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Node.js Usage Guide

Complete guide to using the Node.js Device Flow script for generating GitHub App user access tokens.

Prerequisites

Node.js 18+

The script uses the built-in fetch API (available in Node 18+). No external dependencies required!

Check if Node.js is installed:

node --version

If not installed:

GitHub App

Your GitHub App must have:

  • Device flow enabled (Settings → Optional features → Device flow)
  • Callback URL set (e.g., http://localhost — required even though not used)
  • User permissions configured as needed

Setup

No setup required! The script has zero dependencies.

Running the Script

Using Command Line Argument

node device_flow.js --client-id YOUR_CLIENT_ID

Or using the short flag:

node device_flow.js -c YOUR_CLIENT_ID

Using Environment Variable

export GITHUB_CLIENT_ID=YOUR_CLIENT_ID
node device_flow.js

Show Help

node device_flow.js --help

Example Session

==================================================
GitHub Device Flow - User Access Token
==================================================

Client ID: Iv23liXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Requesting device code...

==================================================
ACTION REQUIRED
==================================================

1. Go to: https://github.com/login/device
2. Enter code: XXXX-XXXX

Waiting for authorisation...

==================================================
SUCCESS!
==================================================

Token Type: bearer
Scope: 
Access Token: ghu_xxxxxxxxxxxx...xxxxxxxxxx

Testing token by fetching user info...

Authenticated as: your-username
Name: Your Name
Email: you@example.com

==================================================
FULL ACCESS TOKEN (for use in other applications):
==================================================
ghu_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Capturing the Token

The script prints the full token as the last line of output, making it easy to capture for use in other scripts or store as an environment variable:

# Capture token into an environment variable
export GITHUB_USER_TOKEN=$(node device_flow.js -c YOUR_CLIENT_ID | tail -1)

# Use the token
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $GITHUB_USER_TOKEN" https://api.github.com/user

Troubleshooting

See Common Issues for troubleshooting help.