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Fixing Git Push to Dokku Asking for a Password

A Dokku password prompt usually means SSH cannot find or select the private key matching an authorized public key. Verify the dokku remote, register the public key, configure IdentityFile, and use verbose SSH output to isolate server policy problems.
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If git push to Dokku suddenly asks for a password, the usual problem is not an application password. Your SSH client did not find or select the private key that matches a public key authorized on the Dokku server. Check the remote URL, authorize the correct public key, and tell SSH which private-key filename to use when it is not the default.

The quickest path is to verify that the remote looks like dokku@DOKKU_HOSTNAME:APP_NAME, register your public key with Dokku, add an IdentityFile entry for any non-default key, and retry the push. If the SSH connection itself closes on port 22, investigate the server’s access-control policy rather than Git repository settings.

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Why Dokku asks for a password

Dokku accepts Git deployments over SSH. During a push, your local SSH client must offer a private key whose public half is authorized for the Dokku account on the server. Dokku’s troubleshooting guidance identifies a missing SSH secret key as the reason for the password prompt, especially when the matching private key is not stored at the default ~/.ssh/id_rsa path.

A prompt can therefore appear even though the key is correctly installed on the server: the local client may be looking for a different filename, the Git remote may be using HTTPS, or the remote may name a user other than dokku. These are separate checks. Fixing one does not automatically fix the others.

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What the prompt does and does not mean

  • It usually means the expected private key was not found or was not selected.
  • It does not mean you should copy your private key to the server or type a Dokku application password.
  • The public key must be registered on the Dokku host, while the private key remains on your computer.
  • A connection that is closed immediately on port 22 can indicate operating-system access controls, which is different from a bad Git remote or app name.

Check the Git remote first

From your application repository, inspect every configured remote:

git remote -v

A Dokku SSH remote normally has the dokku username followed by the server host and an application name:

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dokku  dokku@DOKKU_HOSTNAME:APP_NAME (fetch)
dokku  dokku@DOKKU_HOSTNAME:APP_NAME (push)

The exact hostname and app name depend on your server. The important parts are the SSH-style address and the literal username dokku. Dokku’s deployment documentation states that “the remote username must be dokku or pushes will fail.”

Remote form What it means Action
dokku@DOKKU_HOSTNAME:APP_NAME SSH remote with the required Dokku user Continue with key authorization and key-selection checks.
https://DOKKU_HOSTNAME/APP_NAME HTTPS remote; Git will use HTTPS credentials instead of Dokku’s SSH deployment path Replace it with the SSH form.
root@DOKKU_HOSTNAME:APP_NAME or another user SSH is being attempted as the wrong account Change the username to dokku.
A different host or app name The push is targeting another server or Dokku app Confirm the intended hostname and application name before changing the URL.

Replace an incorrect remote

If a remote named dokku already exists, set its URL explicitly:

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git remote set-url dokku dokku@DOKKU_HOSTNAME:APP_NAME

If no dokku remote exists, add one:

git remote add dokku dokku@DOKKU_HOSTNAME:APP_NAME

Run git remote -v again after changing it. This catches typographical errors before you spend time changing SSH keys.

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Make sure Dokku has your public key

The server must know the public key that corresponds to the private key your local client will use. Only the public key is copied or submitted. Never send the private key file to the server or paste its contents into a ticket.

Current installation guidance

For installations that use Dokku’s current administrative command, the installation guidance shows this command on the Dokku server:

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cat ~/.ssh/authorized_keys | sudo dokku ssh-keys:add admin

This imports the administrator’s authorized public key and labels it admin. Use the command in the context of the account and server where your Dokku installation is running; the relevant key must be the public key belonging to the computer that will push.

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Older deployment guidance

Older Dokku deployment instructions use sshcommand acl-add and show a command run from the local machine:

cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub | ssh [sudouser]@[yourdomain].com "sudo sshcommand acl-add dokku [description]"

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The two command styles reflect different Dokku versions and administration models. Follow the syntax documented for your installed version. If an administrator has already registered a key, do not add a different public key by mistake; identify which local private key it matches first.

