gitViewer

A minimal, lightweight web-based Git repository viewer written in Go. Similar in spirit to python -m http.server, but specifically designed for exploring Git repositories through a clean, modern web interface.

Perfect for: Quick local repository exploration, code reviews, documentation browsing, and teaching Git concepts visually.

Features

• Repository Overview: View repository information and current HEAD
• File Browser: Navigate through the repository file tree at any branch or commit
• File Viewer: View file contents with syntax highlighting support
• Commit History: Browse the commit log with dates and messages
• Diff Viewer: Compare changes between commits or branches
• GitHub Actions: View GitHub Actions workflow files
• Pages Viewer: Serve any branch as a static site (not just gh-pages!)
• Branch Switching: Easily switch between different branches
• Raw File Access: Download raw file contents
• Responsive UI: Clean, minimal web interface

Installation

From Source

Requires Go 1.25.4 or later:

git clone https://github.com/SimonWaldherr/gitViewer.git
cd gitViewer
go build .

This will create a gitViewer executable in the current directory.

Using go install

go install github.com/SimonWaldherr/gitViewer@latest

Usage

Basic Usage

Start the server in the current Git repository:

gitViewer

By default, the server listens on :8080. Open your browser and navigate to:

http://localhost:8080

Specify a Repository

Serve a specific Git repository:

gitViewer /path/to/your/repo

Custom Port

Change the listen address:

gitViewer -addr :3000

Or bind to a specific interface:

gitViewer -addr 127.0.0.1:8080

Complete Example

gitViewer -addr :9090 ~/projects/my-repo

Command-Line Options

-addr string
    HTTP listen address (default ":8080")

Serving Branches as Static Sites

One of gitViewer's unique features is the ability to serve any branch as a static website, not just gh-pages. This is perfect for:

• Preview branches: View documentation or static site builds from feature branches
• Multi-version docs: Serve different versions from different branches
• Testing: Preview static builds before merging to production
• Development: View builds from any branch without switching your working directory

Examples

# View the main branch as a static site
http://localhost:8080/pages/main/

# View a feature branch (with slashes in the name)
http://localhost:8080/pages/feature/new-docs/

# View a specific file in a branch
http://localhost:8080/pages/develop/assets/style.css

# Default: gh-pages (for backward compatibility)
http://localhost:8080/pages/

The pages viewer automatically:

• Detects valid branch names (even with slashes)
• Serves index.html for directory paths
• Sets correct MIME types for all file types
• Provides a dropdown menu in the UI to easily switch between branches

Features in Detail

Repository Overview (/)

The home page shows:

• Repository name
• Current branch or HEAD reference
• Short commit hash

File Browser (/tree)

Navigate through directories and files:

• View directory contents
• See file sizes and types
• Navigate back to parent directories
• Switch between branches

File Viewer (/blob)

View file contents:

• Syntax-highlighted code display
• Line numbers
• Raw file download option
• Large files are truncated (200 KiB preview limit)

Commit History (/commits)

Browse recent commits:

• Short commit hashes
• Commit dates
• Commit messages
• Limited to 50 most recent commits

Diff Viewer (/diff)

Compare changes:

• View unified diffs between any two commits or branches
• See file statistics and patch content

GitHub Actions (/workflows)

List workflow files from .github/workflows directory

Pages Viewer (/pages/)

Serve any branch as a static site, not just gh-pages:

• Access any branch: /pages/{branch-name}/ (e.g., /pages/main/, /pages/docs/, /pages/feature/new-ui/)
• Supports branch names with slashes (e.g., /pages/feature/ui-redesign/)
• Serves index.html by default for directory paths
• Proper MIME types for web assets (HTML, CSS, JS, images, etc.)
• Navigate through nested paths: /pages/{branch}/path/to/file.html
• Backward compatible: /pages/ defaults to gh-pages branch
• Dropdown menu in navigation bar shows all available branches

Technical Details

• Language: Go
• Dependencies: Standard library only (no external dependencies)
• Templates: Embedded HTML templates
• Static Assets: Embedded CSS and JavaScript
• Git Integration: Uses the git command-line tool

Requirements

• Go 1.25.4 or later (for building from source)
• Git installed and available in PATH (for runtime)

Development

The project structure:

gitViewer/
├── main.go           # Main server implementation
├── go.mod            # Go module file
├── templates/        # HTML templates
│   ├── layout.html
│   ├── index.html
│   ├── tree.html
│   ├── blob.html
│   ├── commits.html
│   ├── diff.html
│   └── workflows.html
└── static/           # CSS and JavaScript
    ├── app.css
    └── app.js

Building

go build .

This creates a gitViewer executable.

Testing Locally

go run . -addr :8080

Use Cases

• Quick Repository Exploration: Browse any Git repository without cloning to a special location
• Code Review: View diffs and file contents in a web browser
• Documentation: Serve documentation sites from gh-pages
• Teaching: Demonstrate Git concepts visually
• CI/CD Inspection: View workflow files easily
• Lightweight Alternative: Use instead of heavier Git hosting platforms for local browsing

Security Considerations

• This tool is intended for local development use only
• Do not expose it to untrusted networks without proper authentication
• It provides read-only access to Git repositories
• No authentication or authorization mechanisms are included

License

See the repository for license information.

Author

Simon Waldherr

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues or pull requests.