Setting up a Git Server on a Linux Machine

Install Git: Install Git on the server through the package manager and verify the version; 2. Create a dedicated Git user: Use adduser to create a git user and optionally restrict its shell access; 3. Configure developer SSH access: Set the .ssh directory and authorized_keys file for git users, and add the developer's public key; 4. Create a bare repository: Initialize the bare repository on the server and set correct ownership; 5. Client cloning and push: Developer cloning the repository through SSH, submit changes and successfully push code to complete the construction of a private Git server.

Setting up a Git server on a Linux machine is a straightforward process that gives you full control over your repositories. While services like GitHub or GitLab are popular, a self-hosted Git server is ideal for private teams, internal projects, or learning purposes. Here's how to set it up using SSH and Git, the simplest and most common method.

1. Install Git on the Server

First, ensure Git is installed on your Linux machine.

On Debian/Ubuntu:

 sudo apt update
sudo apt install git

On CentOS/RHEL/Rocky Linux:

 sudo yum install git
# Or on newer versions:
sudo dnf install git

Verify the installation:

 git --version

2. Create a Dedicated Git User

It's best practice to create a dedicated user for Git to isolate access and improve security.

 sudo adduser git

Set a password (or disable shell login later for enhanced security).

You can optionally disable shell access by setting the git user's login shell to git-shell :

 sudo usermod -s /usr/bin/git-shell git

This restricts the git user to only Git-related operations over SSH.

3. Set Up SSH Access for Developers

Developers will push and pull code using SSH keys. You need to set up authorized keys for each user.

As the git user, create the .ssh directory:

 sudo su - git
mkdir .ssh && chmod 700 .ssh
touch .ssh/authorized_keys && chmod 600 .ssh/authorized_keys

Now, collect each developer's public SSH key (usually id_rsa.pub or id_ed25519.pub ) and append them to authorized_keys .

Example:

 echo "ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2E... user@machine" >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

Each key should be on a single line.

? Tip: You can automate this with scripts or tools like ssh-copy-id (used from the client side).

4. Create a Bare Repository

A Git server uses bare repositories — repositories without a working directory.

Create one in /home/git (or any preferred location):

 cd /home/git
git init --bare myproject.git

You can name it anything, but .git extension is conventional.

Set proper ownership:

 sudo chown -R git:git myproject.git

5. Clone and Use the Repository from Client

On a developer's machine, clone the repo:

 git clone git@your-server-ip:/home/git/myproject.git

Replace your-server-ip with the actual server IP or domain.

Make a change and push:

 cd myproject
echo "Hello" > README.md
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"
git push origin master

That's it — your Git server is working.

Optional: Improve Security and Usability

• Use SSH key authentication only : Disable password login for SSH in /etc/ssh/sshd_config :

   PasswordAuthentication no

  Then restart SSH: sudo systemctl restart sshd

• Organize repositories : Place all repos in /home/git/repositories/ for consistency.

• Back up regularly : Since it's self-hosted, ensure you have backups of /home/git .

• Use Git hooks : Automate tasks (eg, deploy on push) using hooks in the hooks/ directory of the bare repo.

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Alternatives to Consider

For more features (like web UI, user management, access control), consider:

• GitLab Self-Managed : Full-featured, open-source platform.
• Gitea or Gitiles : Lightweight, easy to set up.
• cgit or GitWeb : Simple web interfaces for read-only access.

But for a minimum, secure, and fast setup, plain Git over SSH is hard to beat.

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Setting up a basic Git server doesn't require complex tools. With just SSH and Git installed, you can have a private, functional server up in minutes. It's not flashy, but it's reliable and gives you full control.

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