gitrepublic-web

A decentralized, Nostr-based git server that enables git repository hosting and collaboration using Nostr events. Repositories are announced via NIP-34, and all operations (clone, push, pull) are authenticated using NIP-98 HTTP authentication.

See ARCHITECTURE_FAQ.md for answers to common architecture questions.

Features

Core Functionality

• NIP-34 Repo Announcements: Create and manage repository announcements on Nostr
• NIP-07 Authentication: Web UI authentication via browser extensions (e.g., Alby, nos2x)
• NIP-98 HTTP Authentication: Git operations (clone, push, pull) authenticated using ephemeral Nostr events
• Auto-provisioning: Automatically creates git repositories from NIP-34 announcements
• Multi-remote Sync: Automatically syncs repositories to multiple remotes listed in announcements
• Repository Size Limits: Enforces 2 GB maximum repository size
• Relay Write Proof: Verifies users can write to at least one default Nostr relay before allowing operations

Repository Management

• Repository Ownership Transfer: Transfer ownership using kind 1641 events with a chain of ownership
• Private Repositories: Mark repositories as private, limiting access to owners and maintainers
• Maintainer Management: Add/remove maintainers who can push to repositories
• Forking: Fork repositories with automatic announcement creation and ownership setup
• Repository Settings: Manage privacy, maintainers, and description via web UI
• Branch Protection: Protect branches from direct pushes, require pull requests and reviews

Collaboration Features

• Issues: Create and manage issues (kind 1621) with status tracking
• Pull Requests: Create pull requests (kind 1618) with status management
• Highlights & Comments:
  • NIP-84 highlights (kind 9802) for code selections
  • NIP-22 comments (kind 1111) for threaded discussions
  • Comment on PRs, issues, and code highlights
• Status Events: Track issue/PR status (open, applied/merged, closed, draft)

Web Interface

• Repository Browser: Browse files, directories, and commit history
• Code Editor: Edit files directly in the browser with syntax highlighting
• Branch Management: Create, switch, and manage branches
• Tag Management: Create and view git tags
• README Rendering: Automatic markdown rendering for README files
• Search: Search repositories by name, description, or author
• User Profiles: View user repositories and activity
• Raw File View: Direct access to raw file content
• Download Repository: Download repositories as ZIP archives
• OpenGraph Metadata: Rich social media previews with repository images and banners

Security & Validation

• Path Traversal Protection: Validates and sanitizes file paths
• Input Validation: Validates commit messages, author names, emails, and file paths
• File Size Limits: 500 MB maximum per file (allows for images and demo videos)
• Ownership Verification: Verifies repository ownership via self-transfer events or verification files
• Commit Signing: Sign commits using Nostr private keys
  • Signatures embedded in commit messages as trailers
  • Web UI: Uses NIP-07 browser extension (secure, keys never leave browser)
  • Git Operations: Uses NIP-98 HTTP authentication (ephemeral signed events)
  • Server-side: Optional NOSTRGIT_SECRET_KEY environment variable for automated signing
  • ⚠️ Security Note: Never send private keys (nsec) in API requests. Use NIP-07 for web UI or NIP-98 for git operations.

Nostr Event Kinds Used

This project uses the following Nostr event kinds. For complete JSON examples and tag documentation, see docs/NIP_COMPLIANCE.md.

Standard NIP Event Kinds

• 30617 (REPO_ANNOUNCEMENT): Repository announcements (NIP-34)
• 30618 (REPO_STATE): Repository state announcements (NIP-34, optional)
• 1617 (PATCH): Git patches (NIP-34)
• 1618 (PULL_REQUEST): Pull request events (NIP-34)
• 1619 (PULL_REQUEST_UPDATE): Pull request updates (NIP-34)
• 1621 (ISSUE): Issue events (NIP-34)
• 1630 (STATUS_OPEN): Open status (NIP-34)
• 1631 (STATUS_APPLIED): Applied/merged status (NIP-34)
• 1632 (STATUS_CLOSED): Closed status (NIP-34)
• 1633 (STATUS_DRAFT): Draft status (NIP-34)
• 9802 (HIGHLIGHT): NIP-84 highlight events for code selections
• 1111 (COMMENT): NIP-22 comment events for threaded discussions
• 27235 (NIP98_AUTH): NIP-98 HTTP authentication events
• 3: Contact list (NIP-02, for relay discovery)
• 10002: Relay list metadata (NIP-65, for relay discovery)
• 1: Text note (NIP-01, for relay write proof, fallback)
• 5: Event deletion request (NIP-09)

Custom Event Kinds

These are not part of any NIP but are used by this application:

• 1640 (COMMIT_SIGNATURE): Git commit signature events

  • Used to cryptographically sign git commits using Nostr keys
  • Tags: commit (hash), author (name, email), message (commit message), e (NIP-98 auth event reference, optional)
  • See docs/NIP_COMPLIANCE.md for complete example

