Manual: git-credential-cache

GIT-CREDENTIAL-CACHE(1)				 Git Manual			     GIT-CREDENTIAL-CACHE(1)

NAME
       git-credential-cache - Helper to temporarily store passwords in memory

SYNOPSIS
       git config credential.helper 'cache []'

DESCRIPTION
       This command caches credentials for use by future Git programs. The stored credentials are kept in
       memory of the cache-daemon process (instead of being written to a file) and are forgotten after a
       configurable timeout. Credentials are forgotten sooner if the cache-daemon dies, for example if the
       system restarts. The cache is accessible over a Unix domain socket, restricted to the current user by
       filesystem permissions.

       You probably don’t want to invoke this command directly; it is meant to be used as a credential
       helper by other parts of Git. See gitcredentials(7) or EXAMPLES below.

OPTIONS
       --timeout 
	   Number of seconds to cache credentials (default: 900).

       --socket 
	   Use  to contact a running cache daemon (or start a new cache daemon if one is not started).
	   Defaults to $XDG_CACHE_HOME/git/credential/socket unless ~/.git-credential-cache/ exists in which
	   case ~/.git-credential-cache/socket is used instead. If your home directory is on a
	   network-mounted filesystem, you may need to change this to a local filesystem. You must specify
	   an absolute path.

CONTROLLING THE DAEMON
       If you would like the daemon to exit early, forgetting all cached credentials before their timeout,
       you can issue an exit action:

	   git credential-cache exit

EXAMPLES
       The point of this helper is to reduce the number of times you must type your username or password.
       For example:

	   $ git config credential.helper cache
	   $ git push http://example.com/repo.git
	   Username: 
	   Password: 

	   [work for 5 more minutes]
	   $ git push http://example.com/repo.git
	   [your credentials are used automatically]

       You can provide options via the credential.helper configuration variable (this example increases the
       cache time to 1 hour):

	   $ git config credential.helper 'cache --timeout=3600'

PERSONAL ACCESS TOKENS
       Some remotes accept personal access tokens, which are randomly generated and hard to memorise. They
       typically have a lifetime of weeks or months.

       git-credential-cache is inherently unsuitable for persistent storage of personal access tokens. The
       credential will be forgotten after the cache timeout. Even if you configure a long timeout,
       credentials will be forgotten if the daemon dies.

       To avoid frequently regenerating personal access tokens, configure a credential helper with
       persistent storage. Alternatively, configure an OAuth credential helper to generate credentials
       automatically. See gitcredentials(7), sections "Available helpers" and "OAuth".

GIT
       Part of the git(1) suite

Git 2.53.0					 03/02/2026			     GIT-CREDENTIAL-CACHE(1)