GitSentry

Your Intelligent Git Workflow Assistant - Professional Git Habit Management

GitSentry is a lightweight, local-first Git assistant that helps developers maintain clean Git habits through intelligent monitoring and smart suggestions. It watches your code changes in real-time and suggests optimal moments to commit, without ever taking control away from you.

The Problem GitSentry Solves

Every developer faces these Git challenges:

"When should I commit?" - Working for hours without committing, then creating massive commits
"What should I write in the commit message?" - Staring at the blank commit message box
"Did I forget to push?" - Losing work because commits weren't backed up
"How much have I changed?" - No visibility into current work progress
"Am I following best practices?" - Inconsistent commit patterns and messages

GitSentry solves all of these by being your intelligent Git companion.

What Makes GitSentry Special

Intelligent Monitoring

Real-time file watching - Knows exactly what you're changing
Smart thresholds - Suggests commits based on files changed, lines modified, and time elapsed
Context-aware - Understands your project structure and ignores build artifacts

Perfect Timing

Never interrupts - Suggestions appear between your natural work breaks
Configurable rules - Set your own thresholds for when to suggest commits
Respectful notifications - Helpful hints, not annoying popups

Security & Privacy

100% local - No cloud services, no data collection
You're in control - Never auto-commits or auto-pushes
Secure - Uses your existing Git authentication with validated commands

Developer-Friendly

Global installation - Install once, use in every project
Cross-platform - Works on Windows, Linux, and macOS
Zero configuration - Works out of the box with sensible defaults

Quick Start

🚀 One-Command Installation

Note: The automated installation scripts are currently being set up. If you encounter issues, please use the "Build from Source" method below or check back shortly.

Linux/macOS/WSL:

curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jinu721/git-sentry/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

Windows (PowerShell):

iwr -useb https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jinu721/git-sentry/main/scripts/install.ps1 | iex

📦 Alternative Installation Methods

Using Go:

go install github.com/jinu721/git-sentry/cmd/gitsentry@latest

Manual Download:

Download pre-built binaries from GitHub Releases:

Linux AMD64: gitsentry-linux-amd64
Linux ARM64: gitsentry-linux-arm64
macOS Intel: gitsentry-darwin-amd64
macOS Apple Silicon: gitsentry-darwin-arm64
Windows AMD64: gitsentry-windows-amd64.exe
Windows ARM64: gitsentry-windows-arm64.exe
FreeBSD: gitsentry-freebsd-amd64

Build from Source:

git clone https://github.com/jinu721/git-sentry.git
cd git-sentry
go build -o gitsentry cmd/gitsentry/main.go
# Move to a directory in your PATH

2. Use in Any Project

# Navigate to your project
cd ~/logichub

# Initialize GitSentry with team template
gitsentry init --template=team

# Start monitoring in background
gitsentry start --daemon

3. Code Normally - GitSentry Watches

# GitSentry runs in the background and suggests commits like:

GitSentry suggests it's a good time to commit!
   Files changed: 4
   Lines changed: 127
   Time since last commit: 25 minutes
   Run 'git add . && git commit' when ready

# After several commits:
GitSentry suggests pushing your commits for backup!
   Unpushed commits: 3
   Run 'git push' when ready

Complete Usage Guide

Core Commands

Command	Description
`gitsentry init [--template=TYPE]`	Initialize monitoring in current project
`gitsentry start [--daemon]`	Start monitoring (foreground or background)
`gitsentry stop`	Stop monitoring
`gitsentry status`	View current statistics and repository info
`gitsentry rules [--interactive]`	View/modify configuration settings
`gitsentry stats [--export=json]`	Display or export statistics
`gitsentry doctor`	Run comprehensive diagnostics

Configuration Templates

GitSentry provides predefined templates for different workflows:

gitsentry init --template=default   # Balanced settings for individual developers
gitsentry init --template=team      # Stricter settings for team collaboration
gitsentry init --template=strict    # Very strict settings for critical projects
gitsentry init --template=relaxed   # Relaxed settings for experimental work

