gitolite/doc/install.mkd

# F=install gitolite installation

(Note: git servers are most commonly used with ssh URLs, and this document
describes installing gitolite to support such usage.  If your users prefer
http URLs, read [this][http] to install gitolite to support "smart http").

## installing and upgrading gitolite

This section tells you how to install/upgrade gitolite, without too much
background.  Later sections have more details and troubleshooting info; please
read them before asking for help if you have problems.

A bare minimum gitolite setup has:

  * a server
  * a "hosting user" on the server (a real Unix userid; we use "git" in this
    document, although RPM/DEB installs use "gitolite")
  * a virtual "admin user" -- the user who sets up gitolite and configures it
  * the admin user's client or workstation, from which he does all his work

Gitolite allows 3 methods of install.  The two most common are (1) the
**package method**, used if you have a gitolite RPM or a DEB available, and
(2) the **non-root method** which is the preferred manual install mode.  Less
commonly used is (3) the **root method**, which is useful if you plan to have
multiple "hosting users" on the same server.

These install methods are described in detail below.  (*Once you finish the
install, read the [admin document][admin] to administer your gitolite
installation*).

### F=rpmdeb package method

(Unlike in the rest of this document, we use "gitolite" as the "hosting user"
instead of "git" here, because that is the user that both the Fedora and
Debian packages create.  Your distro/OS may vary.)

On your *workstation*:

  * copy your `~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub` file to `/tmp/YourName.pub` on the server

On your *server*, as *root*:

    yum install gitolite    # or 'apt-get install gitolite', or whatever
    # this is the only step you need to repeat when upgrading gitolite

    # current RPM/DEB create a hosting user called "gitolite"
    su - gitolite

    # (now as gitolite)
    gl-setup /tmp/YourName.pub

On your *workstation*:

    git clone gitolite@server:gitolite-admin

### F=nonroot non-root method

**IMPORTANT WARNING -- IGNORE AT YOUR PERIL**: if you want to use this method
you had better know the password to the hosting user on the server, or be able
to `su` to it from root, just in case you manage to lock yourself out by
messing with the keys.

**NOTE**: This method is exhaustively described in the [tutorial][tut], if
you're interested.  (That tutorial is by someone else but it's nice enough for
me to link it here).

[tut]: http://sites.google.com/site/senawario/home/gitolite-tutorial

On your *workstation*:

  * copy your `~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub` file to `/tmp/YourName.pub` on the server

On your *server*, as *git* (the "hosting user"), first check if `$HOME/bin` is
on the default PATH.  If not, fiddle with the `.bashrc` or `.bash_profile` or
similar files and add it somehow.  Then:

    git clone git://github.com/sitaramc/gitolite
    gitolite/src/gl-system-install
    # defaults to being the same as:
    # gitolite/src/gl-system-install $HOME/bin $HOME/share/gitolite/conf $HOME/share/gitolite/hooks

    # to upgrade gitolite, repeat the above commands.  Make sure you use the
    # same arguments for the last command each time.

    gl-setup /tmp/YourName.pub

On your *workstation*:

    git clone git@server:gitolite-admin

#### F=upgrfromclient upgrading from from-client method to non-root method

Since the from-client method is now deprecated for reasons explained
elsewhere, some folks may want to do their next upgrade using the non-root
method.

There are many, many ways to skin this cat; here's one way:

  * follow non-root install but stop after the gl-system-install step

  * temporarily rename your `~/.gitolite.rc` file to something else

  * now run the gl-setup step

    (background: this will create a default rc file with default values, but
    crucially, it will give you the correct values for two very critical
    variables that are not used in the old from-client install method)

  * edit `~/.gitolite.rc` and bring in any non-default settings you may have
    had in your old rc file.

    When you're done, the only difference between your old and current rc
    files should be that the `$GL_PACKAGE_CONF` and the `$GL_PACKAGE_HOOKS`
    variables are no longer commented out and look somewhat like this:

        $GL_PACKAGE_CONF = '/home/git/share/gitolite/conf';
        $GL_PACKAGE_HOOKS = '/home/git/share/gitolite/hooks';

    Now save the file.

### F=root root method

On your *workstation*:

  * copy your `~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub` file to `/tmp/YourName.pub` on the server

On your *server*, as *root*:

    git clone git://github.com/sitaramc/gitolite
    gitolite/src/gl-system-install
    # defaults to being the same as:
    # gitolite/src/gl-system-install /usr/local/bin /var/gitolite/conf /var/gitolite/hooks

    # to upgrade gitolite, repeat the above commands.  Make sure you use the
    # same arguments for the last command each time.

    # now create your "hosting user" ('git' in our examples) using whatever
    # command your distro expects you to use

    # switch to the hosting user
    su - git

    # (now as git)
    gl-setup /tmp/YourName.pub

On your *workstation*:

    git clone git@server:gitolite-admin

### #upgrade upgrading

Upgrading is easy; you just re-run some of the same commands used for install.
These commands are clearly noted in the install instructions above.

