GitHunt
TW

twio142/git-dev.nvim

Open remote git repositories in the comfort of Neovim.

GitHub License
GitHub Tag

               / /           |                         /
          ___   (___ ___  ___| ___           ___         _ _
         |   )| |        |   )|___) \  )    |   ) \  )| | | )
         |__/ | |__      |__/ |__    \/     |  /   \/ | |  /
         __/                            -

Open remote git repositories in the comfort of Neovim.

A plugin to open remote Git repositories inside Neovim by managing ephemeral
shallow clones automatically. It aims to provide a similar experience to
GitHub.dev but directly within Neovim.

📹 Demo

git-dev-0.5.0.webm

Table of Contents

🎨 Features

  • Open remote Git repositories inside Neovim at branch, tag or commit.
  • Supports most URLs from GitHub, GitLab, Gitea and Codeberg.
  • Seamless integration with your workflow (e.g. LSP and tree-sitter).
  • Ephemeral repositories - cleanup when Neovim exits.
  • Telescope extension to revisit previously opened repositories.
  • Close buffers or clean opened repositories in current session.
  • XDG handling.

🔨 Installation

Use your favorite plugin manager:

Lazy

{
  "moyiz/git-dev.nvim",
  event = "VeryLazy",
  opts = {},
}

Lazier (documentation will not be available until first use):

{
  "moyiz/git-dev.nvim",
  lazy = true,
  cmd = {
    "GitDevClean",
    "GitDevCleanAll",
    "GitDevCloseBuffers",
    "GitDevHistory",
    "GitDevOpen",
    "GitDevPersist",
    "GitDevToggleUI",
    "GitDevXDGHandle",
  },
  opts = {},
}

See Options.

📘 Usage

📂 Open

API: require("git-dev").open(repo, ref, opts)

Command: GitDevOpen

Open the repository in Neovim.

Parameters

  • repo - string - A partial or full Git URI. Some non-git URIs are also
    supported, see Supported URLS for examples.
  • ref - table - Target reference to checkout (default: nil). Empty ref
    will checkout the default branch.
    Examples: {branch="..."}|{tag="..."}|{commit="..."}.
    If more than one is specified, the priority is: commit > tag > branch.
  • opts - table - Override plugin configuration for this call (default:
    nil). See Options below.

Examples

-- :GitDevOpen moyiz/git-dev.nvim
require("git-dev").open("moyiz/git-dev.nvim")

-- :GitDevOpen derailed/k9s {tag="v0.32.4"}
require("git-dev").open("derailed/k9s", { tag = "v0.32.4" })

-- :GitDevOpen echasnovski/mini.nvim {branch="stable"} {ephemeral=false}
require("git-dev").open("echasnovski/mini.nvim", { branch = "stable "}, { ephemeral = false })

-- :GitDevOpen https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/bash.git {} {read_only=false}
require("git-dev").open("https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/bash.git", {}, { read_only = false })

📕 Close Buffers

API: require("git-dev").close_buffers(repo, ref)

Command: GitDevCloseBuffers

Close (delete) all buffers associated with a repository.
By default, it will try to determine the repository directory from current
buffer.
If repo is omitted, try to determine repository from current buffer.
If ref is omitted, assume it is related to current buffer if an explicit
repository was given.
Supports auto-completion.

Parameters

  • repo - Same as open.
  • ref - Same as open.

💾 Persist Repository

API: require("git-dev").persist(repo, ref)

Command: GitDevPersist

Make an ephemeral repository persistent. It will not be deleted when Neovim
exits.
If repo is omitted, try to determine repository from current buffer.
If ref is omitted, assume it is related to current buffer if an explicit
repository was given.
Supports auto-completion.

Parameters

  • repo - Same as open.
  • ref - Same as open.

🪥 Clean

API: require("git-dev").clean(repo, ref, opts)

Command: GitDevClean

Clean a repository. It will close all associated buffers and delete the
repository directory if it was ephemeral.
If repo is omitted, try to determine repository from current buffer.
If ref is omitted, assume it is related to current buffer if an explicit
repository was given.
Supports auto-completion.

Parameters

Same as open.

🧹 Clean All

API: require("git-dev").clean_all()

Command: GitDevCleanAll

Clean all cached local repositories.

Caution: It will delete the repositories directory itself. If you changed
the default value, make sure that the new directory is being used only for this
purpose.

By either using the lua function require("git-dev").clean_all() or the command
GitDevCleanAll.

👓 Parse

API: require("git-dev").parse(repo, opts)

Parses a Git URL.

Parameters

  • repo - string - A partial or full Git URI.
  • opts - table - Override plugin configuration for this call (default:
    nil). See Options below.

