It's fine. The added security is huge

The problem is when they want you to install their TOTP app in order to authenticate (I'm looking at you, steam... fuck off)

SMS is the least secure form of 2FA, and sim swaps are a very real thing. Whatever you're issues with 2FA apps are, I can 100% say that you should be more concerned about actors getting access to your account.

And this isn't just GitHub. You should be using a 2FA app for allllll of your services. Breaches are a daily thing, your passwords are online and are available. 2FA may be the only thing defending you right now, and SMS 2fa or email 2fa I wouldn't trust.

If you're not already using 2fa everywhere you can, you're already doing it wrong.

You can try aegis if you're on Android, open source, local, great

I just use Bitwarden's 2FA functionality.

What's wrong with using a Foss TOTP app?

Aegis

Yubikey, but thats just a personal preference. A password manager works just as well.

I use keepassxc to generate the code.

It's fine. I moved to gitlab years ago for 2fa, so while this doesn't affect me I would be entirely ok with normal 2fa.

It is normal, right? Not a weird Microsoft 2fa requiring their app?

I already use pass ("the unix password manager") and there's a pretty decent extension that lets it handle 2fa: https://github.com/tadfisher/pass-otp

Worth noting that this somewhat defeats the purpose of 2fa if you put your GitHub password in the same store as the one used for otp. Nevertheless, this let's me sign on to 2fa services from the command line without purchasing a USB dongle or needing a smartphone on-hand.

Ideally you don’t want to build your open source software on a proprietary forge service so hopefully nothing of value is on the Microsoft-owned platform so it doesn’t really matter how secure it is.

But you should have a free software TOTP option on you anyhow. I use password-store’s OTP plugin so it is easier to back up & sync.

I don’t love the idea of having an authenticator app installed on my phone

For anything? Why not? Surely you don't believe SMS-based TOTP is safer, right?

Its more secure and ssh keys are more convenient anyways

This hate for 2FA is bizarre to me. Sure, it's not as convenient but in this day and age, with all the threats out there, there's no real excuse for not using it.

I just use my password manager to generate the TOTP. There's no way I'm going to install an app just to use a website.

I generate a TOTP with my password manager, it stores all my other login details and keeps it simple.

https://sfconservancy.org/GiveUpGitHub/

pass otp. Works, more secure then SMS, open source.

Codeberg, or failing that, GitLab, or BitBucket. Allowing MS to control all FLOSS software, means they might probably secretly get consent to use your code for copilot training without respecting licences. I have no idea if this happens, or might in the future, as I ain't reading the terms of service for something I do not use, however, I have little trust for them enough for air on the side of caution.

I have a dedicated phone with a dedicated number which stays at home all the time. Call it (see what I did there) the Authenticator phone, which only job is to authenticate me when needed. Not only for Github, but other services too. Minimizing the risk to lose or break the device. And companies don't get all my private stuff.

last time I signed into my Microsoft 365 account for work I got two separate 2fa prompts and two captchas, it was like being in an episode of the crystal maze. the mere act of signing into something is now tedious and difficult