GitHub Repository Management Scripts

A collection of Python scripts to manage your GitHub repositories: delete forks, make repositories private, and detach from fork networks.

Requirements

• Python 3.9.7
• PyGithub library
• requests library

Installation

1. Clone or download this repository

2. Install dependencies:

pip install PyGithub requests

Or if using a virtual environment:

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
pip install PyGithub requests

GitHub Token Setup

All scripts require a GitHub Personal Access Token with appropriate permissions.

Quick Setup:

1. Go to https://github.com/settings/tokens
2. Click "Generate new token (classic)"
3. Select required scopes:
   • ✅ repo (required for all scripts)
   • ✅ delete_repo (required for delete_forks.py only)
4. Copy the generated token
5. Replace "your_github_token_here" in each script with your token

📖 Need detailed instructions? See HOW_TO_GENERATE_GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN.md for a complete step-by-step guide with troubleshooting tips and security best practices.

Configuring the Scripts:

Open each script and replace the placeholder token:

TOKEN = "your_github_token_here"  # Replace with your actual token

⚠️ Security Warning: Never commit your actual token to version control!

Scripts Overview

1. delete_forks.py

Deletes all forked repositories from your GitHub account.

Usage:

python delete_forks.py

What it does:

• Lists all forked repositories in your account
• Shows repository names, URLs, and privacy status
• Asks for confirmation before deleting
• Deletes all forks after typing DELETE ALL FORKS

Required Token Permissions:

• repo
• delete_repo

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2. make_repos_private.py

Makes all public repositories private.

Usage:

python make_repos_private.py

What it does:

• Lists all public repositories
• Separates forks from non-forks
• Makes non-fork repositories private
• Skips public forks (GitHub limitation: public forks cannot be made private)

Note: Public forks cannot be converted to private repositories due to GitHub's policy. To make a public fork private, you must delete it and recreate it as a new private repository.

Required Token Permissions:

• repo

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3. remove_to_fork_network.py

Detaches forks from their parent network and attempts to make them private.

Usage:

python remove_to_fork_network.py

What it does:

• Finds all forked repositories
• Detaches them from the fork network using GitHub's GraphQL API
• Attempts to make them private
• Shows helpful error messages if conversion fails

Note: Even after detaching, GitHub still doesn't allow public forks to be made private. This script will inform you which repositories need manual intervention.

Required Token Permissions:

• repo

---

Common Issues

"Bad credentials" Error

Your token is invalid or expired. Generate a new token and update the scripts.

"Must have admin rights to Repository" Error

Your token doesn't have the delete_repo scope. Update your token permissions.

"Public forks can't be made private" Error

This is a GitHub limitation. To convert a public fork to private:

1. Delete the fork
2. Create a new private repository
3. Push your code to the new repository

Safety Features

All scripts include:

• ✅ Preview of what will be affected
• ✅ Confirmation prompts before destructive actions
• ✅ Detailed progress reporting
• ✅ Error handling with helpful messages
• ✅ Summary statistics after completion

Example Workflow

To clean up your GitHub account:

1. Delete all forks:

   python delete_forks.py

2. Make remaining repos private:

   python make_repos_private.py

Environment Details

These scripts were developed and tested with:

• Python 3.9.7
• PyGithub 2.x
• macOS (but should work on Windows/Linux)

License

Free to use and modify for your own purposes.

Disclaimer

⚠️ Warning: These scripts perform destructive operations (deleting repositories, changing visibility). Always:

• Review the preview before confirming
• Ensure you have backups of important code
• Test with a few repositories first if unsure
• Double-check which repositories will be affected

The author JLBardinas is not responsible for any data loss resulting from the use of these scripts.