See URL Parsing.

🥽 Toggle UI

API: require("git-dev").toggle_ui(win_config)

Command: GitDevToggleUI

Manually toggle the window showing git-dev output. Accepts optional table to
override default window configuration.

Parameters

  • win_config - vim.api.keyset.win_config - Override window configuration
    for this call.

⛏️ Pickers

Supports mini.pick, snacks, telescope and a fallback to vim.ui.select.
By default, it will use the first picker provider it finds.
See pickers in Options below.

🪨 History

API: require("git-dev").pickers.history(local_opts)
Command: GitDevHistory

A picker for previously opened repositories.

Opened repositories are tracked in a simple single file KV store. Its only
purpose (currently) is to be queried by the history picker for a convenient way
to re-open previously opened repositories.

See history in Options below.

⚙️ Options

M.config = {
  -- Whether to delete an opened repository when nvim exits.
  -- If `true`, it will create an auto command for opened repositories
  -- to delete the local directory when nvim exists.
  ephemeral = true,
  -- Set buffers of opened repositories to be read-only and unmodifiable.
  read_only = true,
  -- Whether / how to CD into opened repository.
  ---@type "global"|"tab"|"window"|"none"
  cd_type = "global",
  -- The actual `open` behavior.
  ---@param dir string The path to the local repository.
  ---@param repo_uri string The URI that was used to clone this repository.
  ---@param selected_path? string A relative path to a file in this repository.
  opener = function(dir, repo_uri, selected_path)
    M.ui:print("Opening " .. repo_uri)
    local dest =
      vim.fn.fnameescape(selected_path and dir .. "/" .. selected_path or dir)
    vim.cmd("edit " .. dest)
  end,
  -- Location of cloned repositories. Should be dedicated for this purpose.
  repositories_dir = vim.fn.stdpath "cache" .. "/git-dev",
  -- Extend the builtin URL parsers.
  -- Should map domains to parse functions. See |parser.lua|.
  extra_domain_to_parser = nil,
  git = {
    -- Name / path of `git` command.
    command = "git",
    -- Default organization if none is specified.
    -- If given repository name does not contain '/' and `default_org` is
    -- not `nil` nor empty, it will be prepended to the given name.
    default_org = nil,
    -- Base URI to use when given repository name is scheme-less.
    base_uri_format = "https://github.com/%s.git",
    -- Arguments for `git clone`.
    -- Triggered when repository does not exist locally.
    -- It will clone submodules too, disable it if it is too slow.
    clone_args = "--jobs=2 --single-branch --recurse-submodules "
      .. "--shallow-submodules --progress",
    -- Arguments for `git fetch`.
    -- Triggered when repository already exists locally to refresh the local
    -- copy.
    fetch_args = "--jobs=2 --no-all --update-shallow -f --prune --no-tags",
    -- Arguments for `git checkout`.
    -- Triggered by `open` when a branch, tag or commit is given.
    checkout_args = "-f --recurse-submodules",
  },
  -- UI configuration.
  ui = {
    -- Whether to enable builtin output buffer or fallback to `vim.notify`.
    enabled = true,
    -- Auto-close window after repository was opened.
    auto_close = true,
    -- Delay window closing.
    close_after_ms = 3000,
    -- Window mode.
    ---@type "floating"|"split"
    mode = "floating",
    -- Window configuration for floating mode.
    -- See `:h nvim_open_win`.
    ---@type win_config
    floating_win_config = {
      title = "git-dev",
      title_pos = "center",
      anchor = "NE",
      style = "minimal",
      border = "rounded",
      relative = "editor",
      width = 79,
      height = 9,
      row = 1,
      col = vim.o.columns,
      noautocmd = true,
    },
    -- Window configuration for split mode.
    -- See `:h nvim_open_win`.
    ---@type win_config
    split_win_config = {
      split = "right",
      width = 79,
      noautocmd = true,
    },
  },
  -- History configuration.
  history = {
    -- Maximum number of records to keep in history.
    n = 32,
    -- Store file path.
    path = vim.fn.stdpath "data" .. "/git-dev/history.json",
  },
  -- Repository cleaning configuration.
  clean = {
    -- Close all related buffers.
    close_buffers = true,
    -- Whether to delete repository directory, keep it, or determine deletion
    -- by its current ephemeral setting.
    ---@type "always"|"never"|"current"
    delete_repo_dir = "current",
  },
  -- XDG handling of `nvim-gitdev` URIs.
  -- Requires: `xdg-mime` and `xdg-open`.
  xdg_handler = {
    enabled = false,
    -- A location for the desktop entry.
    desktop_entry_path = vim.fs.normalize(
      vim.fn.stdpath "data" .. "/../applications/git-dev.desktop"
    ),
    -- Launcher script.
    script = {
      path = vim.fn.expand "~/.local/bin/git-dev-open",
      content = '#!/usr/bin/env sh\nnvim -c GitDevXDGHandle\\ "$@"',
    },
  },
  -- Picker configuration
  ---@type GitDevPickerOpts
  pickers = {
    ---Nil for auto detection.
    type = nil,
    ---A configuration for the `history` picker
    history = {
      separator = {
        text = " │ ",
        hl_group = "WinSeparator",
      },
      entry = {
        -- Defines the width ratios of `repo_utl`, `ref` and `selected_path`
        -- in the picker's results / entries buffer. Setting a `width` below
        -- will override the ratio defined for the entry part.
        ratios = { 5, 2, 3 },
        repo_url = {
          -- Fixed width.
          -- If `nil`, it will be determined by window width and the ratios
          -- array above.
          width = nil,
          hl_group = "String",
        },
        ref = {
          width = nil,
          hl_group = "Tag",
        },
        selected_path = {
          width = nil,
          hl_group = "LineNr",
        },
      },
    },
  },
  -- More verbosity.
  verbose = false,
}

