Github for Atlassian and public repos

Question

We have two GitHub organisations (call them org A and org B) which we are trying to connect to Jira using the GitHub for Jira plugin. The users in org B can't see their commits in Jira at present.

The GitHub org admin says they have already given permission to the plugin for both organisations, but when I look at the configuration for GitHub for Atlassian, only one of the orgs, org A, is listed.

When I then select  'Connect a GitHub organization', the browser is redirected to GitHub, which shows both orgs and 'Atlassian is installed' when I hover over either of them to click 'Configure'.

We've tried dropping permissions and re-adding the plugins from scratch but the problem persists (plus now we only get 6 months of commits even after backfill). Does anyone have any ideas?

Saad Lagzouli - Linkwright · Answer

Hi Colin,

Building on Sami's first point, that last answer may be the clue. Atlassian splits this job between two people: a Jira site admin installs the app, and a GitHub organization owner connects the organization. The owner isn't expected to start from the Jira side. Atlassian's article for this exact case describes an owner who has no access to Jira at all.

You only get the Connect button for organizations you own yourself, so for org B the documented route is:

* You, as Jira admin, start Connect a GitHub organization and choose Send them a link and ask them to connect.
* Copy the message and URL from the Send a link to an organization owner dialog and send them to the org B owner.
* The owner uses that link to sign in and connect org B to Jira. The article also has them check Settings > Third-party Access > OAuth application policy in GitHub, grant Atlassian Cloud access, and install the pending Jira app.

Docs:

*

https://support.atlassian.com/jira-cloud-administration/docs/integrate-with-github/

*

https://support.atlassian.com/jira/kb/integrating-github-cloud-with-jira-cloud-when-jira-admin-is-not-a-github-organization-owner/

Two questions if that doesn't get you there, because I can't tell from here:

* What exact message does the owner see at github.atlassian.com? Whether it's a GitHub 403, an Atlassian sign-in or something else points to different causes. It would also help to know if the link from step 2 gives the same message.
* When you say GHE, is that GitHub Enterprise Cloud or GitHub Enterprise Server? The steps above cover Cloud and Enterprise Cloud. Enterprise Server has its own setup:

https://support.atlassian.com/jira-cloud-administration/docs/connect-a-github-enterprise-server-account-to-jira-software/

Colin Maughan · Answer

Hello,

The GitHub org owner responded,

* I am an owner of org B
* We are not using IP Allow lists in GHE
*  My account doesn't have the authority to use the url, github.atlassian.com

Saad Lagzouli - Linkwright · Answer

Adding to Sami's answer on the missing org, for the second part of your question ("now we only get 6 months of commits even after backfill"): that is the default, not a failure. Atlassian's backfill page says "When you connect GitHub, Jira automatically imports six months of history", and every reinstall starts again from that default.

To go further back:

* In Jira, Apps › Manage apps › GitHub for Atlassian.
* In the … menu of the organization, choose Continue backfill.
* Pick an earlier date, then Backfill data.

Two limits that can still make history look incomplete: on non-default branches only the latest 50 commits are imported, and commits from deleted branches are skipped. Once org B is connected, it gets its own backfill, so check its status separately.

Since "Finished" doesn't prove the history arrived, a quick check: pick an old issue you know had commits, search its key in GitHub, and compare with its Development panel in Jira.

I wrote up the whole backfill process, with the screen labels and how to check the result, here:

https://linkwright.io/github-for-jira-backfill.html

. Disclosure: I build Linkwright, another GitHub integration for Jira, but nothing above requires it.