GNU Linux review best git gui 2024 comparison – how to setup and git clone a repo via ssh with SmartGit – how to use with eclipse – how to automatically git pull download refresh repo with latest changes before editor gui ide start?

10.Mar.2024

Debian, eclipse / IDE / Dev, project management / project planing / git, Software Development

git is a complex source code repository management system that completely relies on file transactions
- this means: there is no running service or open port (except if git-over-ssh is used, all it needs for network multi developer cooperation is a safe-as-possible ssh server)
- it is also possible to clone a repository locally:
  - ```
  cd /home/user/temp
```
- ```
git clone /home/user/projects/test.git; # would clone-checkout that repo into temp
```
requirements:
- should support git over ssh very well
- should be easy to use and get started
  - that’s the whole point of such a program, making a complex system simple = accessible = usable
- should be cross-os so users can help each other howto do this and that
- should work reliably
- should help solve gitty problems
when researching git guis in 2024:
- check this out:
  - lin: https://git-scm.com/download/gui/linux
  - win : https://git-scm.com/download/gui/windows
  - osx: https://git-scm.com/download/gui/mac
  - even for android: https://git-scm.com/download/gui/android

hostnamectl; # tested with 

Static hostname: debian12
Virtualization: kvm
Operating System: Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm) 
Kernel: Linux 6.1.0-18-amd64
Architecture: x86-64
Hardware Vendor: QEMU
Hardware Model: Standard PC _Q35 + ICH9, 2009_
Firmware Version: 1.16.2-debian-1.16.2-1

written in perl even hosted where the git src are hosted on kernel.org (the Linus approved gui?)
- https://git-scm.com/docs/gitk
- install like:
- ```
su - root
```
- ```
apt update; apt install gitk git-gui;
# start it like
git gui
```
look like this:
there is more to be found here: “Cogito (originally git-pasky) is a revision control system layered on top of Git. It is historically the first Git frontend, which appeared in April 2005″ (src)
SmartGit by syntevo.com (download) Made in Germany + Austria (?) (syntevo GmbH)
- + cross-os
- + dark-theme available 😀
- + “free of charge by open-source developers, employees and students of public academic institutions and employees of public charitables organizations primarily targeting philanthropy, health research, education or social well-being” (src) 😀 (here is the licence text)
  - problem: the user or developer will still have to signup and register at syntevo GmbH and prove that somehow
how to setup and git clone a repo via ssh with SmartGit:
so when adding a git repo via ssh make sure to use this url:
- ssh://user@192.168.122.1:/home/user/projects/test.git
- not this url: git clone user@192.168.122.1:/home/user/projects/test.git
it’s a bit pricey: there are several modes
- test phase: ~ 30 days trial evaluation period
- subscription: $59 per year
- one-time-payment including 1 to 3 year support and updates:
  - - 1 year of updates and support: $109
    - 2 year of updates and support: $147
    - 3 year of updates and support $182
    - user can use a single license for up to 5 real or virtual machines <- this is pretty cool actually
- it reported:
  - “Following GTK3 theme was detected: Menta (GTK version: 3.24.38).”
    “If you experience some strange GUI problems, please try to add following line to:”
    echo “org.eclipse.swt.internal.gtk.noThemingFixes=true” >> ~/.config/smartgit/23.1/smartgit.properties
how to integrate smartgit with eclipse?
- well it was not so obvious at first but now it seems to work
  - eclipse is using-implementing EGit plugin for git
    - https://wiki.eclipse.org/EGit/User_Guide
    - here is a getting started howto
    - assuming the dev has created a git repo like this available via passwordless ssh public-private-key auth
    - eclipse:
      - ShowView -> Others -> select everything git
      - this will open this view where “Clone repo”
      - enter repo url like the dev would from terminal: git clone user@ip.of.server:/home/user/projects/gitenabledproject
      - it might sound like “basics” functions like simple r-click on file to tell git to ignore that file are VERY VERY GOOD 🙂
        
        often over-committing happens including .metadata project files
    - smartgit: open repo -> select the local folder ~/projects/projectname)
- gitkraken.com
  - just4info: written in C#
  - + it surely looks nice
  - + cross-os
  - – pricey monthly subscription
  - – free trial only for 7 days #wtf?
  - – not open source (proprietary license)

gitahead.com

https://github.com/gitahead/gitahead
just4info: written in C++
– did not compile 🙁 (instructions either oudated or debian-incompatible?)
+ cross-os
+ MIT licence
howto install: (requires a bit of compilation)

su - root
# install compiler and build tools
apt -y install build-essential module-assistant gcc make cmake perl dkms linux-headers-$(uname -r);
apt -y install ninja-build  qttools5-dev qttools5-dev-tools
apt search qtbase|grep dev; # search for requirements Qt (required >= 5.9)
apt -y install qtbase5-dev qtbase5-dev-tools qt6-base-dev
Ctrl+D # back to non-root
mkdir ~/software
cd ~/software
git clone https://github.com/gitahead/gitahead.git
cd gitahead
git submodule init
git submodule update
cd dep/openssl/openssl
./config -fPIC
make

cd ~/software/gitahead/
# configure the build
mkdir -p build/release
cd build
# fails
cmake -G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ../.
# also fails but with more details
cmake -G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ../. --debug-find-pkg=Qt6LinguistTools -DQT_DEBUG_FIND_PACKAGE=ON

qtchooser -print-env
QT_SELECT="default"
QTTOOLDIR="/usr/lib/qt5/bin"
QTLIBDIR="/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu"

# tried multiple versions of
 cmake -G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ../. -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu

how to automatically git pull download refresh repo with latest changes before editor gui ide start?

even when ChatGPT INSISTS eclipse+egit can do that (somehow, it would not be hard to implement, but it seems this functionality was forgotten) it is possible to script it like this:

vim /scripts/eclipse.sh


#!/bin/bash
echo "===== refresh download git pull git repos before eclipse start ===="

SERVER="IP.OF.GIT.REPO.SRV"
echo "... if repo server is available $SERVER"

check_connection()
{
   ping -c 1 $SERVER > /dev/null 2>&1
   return $?
}

download_refresh_git_pull_repos()
{
   echo "... then download refresh git pull latest changes of repos"
   cd /home/user/projects/gitrepo1; git pull;
   cd /home/user/projects/gitrepo2; git pull;
   echo "...starting eclipse"
   /home/user/software/eclipse/install/eclipse/eclipse
}

while true; do
   if ! check_connection; then
      echo "... vpn not available, please start vpn";
      sleep 1;
   else
      download_refresh_git_pull_repos;
      break;
   fi
done

how to start it properly?

under most GNU Linux desktops there are terminal programs, that allow:

launch a new terminal: like “gnome-terminal -e cmd” or “xterm -hold -e cmd”

to run a script inside it

mate-terminal -e /scripts/eclipse.sh

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