# Using SSH keys

When you clone your project from a Git repository with SSH keys instead of a credential helper, you need to ensure that your local [SSH agent](https://www.ssh.com/academy/ssh/agent) is running.

If the SSH agent is running, you can add your local SSH keys to the agent using the `ssh-add` command.

Check the following example:

```
ssh-add $HOME/.ssh/<your ssh key>
```

## Troubleshooting

You may receive an error on Linux and Windows since the SSH agent is not running by default on these systems. On macOS, the SSH agent is running by default.

To resolve such issues, use the following steps:

Windows:

Procedure:

1. Ensure that you are running your local PowerShell as an administrator.

2. Enter the following command:

```SHELL
Set-Service ssh-agent -StartupType Automatic
Start-Service ssh-agent
Get-Service ssh-agent
```

Linux:

Procedure:

1. Start the SSH agent with the following command:

```SHELL
eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
```

2. Add the following lines to `~/.bash_profile` or `~/.zprofile` if you prefer to use the `Zsh` shell instead of `bash`.

```BASH
if [ -z "$SSH_AUTH_SOCK" ]; then
# Check for a currently running instance of the agent
RUNNING_AGENT="`ps -ax | grep 'ssh-agent -s' | grep -v grep | wc -l | tr -d '[:space:]'`"
if [ "$RUNNING_AGENT" = "0" ]; then
# Launch a new instance of the agent
ssh-agent -s  > $HOME/.ssh/ssh-agent
fi
eval `cat $HOME/.ssh/ssh-agent` > /dev/null
ssh-add $HOME/.ssh/<your ssh key> 2> /dev/null
fi
```

On the last line of the suggested code, replace <your ssh key> with your specific ssh key. For example, `ssh-add $HOME/.ssh/id_ed344 2> /dev/null`