gitweb

gitweb

--projectroot=
    Sets the root directory for Git repositories. Gitweb searches this directory and its subdirectories for Git repositories.

--stylesheet=
    Specifies a custom CSS stylesheet file to be used for styling the web interface.

--logo=
    Specifies a custom logo image to be displayed in the web interface.

--favicon=
    Specifies a custom favicon file to be displayed in the web interface.

--max-age=
    Sets the maximum age (in seconds) for browser caching of static assets.

--cgi
    Indicates that Gitweb is being run as a CGI script.

--url=
    Base URL of gitweb.

gitweb is a CGI script providing a web interface to Git repositories. It allows browsing the commit history, file contents, diffs, and other aspects of a Git repository through a web browser.

It's typically configured as a CGI script within a web server (like Apache or nginx). It offers basic repository browsing functionality and doesn't typically provide features for pull requests or user management. The configuration usually involves specifying the repositories gitweb should serve using the 'projectroot' parameter in its configuration file. Authentication and authorization mechanisms rely on web server configurations.

While being simple, it is a complete Git browsing tool and does not have edit capability.

gitweb provides features like commit browsing, diff viewing, blame view, history views and also support for many languages. It's a valuable tool for visualizing and exploring Git repositories.

gitweb is not a full-fledged Git hosting solution like GitLab or GitHub. It's primarily a viewing tool and doesn't handle user management, authentication (relies on the webserver) or pull requests natively. Configuration can be complex and dependent on the web server. Security hardening of the server is important.

gitweb's behavior can be customized through a configuration file (typically `gitweb.conf`). This file allows setting options such as the project root, stylesheet, logo, and other parameters. Proper configuration is vital for gitweb to correctly locate and display repositories.

Since gitweb is typically exposed to the web, it's crucial to ensure that the underlying web server is properly secured. Restrict access to the gitweb.conf file. Consider using authentication mechanisms provided by the webserver.

gitweb is usually installed as a CGI script within a web server environment. It often requires installing the `gitweb` package. Then configuring the web server to properly execute the gitweb.cgi script. The detailed installation steps can vary depending on the operating system and web server used.

gitweb was developed as part of the core Git project to provide a web-based interface for browsing Git repositories. It has been used for years to allow developers to visualize the Git history and project structure. The first version of gitweb came out on March 10, 2005, together with the first Git public announcement.

Early on, it served as a crucial element for making Git repositories publicly accessible and understandable, especially before the advent of more sophisticated Git hosting platforms.

git(1), gitk(1)