Interactive Configuration

# Configure rules interactively
gitsentry rules --interactive

# Example interactive session:
Interactive Rules Configuration
==============================
Max files changed [3]: 5
Max lines changed [75]: 100
Max minutes since commit [20]: 30
Auto-suggest commits [true]: true
Auto-suggest pushes [true]: false

Statistics and Monitoring

# View current status
gitsentry status

# Export statistics to JSON
gitsentry stats --export=json --output=stats.json

# Run health diagnostics
gitsentry doctor

Background Daemon Mode

# Start as background daemon
gitsentry start --daemon

# Check if daemon is running
gitsentry status

# Stop daemon
gitsentry stop

Configuration

GitSentry creates a .gitsentry/config.yaml file in each project:

rules:
  max_files_changed: 5        # Suggest commit after N files
  max_lines_changed: 100      # Suggest commit after N lines  
  max_minutes_since_commit: 30 # Suggest commit after N minutes
  max_unpushed_commits: 3     # Suggest push after N commits

auto_suggest_commits: true    # Enable commit suggestions
auto_suggest_pushes: true     # Enable push suggestions
commit_message_format: "conventional" # conventional or simple

Working with Multiple Projects

# Each project has independent settings
cd ~/project-1
gitsentry init --template=team && gitsentry start --daemon

cd ~/project-2  
gitsentry init --template=strict && gitsentry start --daemon

# GitSentry tracks each project separately

How It Works

File System Monitoring - Uses efficient file watchers to detect changes
Rule Engine - Applies configurable rules to determine suggestion timing
Git Integration - Reads Git status, commit history, and remote state securely
Smart Filtering - Ignores temporary files, build artifacts, and hidden directories
Gentle Suggestions - Provides helpful hints without interrupting your flow

Security Features

GitSentry prioritizes security and privacy:

Input Validation - All file paths are sanitized to prevent directory traversal
Command Whitelisting - Only safe Git commands are allowed
Secure File Operations - All file operations use secure permissions
Thread Safety - Concurrent operations are properly synchronized
No External Dependencies - Works entirely offline with local Git

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Here's how you can help:

Report Issues

Found a bug? Open an issue
Include your OS, Go version, and steps to reproduce

Suggest Features

Have an idea? Start a discussion
Explain the problem it solves and how it would work

Code Contributions

Fork the repository

git clone https://github.com/jinu721/git-sentry.git
cd git-sentry

Set up development environment
```
go mod tidy
make build
```
Make your changes
- Follow Go best practices
- Add tests for new features
- Update documentation

Test your changes

make test
make build
./bin/gitsentry doctor  # Test locally

Submit a Pull Request
- Clear description of changes
- Reference any related issues
- Include tests and documentation updates

Development

Prerequisites

Go 1.21 or later
Git

Build from Source

# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/jinu721/git-sentry.git
cd git-sentry
make build

# Run tests
make test

# Install locally
make install

Project Structure

git-sentry/
├── cmd/gitsentry/           # Main application entry point
├── internal/
│   ├── cli/                 # CLI commands and interface
│   ├── core/                # Core GitSentry logic
│   ├── config/              # Configuration management
│   ├── state/               # State persistence
│   ├── git/                 # Git operations
│   ├── monitor/             # File system monitoring
│   ├── security/            # Security and validation
│   ├── daemon/              # Background process management
│   └── logger/              # Logging utilities
├── install.sh               # Unix installation script
├── install.ps1              # Windows installation script
├── uninstall.sh             # Unix removal script
├── uninstall.ps1            # Windows removal script
└── Makefile                 # Build automation

Troubleshooting

Installation Features

No admin rights required - Installs to user directory (~/.local/bin)
Cross-platform - Works on Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD
Auto-detection - Automatically detects OS and architecture
PATH management - Automatically adds to PATH
Pre-built binaries - No compilation needed
Secure downloads - Downloads from official GitHub releases

Uninstallation