git-shell

GIT-SHELL(1)                      Git Manual                      GIT-SHELL(1)

NAME
       git-shell - Restricted login shell for Git-only SSH access

SYNOPSIS
       chsh -s $(command -v git-shell) <user>
       git clone <user>@localhost:/path/to/repo.git
       ssh <user>@localhost

DESCRIPTION
       This is a login shell for SSH accounts to provide restricted Git
       access. It permits execution only of server-side Git commands
       implementing the pull/push functionality, plus custom commands present
       in a subdirectory named git-shell-commands in the user's home
       directory.

COMMANDS
       git shell accepts the following commands after the -c option:

       git receive-pack <argument>, git upload-pack <argument>, git
       upload-archive <argument>
           Call the corresponding server-side command to support the client's
           git push, git fetch, or git archive --remote request.

       cvs server
           Imitate a CVS server. See git-cvsserver(1).

       If a ~/git-shell-commands directory is present, git shell will also
       handle other, custom commands by running "git-shell-commands/<command>
       <arguments>" from the user's home directory.

INTERACTIVE USE
       By default, the commands above can be executed only with the -c option;
       the shell is not interactive.

       If a ~/git-shell-commands directory is present, git shell can also be
       run interactively (with no arguments). If a help command is present in
       the git-shell-commands directory, it is run to provide the user with an
       overview of allowed actions. Then a "git> " prompt is presented at
       which one can enter any of the commands from the git-shell-commands
       directory, or exit to close the connection.

       Generally this mode is used as an administrative interface to allow
       users to list repositories they have access to, create, delete, or
       rename repositories, or change repository descriptions and permissions.

       If a no-interactive-login command exists, then it is run and the
       interactive shell is aborted.

EXAMPLES
       To disable interactive logins, displaying a greeting instead:

           $ chsh -s /usr/bin/git-shell
           $ mkdir $HOME/git-shell-commands
           $ cat >$HOME/git-shell-commands/no-interactive-login <<\EOF
           #!/bin/sh
           printf '%s\n' "Hi $USER! You've successfully authenticated, but I do not"
           printf '%s\n' "provide interactive shell access."
           exit 128
           EOF
           $ chmod +x $HOME/git-shell-commands/no-interactive-login

       To enable git-cvsserver access (which should generally have the
       no-interactive-login example above as a prerequisite, as creating the
       git-shell-commands directory allows interactive logins):

           $ cat >$HOME/git-shell-commands/cvs <<\EOF
           if ! test $# = 1 && test "$1" = "server"
           then
                   echo >&2 "git-cvsserver only handles \"server\""
                   exit 1
           fi
           exec git cvsserver server
           EOF
           $ chmod +x $HOME/git-shell-commands/cvs

SEE ALSO
       ssh(1), git-daemon(1), contrib/git-shell-commands/README

GIT
       Part of the git(1) suite

Git 2.25.1                        04/26/2023                      GIT-SHELL(1)