setup

GitHub CLI authentication is configured by running `gh auth login`, which prompts you to choose a protocol and authenticate with your GitHub account. Verify success with `gh auth status` and `gh api user --jq '.login'` to confirm your login is active.

Authentication failures often stem from missing OAuth scopes, outdated gh installation, or credential conflicts. Run `gh auth status` to check current auth state, then `gh auth logout` followed by `gh auth login` to reinitialize. Ensure gh is updated to the latest version.

GitHub CLI works for public repositories without authentication, but most operations—including accessing private repos, creating issues, and using advanced APIs—require `gh auth login` to function without interruption.

Run `gh auth status` to display your current authentication state and logged-in user. Confirm successful authentication by executing `gh api user --jq '.login'`, which returns your GitHub username if credentials are valid.

Permission errors occur when your GitHub token lacks required OAuth scopes. Re-authenticate with `gh auth login` and grant all requested permissions during the interactive prompt. Verify scopes with `gh auth status --show-token` to see active permissions.