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