Setting up a private Git repository server is easy.

Follow these four steps and you can start committing code to your private Git Server from any number of Developer Workstations

Git server and developer workstation

You can use a virtual machine or a bare-metal server for the Git Server.

Do step one to three on the Git Server and the fourth on the Developer Workstation(s).

#1 Install Git server

We are using Ubuntu in the Git Server so will use apt for installing Git. If you are using a different Linux distribution, use the appropriate package manager.

Install Git in the Git Server.

sudo apt update
sudo apt-get install git-core

#2 Create git user

Create git user in the Git Server.

sudo adduser git

Type in a password when prompted.

This will create the git user and home directory /home/git for the user.

#3 Create the repository on the server

Do NOT switch to the git user yet. We’ll do it shortly afterwords.

Create a directory for storing git repos on the server and give permission to git user.

sudo mkdir /srv/git
sudo chown git /srv/git/
sudo chgrp git /srv/git

Switch to git user and create a repository.

su git
cd /srv/git
mkdir coffee-app.git
cd coffee-app.git
git init --bare

We are using coffee-app.git as our repository name. You can use any name you like.

#4 Start commiting from the development machine

Do this on the Developer Workstation. We assume that Git client is already installed in the workstation.

Configure the global email and username for Git, if you haven’t done it yet.

git config --global user.email "cloud@cloudqubes.com"
git config --global user.name "cloudqubes"

Create the coffee-app (use your preferred name.)

mikdir coffee-app
cd coffee-app
echo "coffee" > README.md
git init
git add .
git commit -m "initial commit"
git remote add origin git@10.212.251.186:/srv/git/coffee-app.git
git push -u origin master

Note that we are using the IP address of the Git Server. Use the correct IP address in your case.

You will be asked to enter the password of the git user. And, that’s it.

You have successfully made the first code commit to your private Git Server.

If you think it’s too much work to enter the password everytime you are push, proceed to the next step.

Configure SSH keys (optional)

Do this in the Developer Workstation to free yourself you from having to type in the password every time you push code to the server.

Create new SSH keys.

ssh-keygen -f ~/.ssh/git_server
ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/git_server git@10.212.251.186

Add the following lines to ~/.ssh/config.

Host git_server
  User git
  Hostname 10.212.251.186
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/git_server 

Make sure to use the correct IP address.

Update the remote URL in the Git repository.

git remote set-url origin git_server:/srv/git/coffee-app.git

Take note of the git_server in the URL. It’s the value we used for the Host parameter in the ~/.ssh/config file.

Now, you can continue committing without having to enter the password.