Set up a remote repository

This is the usual first goal: a repository on the forge that other machines can clone and push to.

In git, a remote is a nickname for that server copy. Most people call it origin. After these steps, git push origin sends commits to Rabun Git the same way it would send them to GitHub.

Replace:

• git.example.com — server hostname or IP
• ada — forge user who owns the project
• website — repository name

Who can create a repository

rabun-git repo create owner/name

The creator is granted admin on that repository automatically.

You can run create on the server:

rabun-git repo create ada/website

Or from this machine, after rgit remote add origin git@git.example.com:

rabun-git origin repo create ada/website
# same as: ssh -p 2222 git@git.example.com repo create ada/website

Confirm:

rabun-git origin repo list
rabun-git origin repo show ada/website

repo show prints the on-disk path and who has access.

Clone URL

ssh://git@git.example.com:2222/ada/website.git

The :2222 is required unless you set Port 2222 in ~/.ssh/config (see Start the forge).

SSH user is git or your forge login. The forge maps the key to a user; do not put the repo owner in the SSH username the way some hosts do.

Path A — existing local git repo (add a remote)

You already have commits on this machine and want the forge to be origin.

On the server, create the empty repo if you have not:

rabun-git repo create ada/website

On this machine:

cd website
git remote -v

If there is already an origin (for example GitHub), either rename it or add a second remote:

# keep GitHub, add Rabun Git under a different name
git remote add rabun ssh://git@git.example.com:2222/ada/website.git
git push -u rabun master

Or make Rabun Git the primary remote:

git remote add origin ssh://git@git.example.com:2222/ada/website.git
git push -u origin master

If your default branch is main:

git push -u origin main

-u sets upstream so later git push / git pull know which remote branch to use.

First push of master or main: the creator (repo admin) and forge admins may push those branches directly. Other users cannot; they push a feature branch and open a merge request.

Path B — brand new project

No git repo yet. On this machine:

mkdir website
cd website
git init -b master
echo "# Website" > README.md
git add README.md
git commit -m "Initial commit"
git remote add origin ssh://git@git.example.com:2222/ada/website.git
git push -u origin master

Create ada/website on the forge before the push (repo create above). Pushing to a name that does not exist fails; Rabun Git does not auto-create repos on first push.

Path C — another machine (clone)

Someone else (or you, on another machine) already pushed. They need read (or higher) access and their SSH key registered.

git clone ssh://git@git.example.com:2222/ada/website.git
cd website

That creates a local origin pointing at the forge. Work as usual:

git pull
# edit files
git add -A
git commit -m "Describe the change"
git push

If you are not a repo admin, push a branch instead of master/main:

git checkout -b feature/contact-form
git push -u origin feature/contact-form

Then open a merge request (see Merge requests).

Point a tool or another clone at the forge

Same URL everywhere:

git remote add origin ssh://git@git.example.com:2222/ada/website.git

Example from the README for a warehouse tree you already commit locally:

git remote add origin ssh://git@git.example.com:2222/team/warehouse.git

Create team/warehouse first (rabun-git repo create team/warehouse) and grant write to whoever should push.

See what the server stored

On the server, bare repos live under $RABUN_GIT_ROOT/repos/owner/name.git. You do not need to cd there for daily git; use clone URLs from this machine.

rabun-git repo list
ssh -p 2222 git@git.example.com repo list

Common mistakes

Next: Users and roles if other people need access, or Everyday git to work on the repo.