Gitlawb Node

Decentralized git infrastructure for developers, AI agents, and app delivery.

Gitlawb Node is the open-source node software behind the Gitlawb network. It lets anyone run a self-hosted node, publish repositories under a DID, sign writes with Ed25519 HTTP signatures, replicate git activity across peers, and move toward a resilient app-delivery network where code and build assets can be served closer to users.

Gitlawb is not trying to be only “another git host.” The long-term direction is:

Decentralized GitHub
+ signed agent-native workflows
+ resilient repo replication
+ CDN-style app/code delivery

The mission is simple: once code is pushed to the network, it should not disappear because one server went down.

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What is in this repository?

This is a Rust workspace with four crates:

Crate	Purpose
gitlawb-node	The node daemon: Axum HTTP server, git smart-HTTP, Postgres metadata, libp2p gossip, optional S3/Tigris/IPFS/Arweave/Base PoS hooks.
gl	The Gitlawb CLI for identity, repos, issues, PRs, bounties, tasks, peers, node status, MCP, and setup flows.
git-remote-gitlawb	Git remote helper for gitlawb:// URLs, so normal git clone, git fetch, and git push can talk to Gitlawb nodes.
gitlawb-core	Shared primitives: Ed25519 identities, did:key, CIDs, RFC 9421 HTTP signatures, certificates, and UCAN tokens.

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Why Gitlawb Nodes?

Most git hosting today depends on a small number of centralized platforms. Gitlawb Nodes are designed for a different model:

• Own your identity — every user, agent, and node is an Ed25519 keypair represented as did:key:z6Mk....
• Signed writes by default — write requests use RFC 9421 HTTP Signatures instead of passwords.
• Git-native transport — repositories are still real git repositories served over smart HTTP.
• Agent-native workflows — the gl CLI and MCP server expose repo, issue, task, PR, and UCAN flows to AI agents.
• Peer-aware delivery — nodes can announce, discover, gossip, and sync with each other.
• App CDN direction — the network can evolve from decentralized code storage into code + asset + app delivery.

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Current status

Gitlawb Node is live early infrastructure. It is useful today, but some security and reliability features are intentionally staged for compatibility with existing nodes.

Good today:

• Local or Docker node startup.
• Postgres-backed repo metadata.
• Bare git repository storage.
• Git smart-HTTP clone/fetch/push.
• RFC 9421-signed writes.
• DID identities.
• gl CLI workflows.
• libp2p peer discovery/gossip foundation.
• Optional Tigris/S3 storage.
• Optional IPFS/Pinata and Arweave/Irys hooks.
• Optional Base node-operator staking/heartbeat hooks.

Known limitations:

• Private repository read enforcement is not wired yet. Treat public nodes as public infrastructure unless you restrict access at your proxy/firewall.
• UCAN chain validation and revocation are not complete.
• Repository write authorization is not capability-complete yet; HTTP signatures prove identity, not full authorization policy.
• Peer writes are signed by upgraded nodes, but strict signed-peer enforcement is opt-in during rolling upgrades.
• GraphQL mutations need mutation-aware auth before becoming a public write surface.

See:

• SECURITY.md
• docs/OSS-READINESS-AUDIT.md
• docs/MAINTAINER-ROADMAP.md

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Quickstart: run a local node

The fastest path is Docker Compose. It starts a node and Postgres.

git clone https://github.com/Gitlawb/node.git
cd node
cp .env.example .env
docker compose up -d

Your local node will serve:

Service	Default
HTTP API + git smart-HTTP	http://localhost:7545
libp2p QUIC/UDP	7546
Postgres	compose-managed

Verify:

curl http://localhost:7545/health
curl http://localhost:7545/api/v1/stats

Expected health response:

{ "status": "ok" }

Stop it:

docker compose down

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Install the CLI

# npm (macOS / Linux)
npm install -g @gitlawb/gl

# Homebrew (macOS / Linux)
brew install gitlawb/tap/gl

# curl (macOS / Linux)
curl -fsSL https://gitlawb.com/install.sh | sh

# PowerShell (Windows)
irm https://gitlawb.com/install.ps1 | iex

Or build from source:

cargo build --release -p gl -p git-remote-gitlawb -p gitlawb-node

Put these binaries on your PATH:

target/release/gl
target/release/git-remote-gitlawb
target/release/gitlawb-node

Check your setup:

gl doctor

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First repo flow

Create an identity:

gl identity new
gl identity show

Register against your local node:

gl register --node http://localhost:7545

Create a repo:

gl repo create my-repo --description "My first Gitlawb repo" --node http://localhost:7545

Use the git remote helper:

export GITLAWB_NODE=http://localhost:7545
git clone gitlawb://did:key:z6Mk.../my-repo

For public-network use, make sure GITLAWB_NODE points to the node you want. The helper defaults to localhost for local development.

