RepoSync

RepoSync is a powerful command-line tool written in Go for securely cloning all repositories from GitLab groups or GitHub organizations, including nested subgroups (GitLab) with zero-touch authentication configuration.

Features

• Secure token storage - Credentials saved in user home directory with proper permissions
• Complete repository cloning - Clone all repositories from GitLab groups (with subgroups) or GitHub organizations
• Flexible cloning methods - Support for both HTTPS and SSH cloning
• Directory structure preservation - Automatic mirroring of organization hierarchy
• Smart skipping - Automatically skips already cloned repositories
• Progress reporting - Real-time progress indicators during cloning
• Enterprise support - Works with self-hosted GitLab and GitHub Enterprise
• Input validation - Comprehensive validation for all inputs
• Error handling - Robust error handling with retry mechanisms
• Rate limiting - Built-in rate limiting to prevent API throttling

Installation

Prerequisites

• Git (Download Git)
• Go 1.24+ (Download Go)

Install RepoSync

go install github.com/itszeeshan/reposync@latest

Make it globally accessible (Optional)

Move the binary to /usr/local/bin so it can be used system-wide:

sudo mv $(go env GOPATH)/bin/reposync /usr/local/bin/

Now you can run reposync from anywhere.

Configuration

Initial Setup

1. Configure your credentials (first-time setup):

reposync config

Follow the prompts to enter your GitLab and GitHub personal access tokens. Tokens are entered securely and hidden from terminal history.

2. Verify configuration:

cat ~/.reposync/config.json

Token Requirements

• GitHub: Personal access token with repo scope
• GitLab: Personal access token with read_api scope

Usage

Basic Syntax

reposync -p <gitlab|github> -g <GROUP_ID|ORG_NAME> [-m <https|ssh>]

Arguments

Argument	Description	Required
-p	Provider: gitlab or github	Yes
-g	Group ID (GitLab) or Organization name (GitHub)	Yes
-m	Clone method: https (default) or ssh	No
-h	Show help message	No

Examples

Clone GitHub organization with HTTPS

reposync -p github -g your-organization

Clone GitLab group with SSH

reposync -p gitlab -g 123456 -m ssh

Clone GitHub organization with SSH

reposync -p github -g your-organization -m ssh

Directory Structure

GitLab Group Structure

RepoSync preserves the exact GitLab group hierarchy:

my-group/                   # Parent group
├── backend/                # Subgroup
│   ├── auth-service/       # Repository
│   └── payment-service/
├── frontend/
│   ├── web-app/
│   └── mobile-app/
└── tools/                  # Root group repositories
    ├── ci-cd-templates/
    └── monitoring-system/

GitHub Organization Structure

GitHub repositories are cloned in a flat structure:

my-organization/           # Organization root
├── docs-website/          # Repository
├── api-gateway/
├── user-management/
└── infrastructure-as-code/

Use Cases

Local Development Mirroring

Create exact replicas of your organization structure for local development:

my-group/
└── frontend/
    └── web-app/  # Matches GitLab's "my-group > frontend > web-app"

Benefits:

• Instant context with paths identical to web interface
• Multi-repo workflows with predictable paths
• Easy navigation between related repositories

Backup and Archiving

Maintain complete organizational structure for backups:

backup-2024/
├── my-group/                  # Full hierarchy preserved
│   └── infrastructure/
└── my-organization/           # GitHub repos in flat structure

Benefits:

• Disaster recovery with exact group/repo relationships
• Version snapshots for compliance
• Audit trail maintenance

CI/CD Pipeline Integration

Use consistent paths for automation scripts:

# Scan all backend services
for repo in my-group/backend/*; do
  trivy config "$repo"
done

Benefits:

• Predictable source paths for Docker/K8s builds
• Path-based automation scripts
• Consistent deployment workflows

IDE Workspace Configuration

Configure multi-root workspaces with persistent paths:

{
  "folders": [
    { "path": "my-group/frontend/web-app" },
    { "path": "my-group/backend/auth-service" }
  ]
}

Benefits:

• Persistent workspace configurations
• Cross-repo navigation in IDEs
• Single-window multi-repo development

Troubleshooting

Authentication Issues

If you receive permission errors:

reposync config  # Update stored credentials

Token Management

• Rotate tokens: Re-run reposync config
• Delete credentials: rm ~/.reposync/config.json
• Check token scopes: Ensure tokens have required permissions

Common Issues

1. Permission denied errors:

   • Verify token has correct scopes
   • Check if token is expired
   • Ensure you have access to the group/organization

2. SSH cloning issues:

   • Ensure SSH key is added to your account
   • Verify ssh-agent is running
   • Test SSH connection manually

3. Network connectivity:

   • Ensure you have network access to GitHub/GitLab
   • Check firewall/proxy settings
   • Verify DNS resolution

4. Rate limiting:

   • Tool includes built-in rate limiting
   • Wait and retry if you hit API limits
   • Consider using SSH for large organizations

Error Messages

The tool provides specific error messages to help diagnose issues:

• Invalid organization name: Check format (alphanumeric and hyphens only)
• Invalid group ID: Ensure it's a valid integer
• Token validation failed: Token too short or empty
• Repository cloning failed: Network issues or permission problems

Advanced Features

Self-Hosted Instances

RepoSync supports self-hosted GitLab and GitHub Enterprise instances. Configuration can be extended to include custom URLs in the config file.

Progress Reporting

Real-time progress indicators show:

• Number of repositories found
• Current cloning progress
• Success/failure status for each repository

Retry Logic

Built-in retry mechanism for git clone operations:

• Automatic retry on network failures
• Exponential backoff between attempts
• Maximum retry limit to prevent infinite loops

Rate Limiting

Automatic rate limiting to prevent API throttling:

• 100ms delay between API calls
• Respects GitHub/GitLab rate limits
• Prevents 429 (Too Many Requests) errors

Contributing

Pull requests are welcome! If you encounter issues, feel free to open an issue on GitHub.

Development Setup

1. Clone the repository
2. Install dependencies: go mod download
3. Run tests: go test ./...
4. Build: go build -o reposync .

License

MIT License. See LICENSE for details.