URLs in `.gitmodules` starting with `ssh://` do not work.

[sandeepd-nv]

You'll need to use an SSH key instead of a PAT if any URL in your .gitmodules file starts with ssh:// instead of https:// or git@github.com: otherwise GitHub will fail to clone the submodule in question with a Host key verification failed error.

[PanDeOps]

Good afternoon, encountered a similar problem using deploy-key ssh and private submodule

In .gitmodules I specified

[submodule "SubModuleRepo"]
    path = SubModuleRepo
    url = git@github.com:Org/SubModuleRepo.git

I also tried to specify absolute path but I get the same error

    url = ssh://git@github.com:Org/SubModuleRepo.git.

When I try to download the sub module I get the error

git@github.com: Permission denied (publickey). 
Error: fatal: Could not read from remote repository.
  
Please make sure you have the correct access rights
and the repository exists.
Error: fatal: clone of 'git@github.com:Org/SubModuleRepo.git' into submodule path "<<builder_path>>"

In pipeline:

- name: Checkout repository
  uses: actions/checkout@v4
  with:
    submodules: recursive
    ssh-key: ${{ secrets.DEPLOY-KEY}}

Could you show in detail your settings and how exactly you solved this problem?

[yyh12138]

Hi, I also encountered the same problem using deploy-key ssh and private submodule. My solution is to use the https instead of ssh in .gitmodules, and try token in .yml:

- name: Checkout repository
        uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          submodules: true
          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

[herrernst]

Unfortunately, this step only rewrites git@github.com: URLs, not ssh://github.com/ ones:

checkout/src/git-auth-helper.ts

Line 67 in ff7abcd

this.insteadOfValues.push(`git@${serverUrl.hostname}:`)

[herrernst]

I've opened a PR, maybe some of you (👀 @romainreignier)want to upvote it: #2367

[romainreignier]

I use this action on a Forgejo server with a custom SSH port so this change is not enough for my use-case.
I have already patched another action for this use-case, see this PR.

But I know that this (checkout) repo is maintained by Github and they do not want to support alternative servers.