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GitHub Personal Access Token Setup Guide for OwlBan Group

Step 1: Create a GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT)

  1. Go to GitHub Personal Access Tokens
  2. Click "Generate new token" → "Generate new token (classic)"
  3. Give it a descriptive name, e.g., "OwlBan MCP Server"
  4. Set expiration (recommend 90 days or never for organizational use)
  5. Select the following scopes:

Required Scopes for Basic Functionality:

  • repo - Full control of private repositories
  • read:org - Read org and team membership
  • read:user - Read ALL user profile data
  • notifications - Access notifications

Additional Recommended Scopes:

  • read:packages - Download packages from GitHub Package Registry
  • read:project - Read project boards
  • read:discussion - Read team discussions

Advanced Scopes (if needed):

  • write:repo_hook - Write repository hooks
  • admin:repo_hook - Full control of repository hooks
  • project - Full control of projects
  • write:org - Read and write org and team membership
  • admin:org - Full control of orgs and teams
  1. Click "Generate token"
  2. IMPORTANT: Copy the token immediately - you won't see it again!

Step 2: Secure Token Storage

Option A: Environment Variable (Recommended)

# Add to your shell profile (.bashrc, .zshrc, etc.)
export OWLBAN_GITHUB_PAT=your_token_here

# Or create a .env file (add to .gitignore!)
echo "OWLBAN_GITHUB_PAT=your_token_here" > .env

Option B: Password Manager

Store the token in a secure password manager like:

  • 1Password
  • LastPass
  • Bitwarden
  • KeePass

Option C: VS Code Secrets (for VS Code users)

VS Code can store secrets securely using the MCP configuration.

Step 3: Test Token Validity

Run this command to verify your token works:

curl -H "Authorization: token YOUR_TOKEN_HERE" https://api.github.com/user

You should see your GitHub user information in JSON format.

Security Best Practices

  1. Never commit tokens to version control
  2. Use the minimum required scopes
  3. Rotate tokens regularly (every 90 days)
  4. Use different tokens for different purposes
  5. Monitor token usage in GitHub settings
  6. Revoke tokens immediately if compromised

Token Permissions Reference

Scope Description Use Case
repo Full private repo access Read/write code, issues, PRs
read:org Read organization data Access org repos, teams
read:user Read user profile Get user info, repos
notifications Access notifications Read GitHub notifications
read:packages Download packages Access GitHub Package Registry
read:project Read projects Access project boards
read:discussion Read discussions Access team discussions

Troubleshooting

Token Not Working?

  • Check token hasn't expired
  • Verify correct scopes are selected
  • Ensure token wasn't accidentally revoked
  • Try regenerating the token

Permission Denied?

  • Organization may require SSO authorization
  • Check if token has required scopes
  • Verify you're a member of the organization

Rate Limiting?