Prevent git from popping up gnome password box

It seems like git is probably using the GIT_ASKPASS or SSH_ASKPASS environment variables to figure out if it should use a separate program to prompt for passwords.

Try running unset GIT_ASKPASS or unset SSH_ASKPASS. Now try pushing or pulling from a git repository. If that works, add the appropriate command to .bashrc, .zshrc, or whatever file you use to run a command when your shell starts.

You can also override the value of git's core.askpass setting with git config --global core.askpass YOUR_PREFERRED_PROMPT_COMMAND.

Relevant information from the git-config man page:

core.askpass

Some commands (e.g. svn and http interfaces) that interactively ask for a password can be told to use an external program given via the value of this variable. Can be overridden by the GIT_ASKPASS environment variable. If not set, fall back to the value of the SSH_ASKPASS environment variable or, failing that, a simple password prompt. The external program shall be given a suitable prompt as command line argument and write the password on its STDOUT.

Original source: http://kartzontech.blogspot.com/2011/04/how-to-disable-gnome-ssh-askpass.html

unset DISPLAY when running git commands that might need password, and gnome-ssh-askpass will use a text terminal prompt.

For example:

DISPLAY= git push