Git: Alternate Credentials in Azure DevOps (a.k.a. how not login with your email and Microsoft password)

Microsoft provides multiple types of Git repositories, Azure DevOps (formally known as TFS and Visual Studio Online) and GitHub. When accessing Git hosted on Azure DevOps, using email and password associated with your Microsoft account is sheer security folly. These credentials can log in to machines, access email, access MSDN benefits, access Azure, etc.

There is a simple solution to using the primary credentials (email/password), alternative credentials. At a high level, this just means that you can create username and password to use with an Azure DevOps Git repository and these are the credentials used to access Git. Alternative credentials are created by clicking on the user profile icon (see the JN in the upper-right below):

From the menu displayed by clicking on the user profile icon select the Security menu item:

When the Security menu item is selected, the User settings submenu is displayed;

From the User settings submenu select, Alternative credentials:

From the Alternative credentials panel, check the checkbox labeled Enable alternate authentication credentials.

Above a user named, redsox, was entered. Once Save is clicked an alternate username and password for accessing the Azure DevOps hosted Git repository is available. This username and password can be used as credentials for accessing any Git repositories associated with this Azure DevOps host Git repository.