How to install Gitolite on Arch Linux

In this tutorial, we will guide you through the steps to set up Gitolite on Arch Linux.

Prerequisites

Before you can install Gitolite on Arch Linux, ensure that:

  • You have a user account with sudo privileges.
  • You have a server (virtual or dedicated) set up and running Arch Linux.
  • You have SSH configured properly.

Step 1: Install Git

You can use the Arch User Repository (AUR) to install Git on Arch Linux using the following command:

sudo pacman -S git

Step 2: Creating a Gitolite user

We recommend creating a separate user account for Gitolite. To create a new user account with the same name as Gitolite, you can use the following command:

sudo useradd -m gitolite

This creates a new user account named Gitolite.

Step 3: Installing Gitolite

Follow the steps to install Gitolite on Arch Linux:

  1. Download Gitolite from the official website: https://gitolite.com/gitolite/index.html

  2. Switch to the Gitolite user account.

    sudo su - gitolite
    
  3. Extract the Gitolite archive.

    tar -zxvf gitolite.tar.gz
    
  4. Run the Gitolite installation script.

    ./install
    
  5. Set a password for the Gitolite user.

    passwd gitolite
    

After Gitolite is installed, you can now configure it.

Step 4: Configuring Gitolite

  1. Switch to the Gitolite user account.

    sudo su - gitolite
    
  2. Configure Gitolite using the following command:

    gitolite setup -pk yourname.pub
    

    Replace "yourname.pub" with your public key file.

    This command initializes Gitolite repositories and sets up permissions. You can further customize the configuration if needed.

Step 5: Test Gitolite

To confirm that Gitolite is working correctly:

  1. Switch to your user account.

    exit
    
  2. Clone the Gitolite admin repository using the following command:

    git clone gitolite@<yourhostname>:gitolite-admin
    

    Replace "<yourhostname>" with your server hostname or IP address. You will be prompted to enter your Gitolite password.

    If the command succeeds, Gitolite is installed and configured correctly on your Arch Linux system.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Gitolite on Arch Linux.