Connect Private Github and Other VCS

To connect a private GitHub repo in Azure DevOps, you have 3 reliable methods, depending on what you want:

✅ Method 1: Connect Private GitHub Repo to Azure DevOps Pipeline (Recommended)

This is the standard and easiest method.

Step 1 — Go to Azure DevOps → Pipelines → Create Pipeline

1. Click New Pipeline

2. Choose GitHub

1. Azure DevOps will ask you to authorize GitHub Click Authorize AzurePipelines

2. 
3. GitHub will open → give access to selected repos (Choose the private repo)

4. 

After this, Azure DevOps can read your private repo.

Step 2 — Select your private repo

Azure DevOps will list your GitHub repos.

Select your private repo → choose your YAML → pipeline is ready.

☑️ Works for:

✔ Private GitHub repos ✔ Public repos ✔ Organization repos

✅ Method 2: Use GitHub Service Connection (Most secure for enterprise)

Step 1 — Create a GitHub Connection

1. Go to Project Settings

2. Click Service Connections

3. Click New service connection

4. Choose GitHub

5. Select:

   • OAuth (easy), or

   • Personal Access Token (PAT) (enterprise mode)

Step 2 — Scope your PAT (if using PAT)

On GitHub → Settings → Developer Settings → PAT

Create token with:

repo
workflow
write:packages (if needed)

Step 3 — Use in Azure Pipelines YAML

Example:

resources:
  repositories:
    - repository: mygithubrepo
      type: github
      endpoint: MyGitHubConnection
      name: username/repo-name

✅ Method 3: Clone Private GitHub Repo Using SSH inside Azure Pipeline

(Useful if HTTPS blocked / enterprise)

Step 1 — Generate SSH Key

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "azurepipeline"

Step 2 — Add public key to GitHub

GitHub → Settings → SSH and GPG keys → New SSH key

Step 3 — Add private key to Azure DevOps

Azure DevOps → Project Settings → Pipelines → Library → Secure Files Upload id_ed25519

Step 4 — Use in pipeline

steps:
- task: InstallSSHKey@0
  inputs:
    sshKeySecureFile: 'id_ed25519'
    knownHostsEntry: |
      github.com ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAA...

- script: |
    git clone [email protected]:USERNAME/REPO.git

This allows pipeline to clone your private GitHub repo securely via SSH.

🎯 Which method should you use?

🔥 If you tell me your scenario, I will give exact steps:

Example:

• Are you trying to run Azure pipeline on a GitHub repo?

• Or trying to pull GitHub code from inside Azure pipeline?

• Or trying to mirror repo from GitHub into Azure DevOps?

Just reply with your need.