Using cgit

| linux | internet | devops |

This is the last post in a three part series about cgit. Previously we saw how to install and configure cgit and then we saw how to make cgit pretty. This last post has to do with actually using cgit. There are a couple of tools out there to make the process of adding, removing, and modifying git repositories within cgit much simpler but we will focus here on how to do it manually and I will leave it up to you to decide which tools works best for you. cgit does not impose any special requirements for adding, removing, or modifying repositories so the entire process is based around core git functionality. Below is a workflow that works well for me.

Creating a Git User

Creating a git user that has access to /srv/git just makes good sense. To add a new user in Debian you will need to run the following commands and follow the on screen instructions to complete this process. adduser git

Adding your public key

In order to authenticate to the server and work with git it is good to add your public key to avoid working with passwords. If you do not already have a key, go ahead and create one on your local machine. ssh-keygen -b 8192 Follow the on screen instructions, and be sure to add a password to this key! Once you have create this key, copy the public key over to your git server under the git users .ssh/authorized_keysfile. scp $USER/.ssh/id_rsa.pub [email protected]:/home/git/.ssh/authorized_keys

Creating a new repository

Log into the git server as the git user and create a bare repository 
cd /srv/git 
mkdir myrepo.git 
cd myrepo.git 
git init --bare

Push to the new repository

On your local computer 
mkdir myrepo 
cd myrepo git init echo "My Awesome Repo" >> README.md 
git add README.md 
git commit -m 'initial commit' 
git remote add origin [email protected]:/srv/git/myrepo.git 
git push origin master

Add the new repository to cgit

Now that your repository is on your server, you can add it cgit by editing /etc/cgitrc and adding it as we did before. 
repo.url = myrepo 
repo.path = /srv/git/myrepo.git 
repo.desc = My Awesome Repo 
repo.owner = Your Name
You are all set! Now you will see the new repo and any future changes inside of cgit as well as being able to hack away with git as you normally would.

Thank you for reading! Share your thoughts with me on bluesky, mastodon, or via email.

Check out some more stuff to read down below.

Most popular posts this month

Recent Favorite Blog Posts

This is a collection of the last 8 posts that I bookmarked.

Articles from blogs I follow around the net

Bandcamp is Taking Slop Head On with Unequivocal Ban, to the Cheers of Music Lovers Everywhere

’Tis But Some Quick News for January 16, 2026 Bandcamp read the room. It is the hero we need in our hour of darkness. Amidst an onslaught of horrendous AI-generated slop pretending to be music (Spotify is rife with this garbage, though they keep claiming …

via The Internet Review January 16, 2026

Pluralistic: Catch this! (16 Jan 2026)

Today's links Catch this! Email is good, actually. Hey look at this: Delights to delectate. Object permanence: LDS excommunication; King Foundation v "I Have a Dream"; "Lat-stage capitalism" v "Christ, what an asshole"; Pelosi …

via Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow January 16, 2026

Liberating the ASUS CX1100CN Chromebook with OpenBSD

Liberating the ASUS CX1100CN Chromebook with OpenBSD 2026-01-16 I’ve always enjoyed the idea of having a portable, lightweight, 11 inch laptop for my personal use for around the house and small trips. A device that I wouldn’t have to be concerned about just…

via btxx.org RSS Feed January 16, 2026

Generated by openring