Troubleshooting
| Issue | Likely Cause | Suggested Solution |
|---|
| Clicking “Add SSH Key” when trying to add a new SSH key to GitHub results in an error message being displayed at the top of the page | SSH key was not spelled properly. | Check the spelling to ensure it matches the generated key. |
ssh-add illegal option --K error | You may be using a version of MacOS in which the -K flag is deprecated. | If you are using Monterey, you can try to use --apple-use-keychain instead. Otherwise, check for the equivalent flag for your version of MacOS. |
| Bad configuration option: usekeychain error | You may have omitted the UseKeychain line from your config file (if you did not attach a passphrase to your SSH key). | Add the line IgnoreUnknown UseKeychain to your config file. |
Errors regarding ed25519 keys being unavailable on your system | You may be using legacy software. | You can generate a key using other algorithms instead, though they may be less secure. |
Command-Line Error bits has bad value | You may have entered in the SSH key generation command incorrectly. | Make sure there are no typos in your command and that you are using the correct flags. |
Errors regarding eval "$(ssh-agent -s)" | Your system may be set up to require administrative access for this command, or you may be using a legacy version of MacOS. | If you receive an error regarding a requirement to have root access, try entering sudo -sh -H before entering the eval command. |
| | | Depending on the terminal version you are using, you may need to enter exec ssh-agent bash instead of the eval command. |
| | | Depending on the terminal version you are using, you may need to enter exec ssh-agent zsh instead of the eval command. |