• 1641 (OWNERSHIP_TRANSFER): Repository ownership transfer events (non-replaceable)

  • Transfers ownership from one pubkey to another
  • Self-transfers (owner → owner) used for initial ownership proof
  • Non-replaceable to maintain immutable chain of ownership
  • Tags: a (repo identifier), p (new owner), d (repo name), t (self-transfer marker, optional)
  • See docs/NIP_COMPLIANCE.md for complete example

• 30620 (BRANCH_PROTECTION): Branch protection rules (replaceable)

  • Allows requiring pull requests, reviewers, status checks for protected branches
  • Tags: d (repo name), a (repo identifier), branch (branch name and protection settings)
  • See docs/NIP_COMPLIANCE.md for complete example

How It Works

Repository Creation Flow

1. User Creates Announcement:

   • User visits /signup and connects NIP-07 extension
   • Enters repository name, description, and optional clone URLs
   • System automatically creates a self-transfer event (kind 1641) for initial ownership proof
   • Both announcement and self-transfer are published to Nostr relays

2. Auto-Provisioning:

   • Server polls Nostr relays for new repository announcements (kind 30617)
   • When found, server:
     • Creates a bare git repository at /repos/{npub}/{repo-name}.git
     • Fetches the self-transfer event for ownership verification
     • Creates initial commit with .nostr-ownership-transfer file containing the self-transfer event
     • Creates .nostr-verification file with the announcement event (for backward compatibility)
     • If repository has clone tags pointing to other remotes, syncs from those remotes

3. Repository Access:

   • Public repositories: Anyone can clone and view
   • Private repositories: Only owners and maintainers can access
   • Access is checked via NIP-98 authentication for git operations

Git Operations Flow

1. Clone/Fetch:

   • User runs git clone https://{domain}/{npub}/{repo}.git
   • Server handles GET requests to info/refs?service=git-upload-pack
   • For private repos, verifies NIP-98 authentication
   • Proxies request to git-http-backend which serves the repository

2. Push:

   • User configures git with NIP-98 authentication
   • Before push, client creates a NIP-98 event (kind 27235) with:
     • u tag: Request URL
     • method tag: HTTP method (POST)
     • payload tag: SHA256 hash of request body
   • Client signs event and includes in Authorization: Nostr {event} header
   • Server verifies:
     • Event signature
     • Event timestamp (within 60 seconds)
     • URL and method match
     • Payload hash matches request body
     • Pubkey is current owner or maintainer
   • Server checks repository size limit (2 GB)
   • Server proxies to git-http-backend
   • After successful push, server:
     • Extracts other clone URLs from announcement
     • Syncs to all other remotes using git push --all

Ownership Transfer Flow

1. Current Owner Initiates Transfer:

   • Owner creates a kind 1641 event with:
     • from tag: Current owner pubkey
     • to tag: New owner pubkey
     • a tag: Repository identifier (30617:{owner}:{repo})
   • Signs and publishes event

2. Server Processes Transfer:

   • Server fetches all ownership transfer events for repository
   • Validates chain of ownership chronologically
   • Updates current owner for all permission checks
   • Maintainers remain valid (checked against current owner)

Pull Requests & Issues Flow

1. Creating a PR/Issue:

   • User creates a kind 1618 (PR) or 1621 (Issue) event
   • Includes repository identifier in tags
   • Publishes to Nostr relays

2. Status Management:

   • Owner/maintainer creates status events (kind 1630-1633)
   • Links to PR/Issue via event references
   • Status changes: open → applied/closed/draft

3. Highlights & Comments:

   • User selects code in PR diff view
   • Creates kind 9802 highlight event with code selection metadata
   • Users can comment on highlights using kind 1111 events
   • Comments are threaded using A, K, P tags (root) and a, k, p tags (parent)

Forking Flow

1. User Forks Repository:

   • User clicks "Fork" button on repository page
   • Server:
     • Clones original repository
     • Creates new repository at /repos/{user-npub}/{fork-name}.git
     • Creates new NIP-34 announcement for fork
     • Creates self-transfer event for fork ownership
     • Publishes both to Nostr relays

2. Fork Identification:

   • Fork announcement includes reference to original repository
   • UI displays "Forked from" badge

Private Repository Access

1. Privacy Setting:

   • Repository announcement includes private tag (or t tag with value private)
   • Server marks repository as private

2. Access Control:

   • All API endpoints check privacy status
   • For private repos, requires NIP-98 authentication
   • Verifies user is current owner or listed maintainer
   • Returns 403 if unauthorized

Relay Write Proof

Instead of traditional rate limiting, users must prove they can write to at least one default Nostr relay:

