gitolite/doc/4-push-to-admin.mkd

# "push to admin" in gitolite

----

Gitosis's default mode of admin is by cloning and pushing the `gitosis-admin`
repo.  I call this "push to admin".  It's a very cool/cute feature, and I
loved it at first.

But it's a ***support nightmare***.  Half the gitosis angst on `#git` is
because of this feature.  Gitolite does not use or endorse this method for
people new to git, or ssh or (worse) both.

However, ***if*** you know git and ssh really, *really*, well and you know
what you're doing, this is a pretty nice thing to have -- does make life
easier, I admit.

So, here is how to make PTA (hey nice acronym, just missing an "I") work on
gitolite as well.  But remember, there is NO SUPPORT!  Go away.  Leave me
alone...  Anything else on gitolite I will help but not this, ok? :-)

The instructions are presented as shell commands; they should be fairly
obvious.  All paths are from the default `~/.gitolite.rc`; if you changed any,
make the same changes below.

>   ----

>   **WARNING**: the "compilation" runs via a `post-update` hook.  Which, by
>   definition, runs *after* the push has successfully completed.  As a
>   result, a *compilation error* will be visible to the admin doing the `git
>   push` but will not otherwise look like an error to client-side git (in
>   terms of return codes, scripting, etc., or even the "git gui" if you
>   happen to use that for pushing).  So be sure to watch out for compile
>   error messages on push when you do this.

----

First, on the server, log on to the `git` userid, add a new repo called
`gitolite-admin` to the config file, give yourself `RW` or `RW+` rights to it,
and "compile":

    cd ~/.gitolite
    vim conf/gitolite.conf      # add gitolite-admin repo, etc
    src/gl-compile-conf

Now, if you look at the "compile" script, it has an *automatic* local commit
inside, just for safety, which kicks in every time you compile.  This only
works if it finds a ".git" directory, and it was designed as an "automatic
backup/safety net" type of thing, in case I accidentally deleted the whole
config file or something.

We need to disable this, because now we have a *better* repo, one that is
manually pushed, and presumably has proper commit messages!

    mv .git .disable.git        # yeah it's a hack, sue me

Now the compile command created an empty, bare, "gitolite-admin" repo, so we
seed it with the current contents of the config and keys.  (A note on the
`GIT_WORK_TREE` variable: I avoid setting these variables in the normal way
because I always forget to unset them later, and then when I `cd` to other
repos they play havoc with my git commands, so this is how I do it)

    cd ~/repositories/gitolite-admin.git
    GIT_WORK_TREE=/home/git/.gitolite git add conf/gitolite.conf keydir
    GIT_WORK_TREE=/home/git/.gitolite git commit -am start

Now we have to setup the post-update hook for push-to-admin to work.  The
hook should (1) make a forced checkout in the "live" config directory (which
is `~/.gitolite`), and (2) run the compile script.  So we create a hook with
the appropriate code in it, and then make it executable

    cat <<EOFPU > hooks/post-update
    #!/bin/sh

    GIT_WORK_TREE=/home/git/.gitolite git checkout -f

    cd /home/git/.gitolite
    src/gl-compile-conf
    EOFPU

    chmod +x hooks/post-update

----

Now get to your workstation, and

    git clone git@server:gitolite-admin.git

That's it, we're done.  You're in gitosis land as far as this is concerned
now.  So knock yourself out.  Or lock yourself out... :-)