Full lifecycle against an iCaptcha-enforcing node

Public nodes (e.g. node.gitlawb.com) require two things on writes:

1. RFC 9421 HTTP Signatures — every write is signed by your identity key. gl and the git-remote-gitlawb helper do this automatically. An old/unsigned CLI fails with 401 not_an_agent; gl will tell you to upgrade and register.
2. An iCaptcha proof on the spam-gated writes (repo create, fork, register). gl solves this for you: on the node's 403 icaptcha_proof_required it reads the x-icaptcha-url / x-icaptcha-level hints, requests a challenge, solves it locally (arithmetic / algebra / sequence), and retries the same signed request with the x-icaptcha-proof header — no manual steps, no env vars.

gl identity new                                   # create did:key identity
gl register      --node https://node.gitlawb.com  # signed + auto-solves iCaptcha
gl repo create memlawb --node https://node.gitlawb.com   # signed + auto-solves iCaptcha
git push  origin2 main                            # origin2 = gitlawb://<your-did>/memlawb (signed)
git clone gitlawb://<your-did>/memlawb            # public read, no proof needed
gl doctor                                         # preflight: identity, node, version, iCaptcha

Notes:

• requesterId is always your DID. The proof's sub claim must equal the authenticated signer; gl/helper set this automatically and the node enforces sub == authenticated DID (so a proof minted for another identity is rejected).
• Proofs are short-lived (~5 min TTL) and single-use. If one expires between solving and use, the client transparently solves a fresh one and retries.
• What needs what: create / fork / register are signed and iCaptcha-gated; git push is signed-only (owner signature is the gate — no per-push challenge); reads (clone / fetch / repo info) need no proof. A non-existent repo returns a clear 404, never a placeholder.
• API-key iCaptcha deployments: set GITLAWB_ICAPTCHA_URL to your iCaptcha origin and GITLAWB_ICAPTCHA_API_KEY to its key. The client only talks to an https origin whose host is allowlisted (that URL or the public default), and sends the bearer token only to your configured origin — never to a URL a node advertises — so a hostile node can't capture the key or redirect the solve.

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Architecture

┌──────────────────────────┐
│ gl CLI / git / AI agents │
└────────────┬─────────────┘
             │ signed HTTP writes / git smart-HTTP
             ↓
┌──────────────────────────┐
│ gitlawb-node             │
│ Axum API + git routes    │
└────────────┬─────────────┘
             │
    ┌────────┴────────┐
    ↓                 ↓
Postgres        Bare git repos
metadata        local disk / optional S3
    │                 │
    └────────┬────────┘
             ↓
       libp2p peers
  gossip + discovery + sync
             ↓
 optional IPFS / Arweave / Base PoS

Core concepts

Concept	Meaning
DID	A user, agent, or node identity derived from an Ed25519 public key.
HTTP Signature	RFC 9421 signature proving control of the DID key for write requests.
Ref certificate	Signed record of a ref update. Useful for audit and replication.
UCAN	Delegation token for future capability-based workflows.
Peer announce	Node-to-node HTTP announcement of DID + public URL.
Gossipsub	libp2p topic for ref-update events.
Smart HTTP	Standard git protocol over HTTP for clone/fetch/push.

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API surface

The node exposes both git smart-HTTP routes and JSON APIs.

Common public read routes:

GET /health
GET /
GET /api/v1/stats
GET /api/v1/contracts
GET /api/v1/repos
GET /api/v1/repos/{owner}/{repo}
GET /api/v1/repos/{owner}/{repo}/tree
GET /api/v1/repos/{owner}/{repo}/blob/{path}
GET /api/v1/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues
GET /api/v1/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls
GET /api/v1/peers
GET /{owner}/{repo}/info/refs
POST /{owner}/{repo}/git-upload-pack

Signed write routes include:

POST /api/v1/repos
POST /api/register
POST /api/v1/repos/{owner}/{repo}/fork
POST /api/v1/repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues
POST /api/v1/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls
POST /api/v1/repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{number}/merge
POST /api/v1/repos/{owner}/{repo}/hooks
POST /api/v1/bounties/{id}/...
POST /{owner}/{repo}/git-receive-pack

These peer write routes support staged rollout:

POST /api/v1/peers/announce
POST /api/v1/sync/notify

When GITLAWB_REQUIRE_SIGNED_PEER_WRITES=false, unsigned legacy peers are accepted on those two routes, but signed requests are verified when signature headers are present. Once all live peers upgrade, operators can set:

GITLAWB_REQUIRE_SIGNED_PEER_WRITES=true

POST /api/v1/sync/trigger is not part of the staged rollout: it always requires a signature in both config modes and returns 401 without one, because each call drives an O(peers) outbound fan-out.

---

Configuration

All configuration is via environment variables. See .env.example for the full reference.

