Open-Git-Control

Modern desktop Git client built with Electron + React for fast local Git workflows, visual history navigation, and integrated GitHub actions.

Table of Contents

• Screenshots
• What You Can Do
• How the App Works
• Installation
  • Prerequisites
  • Option 1: Install a Prebuilt Release
  • Option 2: Run From Source (Development)
  • Option 3: Build Installers Locally
• Connect GitHub
  • Method 1: Personal Access Token (PAT)
  • Method 2: OAuth Device Flow
  • Method 3: One-Click Login (GitHub CLI)
• Typical Workflows
• Settings and Customization
• AI Auto-Commit
• Security and Local Data
• Available Scripts
• Troubleshooting

Screenshots

App overview

Diff and commit details view

What You Can Do

• Open existing local repositories and switch quickly between them.
• Initialize a folder as a new Git repository (git init) directly from the UI.
• View commit history in a visual commit graph (including branches and merges).
• Search commit history by hash, author, message, or refs.
• Inspect commit details with:
  • file list
  • per-file history
  • blame
  • full patch/diff view
• Work with diffs in:
  • unified mode
  • side-by-side mode
  • hunk navigation
• Manage working tree changes:
  • stage/unstage files
  • stage all / unstage all
  • discard changes
  • delete untracked files
  • stash / stash pop
  • add .gitignore rules from context menu
• Resolve conflicts and continue/abort merge or rebase flows.
• Run core sync actions: Fetch, Pull, Push.
• Manage branches:
  • create
  • checkout
  • rename
  • merge
  • delete
  • checkout remote-only branches
• Manage remotes:
  • add/remove remotes
  • refresh remote state
  • set upstream for current branch
  • monitor ahead/behind/diverged states
• Manage tags:
  • create lightweight or annotated tags
  • delete tags
  • push tags
• Connect to GitHub, then:
  • list repositories
  • clone repositories
  • create a remote repository from your current local repo and connect it
  • list pull requests
  • open/copy/check out PR branches
  • create pull requests
• Enable AI-assisted auto-commit workflows (Ollama or Gemini).
• Check, download, and install app updates in production builds.

How the App Works

1) Sidebar: repository and Git controls

• Repositories: open, search, pin, switch, and close local repos.
• Branches: local/remote lists, quick creation, context menu actions.
• Tags: quick create/push/delete.
• Remotes: health/status card, quick fetch, upstream setup, checkout remote-only branches.

2) Main center pane

• Commit Graph view with branch topology and searchable history.
• Context menu on commits for operations like checkout, branch/tag creation, cherry-pick, revert, and reset modes.

3) Right pane

• Working Directory when no commit is selected (staging and commit tools).
• Commit Inspector when a commit is selected (file-level history/blame/patch workflow).

4) Diff viewer

• Opened from staging area or commit inspector.
• Supports unified and side-by-side rendering.
• Handles large diffs safely (truncation for performance) and detects binary files.

5) GitHub tab

• Authentication options (PAT, Device Flow, GitHub CLI one-click).
• Repository cloning and pull request workflows in-app.

6) Settings tab

• Theme and language.
• Auto-fetch interval.
• Default branch and commit defaults.
• AI provider/model configuration.
• App update controls and job center.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Git installed and available in your PATH.
• Node.js and npm (for source/dev builds).
• Optional:
  • GitHub CLI (gh) for one-click GitHub login.
  • Ollama if you want local AI auto-commit with Ollama.

Option 1: Install a Prebuilt Release

1. Go to GitHub Releases.
2. Download the build for your OS/architecture.
3. Install and launch the app.

Option 2: Run From Source (Development)

npm install
npm run dev

This starts Vite and Electron together for local development.

Option 3: Build Installers Locally

Build everything:

npm run build

Create platform packages:

npm run dist       # default packaging
npm run dist:win   # Windows (NSIS, x64)
npm run dist:linux # Linux (AppImage + deb, x64)
npm run dist:mac   # macOS (dmg + zip, x64)

Packaged artifacts are generated in the release/ directory.

Connect GitHub

The app supports 3 authentication methods.

Method 1: Personal Access Token (PAT)

1. Open the GitHub tab.
2. Choose Method 1: PAT.
3. Create a token (the app links to GitHub's token creation page).
4. Paste token and connect.

Recommended scopes: repo, read:user.

Method 2: OAuth Device Flow

1. Set a GitHub OAuth Client ID:
   • in Settings > GitHub OAuth Client ID, or
   • with GITHUB_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID environment variable.
2. In the GitHub tab, start Device Flow.
3. Enter the shown one-time code in browser.
4. Wait for automatic completion in the app.

Method 3: One-Click Login (GitHub CLI)

1. Install GitHub CLI.
2. In GitHub tab, click Sign in with GitHub (one-click method).
3. Browser auth opens via gh auth login.
4. On success, the app uses the CLI token automatically.

Typical Workflows

Open or initialize a repo

1. Click Open repository.
2. Select a folder.
3. If it is not a Git repo, initialize it from the prompt.

Clone from GitHub

1. Connect GitHub.
2. In the GitHub repo list, click clone.
3. Pick target directory.
4. Follow clone progress in the modal/job center.

Create and connect a remote GitHub repo from local code

1. Open a local repo without origin.
2. Use Create & connect GitHub repo in the repositories panel.
3. The app creates the GitHub repo, adds origin, and pushes with upstream.

Stage and commit

1. Review unstaged/untracked files.
2. Stage selected files (or stage all).
3. Enter commit title (and optional description).
4. Optional flags: Amend and Signoff.
5. Commit with button or Ctrl+Enter.

Pull request workflow

1. Ensure your origin points to GitHub and GitHub auth is active.
2. Open GitHub tab and review PR list.
3. Create PR by title/body/head/base.
4. Open/copy/check out PR branches directly from the list.

Settings and Customization

• Theme presets: Copper Night, Midnight Teal, Graphite Blue, Forest Copper, Porcelain Light
• Language: German or English
• Auto-fetch interval
• Default branch
• Dangerous operation confirmations
• Show/hide secondary history in commit graph
• Default commit signoff
• Commit message template
• GitHub OAuth Client ID configuration
• Updater controls + release notes + job center

AI Auto-Commit

Supports two providers:

• Ollama (local model)
• Google Gemini

You can:

• enable/disable AI auto-commit
• select provider and model
• test provider connection
• fetch available models
• store/remove Gemini API key securely from settings

When enabled, AI auto-commit can analyze current changes, stage files, and create logical commit groups automatically.

Security and Local Data

• Git commands run locally against your selected repository.
• GitHub token and Gemini API key are stored using Electron safeStorage (OS-backed encryption), when available.
• Repository list and app settings are stored in app user data.
• If OS secure storage is unavailable, secrets are not persisted.

Available Scripts

• npm run dev - start Vite + Electron in development
• npm run build - build frontend + Electron main process
• npm run dist - build and package app
• npm run dist:win - build Windows installer
• npm run dist:linux - build Linux packages
• npm run dist:mac - build macOS packages
• npm run test - run unit tests
• npm run test:coverage - run tests with coverage
• npm run test:ci - CI test/build pipeline

Troubleshooting

• "git not found"
  • Install Git and make sure it is available in PATH.
• GitHub one-click login fails
  • Install GitHub CLI and verify gh --version works.
• Device Flow unavailable
  • Provide a GitHub OAuth Client ID in settings or GITHUB_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID.
• No pull requests shown
  • Ensure origin points to a GitHub remote and you are authenticated.
• Auto updates disabled
  • Update features are only active in installed production builds, not in dev mode.