Setting up a git repository on a LAN under OS X

I decided to embrace distributed version control. I’ve been using Mercurial a little because of the Cocotron project on Google Code. But since git support is built in to Xcode 4, I decided to use git for my own projects so that I’ll be ready on the day when I switch to Xcode 4. I had already set up a Subversion server on my development machine at work, so I figured setting up a git server wouldn’t be too difficult. For the most part it wasn’t, but there were a couple stumbling blocks that I’m going to document here to help others trying to do the same thing (and my future self when I need to set up a git repository on another machine).

My need is for a repository server on a local LAN where I’m not worried about malicious users. So I don’t need to concern myself with access over the Internet or ssh. Here’s what I did:

Install git. This is documented in plenty of places.
Put source code in a shared location. In my case I put it in a folder in /Users/Shared/git.
Create the git repository (This step turns out to be wrong, but gets fixed later.):
```
git init
git add .
git commit
```

Set up the git server. Create a file called git.plist in /Library/LaunchDaemons with the following content:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<key>Label</key>
	<string>git</string>
	<key>OnDemand</key>
	<false/>
	<key>ProgramArguments</key>
	<array>
		<string>/opt/local/bin/git</string>
		<string>daemon</string>
		<string>--export-all</string>
		<string>--base-path=/Users/Shared/git</string>
	</array>
        <key>ServiceDescription</key>
        <string>git Version Control System</string>
</dict>
</plist>

Clone the repository:

git clone git://machinename.local/projectname projectFolderName

After making changes, commit them locally:
```
git commit -a
```
Now push them to the repository (and experience the first error):
```
git push
```
gives the error:
```
fatal: The remote end hung up unexpectedly
```

This is because the default settings for the git daemon allow only read access. To enable write access, add this string to programArguments array in git.plist:

--enable=receive-pack

So now git.plist looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<key>Label</key>
	<string>git</string>
	<key>OnDemand</key>
	<false/>
	<key>ProgramArguments</key>
	<array>
		<string>/opt/local/bin/git</string>
		<string>daemon</string>
		<string>--export-all</string>
		<string>--base-path=/Users/Shared/git</string>
		<string>--enable=receive-pack</string>
	</array>
        <key>ServiceDescription</key>
        <string>git Version Control System</string>
</dict>
</plist>

To get this change to take effect, either reboot or execute the following commands in Terminal:

cd /Library/LaunchDaemons
sudo launchctl stop git
sudo launchctl unload git.plist
sudo launchctl load git.plist

Try again to push (and experience the second error):

! [remote rejected] master -> master (branch is currently checked out)

Stack Overflow to the rescue!
```
git config --bool core.bare true
```
Then hold breath while deleting all files except .git directory in repository folder
A working git repository

Some helpful links:

Ambiguous and Incomplete

Setting up a git repository on a LAN under OS X