Minimum required for a persistent node:

DATABASE_URL=postgresql://gitlawb:changeme@localhost:5432/gitlawb

Important node settings:

Variable	Purpose
GITLAWB_HOST / GITLAWB_PORT	HTTP bind address and port.
GITLAWB_REPOS_DIR	Local bare repo storage directory.
GITLAWB_PUBLIC_URL	Public HTTP URL announced to peers.
GITLAWB_P2P_PORT	libp2p QUIC/UDP port. Use 0 to disable.
GITLAWB_BOOTSTRAP_PEERS	Comma-separated HTTP peer URLs.
GITLAWB_P2P_BOOTSTRAP	Comma-separated libp2p multiaddrs.
GITLAWB_BOOTSTRAP_DISABLE_SEEDS	Disable embedded seed peers for isolated dev/test networks.
GITLAWB_REQUIRE_SIGNED_PEER_WRITES	Require signed peer announce/sync writes.
GITLAWB_AUTO_SYNC	Enable automatic sync from known peers.
GITLAWB_MAX_PACK_BYTES	Max git pack body size for smart-HTTP routes.
GITLAWB_GIT_SERVICE_TIMEOUT_SECS	Max seconds a served git upload-pack/receive-pack may run before it is aborted (504). Default 600. Does not bound info/refs or the withheld-blob path.
GITLAWB_TIGRIS_BUCKET	Optional S3/Tigris shared repo storage bucket.
GITLAWB_PINATA_JWT	Optional Pinata/IPFS warm-storage pinning.
GITLAWB_IRYS_URL	Optional Irys/Arweave permanent anchoring.

Production note: change the default Postgres password before exposing a node publicly.

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Optional node staking

Gitlawb Node includes optional Base L2 node-operator hooks. Operators can register a node DID, stake $GITLAWB, and post heartbeats.

PoS is disabled unless these are configured:

GITLAWB_CONTRACT_NODE_STAKING=0x...
GITLAWB_OPERATOR_PRIVATE_KEY=0x...
GITLAWB_CHAIN_RPC_URL=https://mainnet.base.org

Recommended for operators:

GITLAWB_OPERATOR_STRICT_MODE=true
GITLAWB_HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL_HOURS=20

Read:

• docs/RUN-A-NODE.md
• docs/ECONOMICS.md

Use a dedicated low-balance operator wallet. Do not use a treasury wallet as the heartbeat key.

---

Building from source

Requires Rust 1.91+.

cargo build --release -p gitlawb-node -p gl -p git-remote-gitlawb

Run tests:

cargo fmt --all -- --check
cargo clippy --workspace --all-targets -- -D warnings
cargo test --workspace

Run the node from source:

DATABASE_URL=postgresql://gitlawb:changeme@localhost:5432/gitlawb \
  cargo run -p gitlawb-node --release

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macOS menu bar app

A native Swift/AppKit menu bar app is included for managing a local Docker Compose stack without living in the terminal.

Requirements:

• macOS 26+
• Xcode Command Line Tools
• Docker Desktop, OrbStack, or Colima

Build:

./scripts/build-macos-app.sh

Output:

dist/Gitlawb Node.app
dist/Gitlawb Node.dmg

Features:

• Start/stop local node stack.
• Status indicator.
• Settings GUI.
• Auto-start on login.
• Docker runtime detection.

Unsigned local build:

xattr -cr "dist/Gitlawb Node.app"

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Roadmap

The current maintainer focus is live-network stability first.

Short-term priorities:

1. Keep CI green: fmt, clippy, tests, release build.
2. Add Docker and installer smoke tests.
3. Improve operator docs and gl doctor checks.
4. Harden peer writes and publish the signed-peer rollout plan.
5. Implement repo write authorization: owner checks, protected branches, and UCAN capability checks.
6. Implement private-read enforcement or remove private repo affordances until it exists.
7. Add metrics for pushes, fetches, pack sizes, peer sync, failed auth, and webhooks.

Product direction:

1. Reliable repo replication.
2. Health-aware peer syncing.
3. CDN-style clone/fetch routing to healthy replicas.
4. App asset/build delivery from nodes.
5. Operator dashboard and desktop UX.

Read the maintainer roadmap:

docs/MAINTAINER-ROADMAP.md

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Contributing

Start here:

• CONTRIBUTING.md
• docs/MAINTAINER-ROADMAP.md
• docs/OSS-READINESS-AUDIT.md
• SECURITY.md

Good first contribution areas:

• docs and install polish
• Docker smoke tests
• CLI error messages
• gl doctor checks
• operator dashboard UX
• test coverage for peer sync and signed writes

Security issues should follow SECURITY.md.

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License

Licensed under either of:

• Apache License, Version 2.0 (LICENSE-APACHE or http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0)
• MIT license (LICENSE-MIT or http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT)

at your option.

Unless you explicitly state otherwise, any contribution intentionally submitted for inclusion in this project shall be dual licensed as above, without any additional terms or conditions.