auto-activates the right profile

No magic, no daemons, no background processes. Just config files and a shell hook.

Shell Integration

GVM adds a small hook to your shell that auto-switches profiles when you cd into a bound repo. It also optionally shows the active profile in your prompt.

Works with: zsh, bash, fish

Prompt integration with: Starship, Oh My Zsh, Powerlevel10k

Migrating Existing Setup

Already have multiple SSH keys and git configs? GVM can detect and import them:

gvm migrate --dry-run  # see what GVM finds (no changes)
gvm migrate            # interactively import existing identities

GVM scans for:

• Global git config (user.name, user.email)
• SSH keys in ~/.ssh/
• Host entries in ~/.ssh/config (the common Host github-work pattern)
• GitHub CLI (gh) authentication tokens
• includeIf directory-based git configs

FAQ

Does GVM modify my existing SSH config? No. GVM creates its own keys (prefixed with gvm_) and never touches your existing SSH setup.

Can I use both SSH and HTTPS for the same profile? Yes. Run gvm login <name> ssh and gvm login <name> http to set up both.

What if I forget to gvm use in a repo? Your global identity (set via gvm switch) will be used. Run gvm whoami to check.

Does it work with GitLab/Bitbucket? Currently GitHub-only. GitLab and Bitbucket support is planned.

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

License

MIT — see LICENSE