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Git - How to use .netrc file on Windows to save user and password

Is it possible to use a .netrc file on Windows when I'm using Git to clone a remote repository with HTTP and user - password?

Answer*

> Is it possible to use a `.netrc` file on Windows?

Yes: You must:

- define environment variable `%HOME%` (pre-Git 2.0, no longer needed with Git 2.0+)
- put a `_netrc` file in `%HOME%`

If you are using Windows 7/10, in a `CMD` session, type:

 setx HOME %USERPROFILE%

and the `%HOME%` will be set to '`C:\Users\"username"`'. 
Go that that folder (`cd %HOME%`) and make a file called '`_netrc`'

Note: Again, for Windows, you need a '`_netrc`' file, *not* a '`.netrc`' file.

Its content is quite standard (Replace the `<examples>` with your values):

 machine <hostname1>
 login <login1>
 password <password1>
 machine <hostname2>
 login <login2>
 password <password2>

-----

[Luke][7] mentions in the comments:

> Using the latest version of msysgit on Windows 7, I did not need to set the `HOME` environment variable. The `_netrc` file alone did the trick.

This is indeed what I mentioned in "[Trying to “`install`” github, `.ssh` dir not there][8]": 
[`git-cmd.bat`][9] included in msysgit does set the `%HOME%` environment variable:

 @if not exist "%HOME%" @set HOME=%HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%
 @if not exist "%HOME%" @set HOME=%USERPROFILE%

------

爱国者 believes in the comments that "it seems that it won't work for http protocol"

However, I answered that `netrc` is used by `curl`, and works for HTTP protocol, as shown in [this example][10] (look for '`netrc`' in the page): . Also used with HTTP protocol here: "[`_netrc`/`.netrc` alternative to `cURL`][11]".

-----

A common trap with with `netrc` support on Windows is that git will bypass using it if an origin https url specifies a user name. 

For example, if your `.git/config` file contains: 

<pre>
[remote "origin"]
 fetch = +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*
 url = https://bob@code.google.com/p/my-project/
</pre> 

Git will not resolve your credentials via `_netrc`, to fix this remove your username, like so: 

<pre>
[remote "origin"]
 fetch = +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*
 url = https://code.google.com/p/my-project/
</pre> 

-----

Alternative solution: With **git version 1.7.9+** (January 2012): [This answer][4] from [Mark Longair][5] details the [**credential cache mechanism**][6] which *also* allows you to *not* store your password in plain text as shown below.

----

With [Git 1.8.3][1] (April 2013):

You now can use an **encrypted .netrc** (with `gpg`). 
On Windows: `%HOME%/_netrc` (`_`, not '`.`')

> A **[new read-only credential helper][2]** (in `contrib/`) to interact with the `.netrc/.authinfo` files has been added.

That script would allow you to **use gpg-encrypted netrc files**, avoiding the issue of having your credentials stored in a plain text file.

> Files with the `.gpg` extension will be decrypted by GPG before parsing. 
Multiple `-f` arguments are OK. They are processed in order, and the first matching entry found is returned via the credential helper protocol.

> When no `-f` option is given, `.authinfo.gpg`, `.netrc.gpg`, `.authinfo`, and `.netrc` files in your home directory are used in this order.

To enable this credential helper:

 git config credential.helper '$shortname -f AUTHFILE1 -f AUTHFILE2'

> (Note that Git will prepend "`git-credential-`" to the helper name and look for it in the path.)

 # and if you want lots of debugging info:
 git config credential.helper '$shortname -f AUTHFILE -d'

 #or to see the files opened and data found:
 git config credential.helper '$shortname -f AUTHFILE -v'

**See a full example at "[Is there a way to skip password typing when using `https:// github`][3]"**

-----

With Git 2.18+ (June 2018), you now can customize the GPG program used to decrypt the encrypted `.netrc` file.

See [commit 786ef50](https://github.com/git/git/commit/786ef50a23cbd0e93d1e41982cfaba76801ed885), [commit f07eeed](https://github.com/git/git/commit/f07eeed123b8880b1723b1ea9d6d6f41cfb34532) (12 May 2018) by [Luis Marsano (`lmmarsano`)](https://github.com/lmmarsano). 
<sup>(Merged by [Junio C Hamano -- `gitster` --](https://github.com/gitster) in [commit 017b7c5](https://github.com/git/git/commit/017b7c52fc00897c72f6c4808ded43c4c5f9c5b8), 30 May 2018)</sup> 

> ## `git-credential-netrc`: accept `gpg` option

> `git-credential-netrc` was hardcoded to decrypt with '`gpg`' regardless of
the gpg.program option. 
This is a problem on distributions like Debian that call modern GnuPG something else, like '`gpg2`'



 [1]: https://github.com/git/git/blob/master/Documentation/RelNotes/1.8.3.txt#L119-L120
 [2]: https://github.com/git/git/blob/master/contrib/credential/netrc/git-credential-netrc
 [3]: https://stackoverflow.com/a/18362082/6309
 [4]: https://stackoverflow.com/a/5343146/6309
 [5]: https://stackoverflow.com/users/223092/mark-longair
 [6]: http://git-scm.com/docs/git-credential-cache
 [7]: https://stackoverflow.com/users/197503/luke
 [8]: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/8514097/trying-to-install-github-ssh-dir-not-there/8531157#8531157
 [9]: https://github.com/msysgit/msysgit/blob/master/git-cmd.bat
 [10]: http://maymay.net/blog/2008/08/08/how-to-use-http-basic-authentication-with-git/
 [11]: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/5193643/netrc-netrc-alternative-to-curl

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@Luke: yes, the git-cmd.bat included in msysgit does set the %HOME% environment variable, as I mentioned last December: stackoverflow.com/questions/8514097/…

VonC
– VonC

2012年01月23日 21:39:09 +00:00
Commented Jan 23, 2012 at 21:39
@爱国者 netrc is used by curl, and works for http protocol, as shown in this example (look for 'netrc' in the page): maymay.net/blog/2008/08/08/… . Also used with http protocol here: stackoverflow.com/questions/5193643/…

VonC
– VonC

2012年02月03日 04:58:06 +00:00
Commented Feb 3, 2012 at 4:58
@VonC I just added another trap both Marc and I hit to the bottom.

Sam Saffron
– Sam Saffron

2012年05月11日 05:29:06 +00:00
Commented May 11, 2012 at 5:29
@SamSaffron What version of Git are you using? Just to make sure it isn't related to stackoverflow.com/questions/10464250/remote-pushurl-wont-work and github.com/git/git/blob/master/Documentation/RelNotes/…

VonC
– VonC

2012年05月11日 06:35:48 +00:00
Commented May 11, 2012 at 6:35
1

@AndreyS If you see HOME defined in your user environment variables, but you don't see it when typing set HOME in your current CMD, you need to open a new CMD in order for said shell session to inherit the variables you have defined.

VonC
– VonC

2022年06月12日 14:32:31 +00:00
Commented Jun 12, 2022 at 14:32

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Git - How to use .netrc file on Windows to save user and password

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