Tell SSH which private key to use

SSH commonly checks ~/.ssh/id_rsa by default. If your matching private key has another filename, add a host-specific rule to ~/.ssh/config:

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Host DOKKU_HOSTNAME
  IdentityFile "~/.ssh/KEYNAME"

Replace DOKKU_HOSTNAME with the same host string used in the Git remote and replace KEYNAME with the private-key filename. The Host value must match the host portion of dokku@DOKKU_HOSTNAME:APP_NAME; otherwise SSH will not apply the rule.

Keep this private key on your local computer and protect it as a secret. The server receives only the corresponding public key, normally the file ending in .pub. If you have several keys, a host-specific IdentityFile prevents SSH from offering an unintended key for this Dokku host.

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Check that the key and authorization match

  • Confirm that the filename in IdentityFile is the private key, not the .pub file.
  • Confirm that the public half of that key is the one registered on Dokku.
  • Confirm that the Host line exactly matches the hostname in the remote URL.
  • Do not change the remote to a different account merely because another account has a key; Dokku deployment requires the dokku user.
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Retry the deployment and inspect SSH when it fails

Once the remote, authorization, and key-selection settings agree, push the branch used by the application:

git push dokku main

Use your actual deployment branch if it is not main. A branch name affects what Git sends after authentication succeeds; it does not repair an SSH password prompt.

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For a lower-level check, connect directly with verbose SSH logging:

ssh -v dokku@DOKKU_HOSTNAME

The verbose output shows which identity files SSH considers and which key it offers. Use it to answer these questions in order:

  1. Did the client read the host rule from ~/.ssh/config?
  2. Did it locate the private key named by IdentityFile?
  3. Did it offer that key to dokku@DOKKU_HOSTNAME?
  4. Did the server accept the corresponding public key?

If the key is offered but rejected, revisit server authorization. If the intended key is never offered, correct the host name or IdentityFile path. If the connection is accepted and then closes on port 22, inspect server-side access controls.

Diagnose the remaining failure by symptom

Symptom Most likely cause Next check
Git asks for a username or password immediately The remote is HTTPS or otherwise not the Dokku SSH URL Run git remote -v and set the remote to dokku@DOKKU_HOSTNAME:APP_NAME.
SSH runs as a user other than dokku The remote username is wrong Use git remote set-url dokku dokku@DOKKU_HOSTNAME:APP_NAME.
Password prompt persists with an SSH-looking URL The matching private key is not at the default path or is not selected Add the Host/IdentityFile rule and run ssh -v.
Verbose SSH offers a key, but authentication is refused The corresponding public key is not authorized on Dokku Register the correct public key using the command appropriate to your Dokku version.
Connection closes on port 22 before normal authentication An operating-system access policy is blocking the dokku account Inspect /etc/security/access.conf or the equivalent access-control policy on the server.
SSH authentication succeeds but the push reports an app or repository error The SSH key path is working; the target app name, branch, or Dokku configuration needs attention Verify APP_NAME and the branch separately instead of changing keys again.

A complete repair sequence

Use this order so each layer is validated before moving to the next:

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  1. Run git remote -v inside the application repository.
  2. Ensure the push URL is dokku@DOKKU_HOSTNAME:APP_NAME, changing it with git remote set-url or adding it with git remote add when necessary.
  3. Identify the local private key that matches the public key registered for this Dokku server.
  4. If that private key is not ~/.ssh/id_rsa, add the matching Host and IdentityFile lines to ~/.ssh/config.
  5. Register the public key on the Dokku server with the current dokku ssh-keys:add method or the older sshcommand acl-add dokku method required by that installation.
  6. Run ssh -v dokku@DOKKU_HOSTNAME and confirm that the intended key is offered and accepted.
  7. Retry with git push dokku main or the application’s deployment branch.
  8. If port 22 is closed by the server, check /etc/security/access.conf or the equivalent operating-system policy; do not treat that symptom as a Git remote naming problem.

What to remember

Dokku’s password prompt is most often an SSH key-selection problem. The reliable configuration has four parts: an SSH remote that uses the dokku username, a public key authorized on the server, a local SSH client that selects the matching private key, and a server policy that permits the Dokku account to connect. Checking those four conditions distinguishes a local filename mistake from an authorization problem or a server-level access restriction.

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