repo2html/build-a-git-forge.md

# how to use repo2html to build a git forge

This document describes how one might use [repo2html](index.html) (this project) together with a webserver and some configuration to build a static *git forge*.

A **git forge** is a website that presents one or more git repositories for visitors to browse,
and also allows them to `git clone`, `pull`, and optionally `push` commits to and from those repositories,
while automatically updating the browsable representation.

Some extant *git forge* services include:
GitHub,
BitBucket,
[GitLab](https://gitlab.com/),
SourceForge,
[Sourcehut](https://sourcehut.org/), and
[Codeberg](https://codeberg.org/).

Software that can be used to build a self-hosted git forge includes:
self-hosted [gitlab](https://about.gitlab.com/install/),
[gogs](https://gogs.io/),
[gitea](https://gitea.io/),
[cgit](https://git.zx2c4.com/cgit/), and
[gitweb](https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-on-the-Server-GitWeb).

Since **repo2html** is configured herein to output updated HTML files only in response to a `git push`, the git forge described here requires no complex server software like the ones above.
Its webserver is configured to serve static html files from disk.

## quickstart

1. ensure you've set up a web directory and have replaced the
   `REPO2HTML_PREFIX` value in the `post-receive` and `git-daemon.service`
   files
2. you've created a `git` user, and are logged in as the `git` user
3. as root, run `make dependencies`
4. run `make`
5. as root, run `make install`
6. run `mkdir ~/projects && git init --bare my-repository`
7. run `cp post-receive ~/projects/my-repository/hooks/`
8. run `chmod u+x ~/projects/my-repository/hooks/post-receive`
9. run `cp git-daemon.service /etc/systemd/system/`

## server setup

this section uses `example.com` as a placeholder value. ensure you replace
`example.com` with your own domain below.

this section assumes the following about your server:

- you've generated public and private ssh keys on your local machine
- you can access your server through ssh and have root access
- you manage your firewall with `ufw`
- you use `nginx` as your web server
- you use letsencrypt to manage TLS certificates
- you've added an A record for `git.example.com`

### setting up a git user

ensure you're in the repo2html git repository, and follow the steps below:

1. as root, run `adduser git`
2. as root, run `mkdir /var/www/git && chown git:git /var/www/git`
3. as root, run `ufw allow 9418`
4. run `su git`
5. run `mkdir ~/.ssh && chmod 700 ~/.ssh`
6. run `touch ~/.ssh/authorized_keys && chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys`
7. add your public ssh key from your local machine to `~/.ssh/authorized_keys`
8. run `mkdir ~/projects`
9. run `git init --bare my-repository`

### setting up nginx

1. as root, add the following contents to `/etc/nginx/sites-available/git.example.com`:

        server {
            root /var/www/git;
            index index.html;
            server_name git.example.com;
        }

2. as root, run `ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/git.example.com /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/`
3. as root, run `nginx -t` to test your nginx configuration
4. as root, run `certbot`, and follow the prompts
5. as root, run `systemctl restart nginx`

### installation

ensure you're in the repo2html git repository, and follow the steps below:

1. run `make install` as root
2. run `cp post-receive ~/projects/my-repository/hooks/`
3. run `chmod u+x ~/projects/my-repository/hooks/post-receive`
4. run `cp git-daemon.service /etc/systemd/system/` as root
5. run `systemctl enable --now git-daemon.service` as root

## using repo2html as a post-receive hook

this section uses `example.com` as a placeholder value. ensure you replace
`example.com` with your own domain below.

on your local machine, follow the steps below:

1. run `git init my-repository`
2. run `cd my-repository`
3. run `echo "hello" > my-file.txt`
4. run `git add my-file.txt`
5. run `git commit -m "my first commit"`
6. run `git remote add origin git@example.com:~/projects/my-repository`
7. run `git push`

## configuration

this section uses `example.com` as a placeholder value. ensure you replace
`example.com` with your own domain below.

you can configure repo2html by changing environment variables in the `post-receive` hook file.

for details about the environment variables, refer to the list below:

- `REPO2HTML_PREFIX`: the web directory where repo2html generates static git repositories. for example, `/var/www/git/`.
- `REPO2HTML_CLONE_URL`: the url that people will use when downloading your git
  repository. if you have git-daemon set up, then you can prefix the url with
  `git://`. otherwise, prefix the url with `http://`. for example,
  `git://git.example.com`. **note**: avoid slashes at the end of the url.
- `REPO2HTML_TITLE`: the text that populates the `<title>` html tag.
- `REPO2HTML_DESCRIPTION`: a string that populates the `description` meta information about your git repository.
- `REPO2HTML_H1`: the text that populates the `<h1>` html tag.