# minimum requirements for gitolite

**Client**:

  * git 1.6.6 or greater
  * an ssh client that can talk to an openssh server, and can generate keys in
    openssh's default format (the pubkey is just one long line).  Gitolite
    will [not currently][pw1] convert such keys.

For people still using Windows, msysgit works fine.  If you're using
[putty/plink][ens], God bless you.  (It'll work, but I still want him to bless
you).

TODO: when smart http support works, ssh will no longer be a *requirement*,
merely a *strong* suggestion :-)

**Server**

  * git 1.6.6 or greater
  * perl 5.8.8 or greater
  * an ssh server compatible with openssh, especially it's authorized keys
    file format and features.
  * any Unix or Unix like OS.  That said, I've occasionally had some weird
    reports from [Mac OSX servers][ens]; good luck.
  * a single, dedicated, userid to host it (usually 'git' or 'gitolite').

These version numbers are subject to fine-tuning as I get feedback and make
fixes where possible and needed.

Sshd must be configured so that each users authkeys file is in the user's
`$HOME`, inside `.ssh/authorized_keys`, and not in some central
/var/something.