01_faq.mkd 3.1KB
Frequently Asked Questions
Gitblit? What kind of name is that?
Its a phonetic play on bitblt which is an image processing operation meaning bit-block transfer.
Why use Gitblit?
Its small. Its portable. Its easy to manage.
Do I need real Git?
No. Gitblit is based on JGit which is a pure Java implementation of the Git version control system.
Everything you need for Gitblit is either in the zip distribution file or automatically downloaded on execution.
Do I need a JDK or can I use a JRE?
Gitblit will run just fine with a JRE. Gitblit can optionally use keytool from the JDK to generate self-signed certificates, but normally Gitblit uses BouncyCastle for that need.
Does Gitblit use a database to store its data?
No. Gitblit stores its repository configuration information within the .git/config file and its user information in users.properties or whatever filename is configured in gitblit.properties.
I want to deploy Gitblit into my own servlet container. Where is the WAR?
At this time there is no WAR build available.
Can I restrict access to paths within a repository?
No. Access restrictions apply to the repository as a whole.
Gitblit’s simple authentication and authorization mechanism can be used to facilitate one or more of the workflows outlined here. Should you require more fine-grained access controls you might consider using gitolite.
Why doesn’t Gitblit support SSH?
Gitblit could integrate Apache Mina to provide SSH access. However, doing so violates Gitblit’s first design principle: KISS.
SSH support requires creating, exchanging, and managing SSH keys. While this is possible, JGit’s SmartHTTP implementation is a simpler and cleaner transport mechanism.
You might consider running Gerrit which does integrate Apache Mina and supports SSH or you might consider serving Git on Linux which would offer real SSH support and also allow use of many other compelling Git solutions.
What types of Search does Gitblit support?
Gitblit supports case-insensitive searches of commit message (default), author, and committer.
To search by author or committer use the following syntax in the search box:
author: james
committer: james
Alternatively, you could enable the search type dropdown list in your gitblit.properties file.
How do I run Gitblit on port 80 or 443 in Linux?
Linux requires root permissions to serve on ports < 1024.
Run the server as root (security concern) or change the ports you are serving to 8080 (http) and/or 8443 (https).