1. Proof Mechanism:

   • User publishes a NIP-98 event (kind 27235) to a default relay
   • Event must be within 60 seconds (per NIP-98 spec)
   • Server verifies event exists on relay
   • Alternative: User publishes kind 1 text note (5-minute window)

2. Verification:

   • Server queries relay for the proof event
   • Validates timestamp and signature
   • Grants access if proof is valid

Architecture

Frontend

• Framework: SvelteKit + TypeScript
• Authentication: NIP-07 browser extension integration
• Components: Code editor, PR detail view, repository browser

Backend

• Git Server: git-http-backend wrapper for git operations
• Authentication: NIP-98 HTTP authentication for git operations
• Repository Management: Automatic provisioning and syncing
• Nostr Integration: WebSocket client for relay communication

Services

• NostrClient: WebSocket client for fetching and publishing Nostr events
• RepoManager: Server-side repository provisioning, syncing, and size management
• FileManager: File operations within git repositories with validation
• CommitSigner: Git commit signing using Nostr keys (supports nsec and hex formats)
• OwnershipTransferService: Manages repository ownership transfers
• MaintainerService: Checks maintainer permissions and privacy settings
• HighlightsService: Manages NIP-84 highlights and NIP-22 comments
• RelayWriteProof: Verifies user can write to Nostr relays

Project Structure

src/
├── lib/
│   ├── services/
│   │   ├── nostr/
│   │   │   ├── nostr-client.ts           # WebSocket client for Nostr relays
│   │   │   ├── nip07-signer.ts           # NIP-07 browser extension integration
│   │   │   ├── nip98-auth.ts             # NIP-98 HTTP authentication
│   │   │   ├── repo-polling.ts           # Auto-provision repos from announcements
│   │   │   ├── user-relays.ts            # Fetch user's preferred relays
│   │   │   ├── ownership-transfer-service.ts  # Repository ownership transfers
│   │   │   ├── maintainer-service.ts     # Maintainer permission checks
│   │   │   ├── highlights-service.ts     # NIP-84 highlights & NIP-22 comments
│   │   │   ├── relay-write-proof.ts      # Relay write proof verification
│   │   │   ├── prs-service.ts            # Pull request management
│   │   │   └── issues-service.ts         # Issue management
│   │   └── git/
│   │       ├── repo-manager.ts           # Repository provisioning & syncing
│   │       └── file-manager.ts           # File operations with validation
│   ├── components/
│   │   ├── CodeEditor.svelte             # Code editor with syntax highlighting
│   │   └── PRDetail.svelte               # Pull request detail view
│   └── types/
│       └── nostr.ts                      # TypeScript types for Nostr events
├── routes/
│   ├── +page.svelte                      # Main page: list repositories
│   ├── signup/
│   │   └── +page.svelte                  # Create/update repo announcements
│   ├── repos/[npub]/[repo]/
│   │   ├── +page.svelte                  # Repository detail page
│   │   ├── +page.ts                      # OpenGraph metadata loader
│   │   └── settings/
│   │       └── +page.svelte              # Repository settings UI
│   ├── users/[npub]/
│   │   └── +page.svelte                  # User profile page
│   ├── search/
│   │   └── +page.svelte                  # Search interface
│   └── api/
│       ├── git/[...path]/
│       │   └── +server.ts                # Git HTTP backend API
│       └── repos/[npub]/[repo]/
│           ├── file/+server.ts           # File read/write API
│           ├── tree/+server.ts           # Directory listing API
│           ├── branches/+server.ts        # Branch management API
│           ├── commits/+server.ts        # Commit history API
│           ├── tags/+server.ts           # Tag management API
│           ├── issues/+server.ts         # Issues API
│           ├── prs/+server.ts            # Pull requests API
│           ├── highlights/+server.ts     # Highlights & comments API
│           ├── fork/+server.ts           # Fork repository API
│           ├── readme/+server.ts         # README fetching API
│           ├── raw/+server.ts             # Raw file view API
│           ├── download/+server.ts       # Download repository as ZIP
│           ├── settings/+server.ts       # Repository settings API
│           ├── transfer/+server.ts       # Ownership transfer API
│           └── verify/+server.ts         # Ownership verification API
└── hooks.server.ts                       # Server initialization (starts polling)

Development

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• Git with git-http-backend installed
• NIP-07 browser extension (for web UI)

Setup

npm install
npm run dev

Security Features

Lightweight Mode (Single Container)

• Resource Limits: Per-user repository count and disk quota limits
• Rate Limiting: Per-IP and per-user rate limiting for all operations
• Audit Logging: Comprehensive logging of all security-relevant events
• Path Validation: Strict path validation to prevent traversal attacks
• git-http-backend Hardening: Timeouts, process isolation, scoped access

Enterprise Mode (Kubernetes)

• Process Isolation: Container-per-tenant architecture
• Network Isolation: Kubernetes Network Policies
• Resource Quotas: Per-tenant CPU, memory, and storage limits
• Separate Volumes: Each tenant has their own PersistentVolume

See docs/SECURITY.md and docs/SECURITY_IMPLEMENTATION.md for detailed information.