However, if you've added any new hooks, you must also run the next step (the
`gl-setup` command), although this time you don't need to supply a pubkey
filename as an argument.

## #insttrouble install trouble?

If you run into trouble, please read the following sections.

### common install problems

The most common problem is usually ssh.  Here are three facts of ssh:

  * ssh is a pain
  * most people don't know ssh well enough
  * even people who think they do, don't

Please read how [gitolite uses ssh][gl_ssh] and the [ssh
troubleshooting][sts] documents before asking for help.

If you've tried multiple methods of install, you may have multiple copies of
the sources lying around.  This could be a problem; see [appendix a][instpath]
for how to detect and deal with this.

If none of this works read the rest of this document, understand it as much as
you can, then ask for help.

### #instnameconv naming conventions used

Throughout the documentation, we use "YourName" as the admin user, and his
workstation is called "client".  The hosting user is "git", and the server is
called "server".  **Please substitute your values as needed**.

**If you're using DEB or RPM**, the installer creates a user called
"gitolite", so substitute that for "git" anywhere in the docs where the
"hosting user" is mentioned as "git".

Also, we often say "the rc file".  This means `~/.gitolite.rc` on the server.
And when we say the "access control rules", or "conf file", or "config file",
we mean `conf/gitolite.conf` on your gitolite-admin clone.

### F=instbg helpful background information

  * gitolite runs as a single (real) user on a server, and is invoked via ssh.
    Traditionally, this "hosting user" is "git", and thus all git URLs start
    with `ssh://git@server` (or the equivalent shorter form `git@server:`).

      * RPM/DEB create and use "gitolite" as the hosting user

      * there is *usually* only one hosting user per server (machine), but
        gitolite makes it trivial to have as many as you want.  In fact, every
        user on the server is a potential hosting user.

  * using this single user and sshd (or httpd) authentication, gitolite allows
    you to create any number of "virtual" users.  Virtual user names only mean
    something to gitolite, and they need not be the same as any real userid on
    the server or any of the clients accessing it.

      * the first such virtual user is the "admin user", created during the
        install sequence.

  * gitolite depends **heavily** on ssh pubkey (passwordless) access.  Do not
    assume you know all about ssh -- most people **don't**.  If in doubt, use
    a dedicated userid on both client and server for installation and
    administration of gitolite.

    To make matters worse, ssh problems in gitolite don't always look like ssh
    problems.  See the [ssh troubleshooting][sts] document for help.

  * gitolite **does NOT** like it when people with shell access to the server
    fiddle with files and directories it controls.

    Apparently this was not obvious to some people.

It is possible to have the server and the client be the same machine, and even
the admin user be also the hosting user, (i.e., `sitaram@server` can install
and administer a gitolite setup running under `sitaram@server`, a situation
that is common with some hosting services).  It's actually fairly easy and
**safe** to do, **as long as you have password access to the server** for
emergency use.  However, I will not be documenting it because (a) if you know
ssh you'll know how to extrapolate my instructions to do this and (b) if you
don't know ssh it'll be a nightmare to support you.

### F=instrequire requirements

#### client/workstation

  * git version 1.6.6 or greater
      * even msysgit on Windows is fine; please don't ask me for help if
        you're using putty, plink, puttygen, etc., for ssh; I recommend
        msysgit for Windows and the openssh that comes with it

#### server

  * any Unix system with a posix compatible "sh".
      * people using "csh" or derivatives please don't ask me for help -- tell
        your admin csh is not posix compatible
  * git version 1.6.6 or later
      * can be in a non-PATH location if you are unable to install it
        normally; see the `$GIT_PATH` variable in the "rc" file
  * perl 5.8 or later
  * openssh or any ssh that can understand the `authorized_keys` file format
    (probably optional if you're using the http backend)
  * a Unix userid to be the hosting user, usually "git" but it can be any
    user, even your own normal one.  (If you're using an RPM/DEB the install
    probably created one called "gitolite").

#### technical skills

  * if you're installing gitolite, you're a "system admin", like it or not.
    Ssh is therefore a necessary skill.  Please take the time to learn at
    least enough to get passwordless access working.

  * you also need to be somewhat familiar with git itself.  You cannot
    administer a whole bunch of git repositories if you don't know the basics
    of git.

  * some familiarity with Unix and shells is probably required

  * regular expressions are a big part of gitolite in many places but
    familiarity is not necessary to do basic access control.

