Instructions and configuration to get started with gitolite git hosting.

.bootstrap.md

Git Hosting

• GitHub.com provides great public repository hosting.
• vanilla git over ssh works for simple project structures.
• gitosis works well where you'd like to use ssh pubkeys without shell access.
• gitolite works well where you'd like gitosis to have finer access control.

How I setup our gitolite server

See install option #2: "root method" at http://github.com/sitaramc/gitolite/blob/pu/doc/1-INSTALL.mkd

As root:

cd /usr/local/src
git clone git://github.com/sitaramc/gitolite gitolite
cd gitolite
mkdir -p /usr/local/share/gitolite/conf /usr/local/share/gitolite/hooks
./install-update.sh # put into a script, so it can be run later to update

See install-update.sh, which simple does a git pull (for updating later) then:

./src/gl-system-install /usr/local/bin /usr/local/share/gitolite/conf /usr/local/share/gitolite/hooks

Copy your admin pubkey, and note that the name matters (so choose "you" wisely):

cp path/to/you.pub /tmp/you.pub

Create the git user, as root (change /home/git for your site):

adduser --system --shell /bin/sh --home /home/git --gecos 'Git Version Control System' --disabled-password --group git

Switch to git user:

su - git
gl-setup /tmp/you.pub

This will fire up git's $EDITOR. Note $REPO_BASE, $REPO_UMASK, and $PERSONAL. All others have good defaults imo. See .gitolite.rc.

From your client machine, as you:

git clone git@server:gitolite-admin

Then see http://github.com/sitaramc/gitolite/blob/pu/doc/2-admin.mkd

gitolite.conf

# Most repositories have same workflow. Simply add new repositories to list.
# If a repository requires nothing else, you are done after adding here:
@repositories = project1 project2 project3

# Note: repositories requiring more privacy should stay off @repositories.

# Now for users. Add user.pub to keydir & matching 'user' name here.
# Three groups of users in this configuration file:
# * admins: have access to everything
# * production: have write access to 'master' branch, 'v[0-9]...' version tags.
# * staff: everyone else, though currently @staff isn't listed anywhere.
#
# All members of @admins are also members of @production.
# All members of @production are also members of @staff.
@admins = rduplain jilladmin
@production = @admins jackieproduction steveproduction
@staff = @production joedeveloper git

# The general policy of repositories.
# The idea: everyone with a pubkey can read everything & write most areas.
# Restrictions:
# * branch 'master' can only be written by production group
# * branch 'master' cannot be rewinded by anyone
# * version tags, e.g. v1.2, can only be pushed by production group only
# * version tags, e.g. v1.2, can be deleted by production group only
# The purpose of these restrictions is to enable continuous deployment, where
# hooks can act on master and version tags. Adjust version refex to deployment.
# Everything outside these restrictions is allowed.
repo @repositories
    RW  master = @production
    RW+ refs/tags/v[0-9] = @production
    -   refs/tags/v[0-9] = @all
    R   master = @all
    -   master = @all
    RW+ = @all

# Special case: gitolite-admin - for configuration of gitolite server.
repo gitolite-admin
    RW+ = @admins

# Special case: testing - free-for-all repository for any use.
repo testing
    RW+ = @all

gitolite.rc.diff

diff --git a/.gitolite.rc b/.gitolite.rc
index 9f3535e..df68757 100644
--- a/.gitolite.rc
+++ b/.gitolite.rc
@@ -28,15 +28,17 @@ $GL_PACKAGE_HOOKS = '/usr/local/share/gitolite/hooks';
 # like "/bigdisk" or whatever if your $HOME is too small for the repos, for
 # example
 
-$REPO_BASE="repositories";
+# With user git having home directory /home/git, this will place all
+# repositories directly into /home/git
+$REPO_BASE=".";
 
 # the default umask for repositories is 0077; change this if you run stuff
 # like gitweb and find it can't read the repos.  Please note the syntax;  the
 # leading 0 is required
 
-$REPO_UMASK = 0077;         # gets you 'rwx------'
-# $REPO_UMASK = 0027;       # gets you 'rwxr-x---'
-# $REPO_UMASK = 0022;       # gets you 'rwxr-xr-x'
+# $REPO_UMASK = 0077;     # gets you 'rwx------'
+$REPO_UMASK = 0027;       # gets you 'rwxr-x---'
+# $REPO_UMASK = 0022;     # gets you 'rwxr-xr-x'

install-update.sh

#!/bin/sh
# /usr/local/src/gitolite/install-update

unset PS4
set -x

git pull
./src/gl-system-install \
    /usr/local/bin \
    /usr/local/share/gitolite/conf \
    /usr/local/share/gitolite/hooks

This entire gist is essentially reduced to:

sudo DEBIAN_PRIORITY=low aptitude install gitolite

This will setup gitolite and ask for "git" system user name, repository directory, and admin SSH pubkey. See: http://serverfault.com/questions/225495/ubuntu-server-gitosis-user-naming-convention

The default gitolite.conf is quite usable. A slightly expanded version is:

repo gitolite-admin
    RW+ = admin

@repositories = project1 project2 project3

repo @repositories
    RW+ = @all