Git credential helper:

Git credential helper is used to save user credentials, so that user does not require to enter credentials on each git operation. Git provides few default git credential helpers, see how to use them. This blog will demonstrate on how to build custom git credential helper.

Simple python cli:

• Let's write a python cli called auth_helper.py

    #!/usr/bin/env python
    import argparse
  
    class Credential(object):
        def get(self):
            # logic to get username/password from auth file
            pass
        def store(self):
            # logic to store username/password to auth file
            # its better to encrypt password if its in plain text
            pass
        def erase(self):
            # logic to delete auth file
            pass
  
    def main():
        parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
        parser.add_argument('operation', action="store", type=str,
                help="Git action to be performed (get|store|erase)")
        # parser all arguments
        arguments = parser.parse_args()
        # get credentials
        credentials = Credential()
  
        if arguments.operation == "get":
            creds = credentials.get()
            print("username={0}".format(creds.get("username")))
            print("password={0}".format(creds.get("password")))
        elif arguments.operation == "store":
            credentials.store()
            # if credentials are already stored do not store again
        elif arguments.operation == "erase":
            credentials.erase()
        else:
            print "Invalid git operation"
  
    if __name__ == "__main__":
        main()
  

• This cli takes three git operations as cli arguments get, store and erase.

• These arguments are not coincident, they are used by git. Let's know more about them.

Git credentials store:

• Git credentials store looks for three arguments
  • get: called when triggered git pull, git fetch, git push etc.
  • store: called when triggered git pull, git fetch, git push etc.
  • erase: if our provided credentials fail, git will fallback to its own credentials prompt, if this fails as well erase is called.

Git helper configuration:

• To configure our cli as git helper, trigger the below command

    git config --global credential.https://git.company.com.helper "./path/to/cli/auth_helper.py"
  

• This will define auth_helper.py under credential section of .gitconfig file (user's home directory).

• https://git.company.com is the domain where git is hosted.

Done!! Next time we use git, our auth_helper.py should provide credentials for git authorization.