Environment Variables

• NOSTRGIT_SECRET_KEY: Server's nsec (bech32 or hex) for signing repo announcements and initial commits (optional)
• GIT_REPO_ROOT: Path to store git repositories (default: /repos)
• GIT_DOMAIN: Domain for git repositories (default: localhost:6543)
• NOSTR_RELAYS: Comma-separated list of Nostr relays (default: wss://theforest.nostr1.com,wss://nostr.land,wss://relay.damus.io)

Security Configuration

• SECURITY_MODE: lightweight (single container) or enterprise (Kubernetes) (default: lightweight)
• MAX_REPOS_PER_USER: Maximum repositories per user (default: 100)
• MAX_DISK_QUOTA_PER_USER: Maximum disk quota per user in bytes (default: 10737418240 = 10GB)
• RATE_LIMIT_ENABLED: Enable rate limiting (default: true)
• RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW_MS: Rate limit window in milliseconds (default: 60000 = 1 minute)
• RATE_LIMIT_GIT_MAX: Max git operations per window (default: 60)
• RATE_LIMIT_API_MAX: Max API requests per window (default: 120)
• RATE_LIMIT_FILE_MAX: Max file operations per window (default: 30)
• RATE_LIMIT_SEARCH_MAX: Max search requests per window (default: 20)
• AUDIT_LOGGING_ENABLED: Enable audit logging (default: true)
• AUDIT_LOG_FILE: Optional file path for audit logs (default: console only)
  • If set, logs are written to files with daily rotation (e.g., audit-2024-01-01.log)
  • Example: /var/log/gitrepublic/audit.log → creates audit-2024-01-01.log, audit-2024-01-02.log, etc.
• AUDIT_LOG_RETENTION_DAYS: Number of days to keep audit log files (default: 90)
  • Old log files are automatically deleted after this period
  • Set to 0 to disable automatic cleanup

Git HTTP Backend Setup

The server uses git-http-backend for git operations. Ensure it's installed:

# On Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt-get install git

# Verify installation
which git-http-backend

The server will automatically locate git-http-backend in common locations.

Usage

Creating a Repository

1. Go to /signup
2. Connect your NIP-07 extension
3. Enter repository name and description
4. Optionally add clone URLs (your domain will be added automatically)
5. Optionally add images/banners for OpenGraph previews
6. Publish the announcement

The server will automatically provision the repository.

Cloning a Repository

git clone https://{domain}/{npub}/{repo-name}.git

For private repositories, configure git with NIP-98 authentication.

Pushing to a Repository

git remote add origin https://{domain}/{npub}/{repo-name}.git
git push origin main

Requires NIP-98 authentication. Your git client needs to support NIP-98 or you can use a custom credential helper.

Viewing Repositories

• Go to / to see all public repositories
• Go to /repos/{npub}/{repo} to view a specific repository
• Go to /users/{npub} to view a user's repositories
• Go to /search to search for repositories

Managing Repositories

• Settings: Visit /repos/{npub}/{repo}/settings to manage privacy, maintainers, and description
• Forking: Click "Fork" button on repository page
• Transfer Ownership: Use the transfer API endpoint or create a kind 1641 event manually

Security Features

Lightweight Mode (Single Container)

• Resource Limits: Per-user repository count and disk quota limits
• Rate Limiting: Per-IP and per-user rate limiting for all operations
• Audit Logging: Comprehensive logging of all security-relevant events
• Path Validation: Strict path validation to prevent traversal attacks
• git-http-backend Hardening: Timeouts, process isolation, scoped access

Enterprise Mode (Kubernetes)

• Process Isolation: Container-per-tenant architecture
• Network Isolation: Kubernetes Network Policies
• Resource Quotas: Per-tenant CPU, memory, and storage limits
• Separate Volumes: Each tenant has their own PersistentVolume

See docs/SECURITY.md and docs/SECURITY_IMPLEMENTATION.md for detailed information.

Security Considerations

• Path Traversal: All file paths are validated and sanitized
• Input Validation: Commit messages, author info, and file paths are validated
• Size Limits: 2 GB per repository, 500 MB per file
• Authentication: All write operations require NIP-98 authentication
• Authorization: Ownership and maintainer checks for all operations
• Private Repositories: Access restricted to owners and maintainers
• Resource Limits: Per-user repository count and disk quota limits (configurable)
• Rate Limiting: Per-IP and per-user rate limiting (configurable)
• Audit Logging: All security-relevant events are logged

License

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Contributing

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