### F=getgl_ getting the gitolite software

You can get the latest version of gitolite from github or google code using
the 'git clone' command:

    git clone git://github.com/sitaramc/gitolite.git
            # (OR)
    git clone https://code.google.com/p/gitolite/

#### getting a tar file from a clone

If you are on an internal network and cannot clone the gitolite repo, you can
do the clone on some other machine and create a tar file from it to use on the
internal network.  Here's how:

    git clone git://github.com/sitaramc/gitolite.git
            # (OR)
    git clone git://sitaramc.indefero.net/sitaramc/gitolite.git
    cd gitolite
    make master.tar
    # or maybe "make pu.tar"

Please use the make command as shown, not a plain "git archive", because the
Makefile adds a file called `.GITOLITE-VERSION` that will help you identify
which version you are using.

## #instappendices_ appendixes

The following sections have some miscellaneous information that does not
cleanly to fit anywhere else.

### #instpath appendix a: PATH issues for gl-setup

If you've tried multiple methods of install, you may have multiple copies of
the sources lying around, and when you ran `gl-setup` it picked up the wrong
one.  This might also happen if the directory you supplied as the first
argument to `gitolite/src/gl-system-install` is not even in the `$PATH`.

Run `su - git` then `which gl-setup` to see which it picked up.  This is what
it should be for each method:

  * RPM/DEB method: probably `/usr/bin`
  * root method: the first argument to the `gitolite/src/gl-system-install` command (or
    `/usr/local/bin` by default)
  * non-root method: the first argument to the `gitolite/src/gl-system-install` command
    (or `$HOME/bin` by default)

If this is not what you get, remove the partially installed or extraneous
sources, if any, and try again.  Or fix your `$PATH`.

One situation that is not easy to solve is if the system admin installed
gitolite using the RPM/DEB or root methods, and you want to install a later
version using the non-root method.  Since `/usr/bin` and `/usr/local/bin` are
usually earlier than `$HOME/bin` in the `$PATH`, you'll have to get creative.
Good luck.

### #clean appendix b: cleaning out a botched install

When people have trouble installing gitolite, they often try to change a bunch
of things manually on the server.  Or sometimes they'll upgrade from one
install method to another without checking some things over properly.  Or
they'll follow instructions meant for a much newer version of gitolite and
make a royal mess of the whole thing.

Here's how to clean up, without losing your actual repositories.

All this is on the server.  Note that the instructions are so long because
they're generic enough to fit any situation.

  * Clean out the existing install

      * edit `~/.ssh/authorized_keys` and delete all lines between `# gitolite
        start` and `# gitolite end` inclusive.

      * look in `~/.gitolite.rc` for 2 variables starting with `GL_PACKAGE_`.
        If they are defined (and not just commented out), you need to clean
        out all gitolite related files and directories from those two paths.

        Just for reference, the defaults for a non-root install are 'conf' and
        'hooks' in `$HOME/share/gitolite`, while for an RPM/DEB or root
        install they should be in `/var/gitolite/` or some such.

        If those variables don't exist or are commented out, ignore this step.

      * look in `$PATH` for any gitolite programs and delete them also.  A
        good way to hunt them down is `which gl-auth-command`, and in the path
        you find, delete all "gl-*" programs (perhaps after checking the list,
        if the path you find happens to be /usr/bin or such!!)

        Repeat this step until there are no more.  I know of people who mixed
        different install methods and had two, or even three, versions lying
        around.

      * make some temp directory (say "old"), and **move** the following
        files/directories into it: `~/.gitolite`, `~/.gitolite.rc` and
        `~/repositories/gitolite-admin.git`.  If there's nothing you need to
        salvage from them you can delete them too.

      * if you used an RPM/DEB install, remove the package also.

  * Now install a fresh copy of gitolite using whatever method you prefer.
    (If you used a different method earlier and did not clean things out
    properly per the instructions given above, expect trouble).

  * You now have a brand new "rc" file.  If your old rc file had any
    non-default settings you should **manually** pull them in to the new one.
    However, **do NOT** change the two variables starting with `GL_PACKAGE_`
    in the new rc file; even if the old one had something different leave them
    alone.

  * You also have a brand new gitolite-admin repo.  Clone this to your
    workstation, then use the saved copy of the old admin repo to salvage
    whatever you need (entire revision history, or just the conf/key files,
    whatever floats your boat).

    Once you've got your admin repo looking how you want it, including 'repo'
    statements for all your existing repos, just add/commit/push it.

  * Go back to the server and run `gl-setup` once again (no arguments needed).

That should do it.

### #uninstall_ appendix c: uninstalling gitolite completely

To uninstall gitolite completely, first follow the "clean out..." steps in the
previous section.

If you have not really started using gitolite properly yet, you can remove all
of `~/repositories` also and be done.

But if you *do* need to preserve the other repos and wish to continue to use
them, remove all the `update` hooks that gitolite installs in each repository.
The easiest way is:

    find ~/repositories -wholename "*.git/hooks/update" | xargs rm -f

but you can do it manually if you want to be careful.