git-meta

Easy solution to:

• maintain correct git file dates and times (and zones and microseconds),
• keep the correct file owner and group (by name, not number), and
• keep file permissions correct

Synopsis

1. install it:

   git clone https://github.com/gitcnd/git-meta.git
   sudo cp -a git-meta/git-meta.pl /usr/local/bin/
   

2. set up to use it:

   cd my_existing_repo
   git-meta.pl -setup -l /usr/local/bin/git-meta.pl
   

How it works

Installation (above) automatically creates 2 symlinks for you, using these commands:-

ln -s /usr/local/bin/git-meta.pl .git/hooks/pre-commit
ln -s /usr/local/bin/git-meta.pl .git/hooks/post-merge

when you commit new files, the .git/hooks/pre-commit snapshots their metadata into a new file named .git-meta which is added to your project.

Anytime later, when you pull from your project, .git/hooks/post-merge runs, which restores the correct file metadata.

You can also manually save and restore by running git-meta.pl -save somefile or git-meta.pl -restore somefile (use . for all files recursively)

Bonus Feature

This script also includes a -newgit option, which sets up and auto-configures your environment so that multiple people can work on a project, and an expanded version of it is kept up-to-date at all times: this would be ideal, for example, if you're editing websites. The web-server's "html" folder automatically stays up-to-date anytime anyone does a push.

Full details are here: https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Use-git-on-Your-Own-Machines-to-Manage-Web-/