Wrapper script around Sigil to support version control workflows. Change $SIGIL to match your system's settings.

sigil.sh

#!/bin/bash

# USAGE
# =====
#  $ sigil.sh <directory>
 
# Change this to match your system
SIGIL="/usr/local/bin/sigil"
# --------------------------------

# Checks if the temporary epub has been modified and updates the
# project tree if so.
function update {
    if [[ $(stat -c %Y $tmpfile) != $lastmod ]]; then
        unzip -q -o -u $tmpfile
        lastmod=$(stat -c %Y $tmpfile)
    fi
}

file=$1
# Handle regular epub files
if [[ -f "$file" && "$file" == *.epub ]]; then
    $SIGIL "$file"
else
    workdir=$1
    # Remember source directory
    origdir=$(pwd)
    # Switch to project directory
    cd "$workdir"

    # Create temporary epub
    tmpfile=$(mktemp -u -t sigil.XXXXXX.epub)
    zip -q -r $tmpfile *
    # Remember last modification time
    lastmod=$(stat -c %Y $tmpfile)

    # Start Sigil
    $SIGIL $tmpfile &
    sigil_pid=$!

    # Periodically update the working directory as long as Sigil is running
    while kill -0 $sigil_pid 2>/dev/null; do
        update
        sleep 1
    done

    # Update the project tree
    unzip -q -o -u $tmpfile
    rm $tmpfile
    # Return to source directory
    cd $origdir
fi

How should one use it? Use this on an unzipped directory (which is under revision control), so that it creates an epub on the fly? Or as a github filter?