🕸️ URL Parsing

It is reasonable to assume that browsing arbitrary Git repositories will
probably begin in a web browser. The main purpose of this feature is to allow
quicker transition from the currently viewed branch / tag / commit / file to
Neovim.

This plugin supports multiple types and flavors of URLs. It will accept most
GitHub, GitLab, Gitea and Codeberg URLs, and will try to extract the actual
git repository URL, selected branch / tag / commit and selected file.

If such extraction was successful, opener will be provided with
selected_path, which is a relative path of a file in the repository. Its main
use-case is to auto-open currently viewed file.

Nested branches (contain slashes) are supported.

Notice that passing explicit ref to GitDevOpen will take precedence on
parsed fields.

Supported URLs

  • GitHub
    • https://github.com/<repo>
    • https://github.com/<repo>.git
    • https://github.com/<repo>/tree/<branch>
    • https://github.com/<repo>/tree/<tag>
    • https://github.com/<repo>/blob/<branch>
    • https://github.com/<repo>/blob/<branch>/<file_path>
    • https://github.com/<repo>/blob/<tag>
    • https://github.com/<repo>/blob/<tag>/<file_path>
  • GitLab
    • https://gitlab.com/<repo>
    • https://gitlab.com/<repo>.git
    • https://gitlab.com/<repo>/-/tree/<branch>
    • https://gitlab.com/<repo>/-/tree/<tag>
    • https://gitlab.com/<repo>/-/blob/<branch>
    • https://gitlab.com/<repo>/-/blob/<branch>/<file_path>
    • https://gitlab.com/<repo>/-/blob/<tag>
    • https://gitlab.com/<repo>/-/blob/<tag>/<file_path>
  • Gitea
    • https://gitea.com/<repo>
    • https://gitea.com/<repo>.git
    • https://gitea.com/<repo>/(src|raw)/tag/<tag>
    • https://gitea.com/<repo>/(src|raw)/tag/<tag>/<file_path>
    • https://gitea.com/<repo>/(src|raw)/branch/<branch>
    • https://gitea.com/<repo>/(src|raw)/branch/<branch>/<file_path>
    • https://gitea.com/<repo>/(src|raw)/commit/<commit_id>
    • https://gitea.com/<repo>/(src|raw)/commit/<commit_id>/<file_path>
  • Codeberg - Same as Gitea.

Examples

Open README.md in main branch:

require("git-dev").open("https://github.com/echasnovski/mini.nvim/blob/main/README.md")

Parser output:

{
  branch = "main",
  repo_url = "https://github.com/echasnovski/mini.nvim.git",
  selected_path = "README.md",
  type = "http"
}

Open cmd/scan/main.go in acook/generic_docker_source_entry branch:

require("git-dev").open("https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/code-creation/repository-x-ray/-/blob/acook/generic_docker_source_entry/cmd/scan/main.go")

Parser output:

{
  branch = "acook/generic_docker_source_entry",
  repo_url = "https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/code-creation/repository-x-ray.git",
  selected_path = "cmd/scan/main.go",
  type = "http"
}

See lua/git-dev/parser_spec.lua for more examples.

(Or: GitDevOpen https://github.com/moyiz/git-dev/blob/master/lua/git-dev/parser_spec.lua)

Limitations

URL blobs cannot be unpacked into reference and file path without prior
knowledge of the repository. To workaround it, the parser module invokes a Git
command to list all references and looks for the longest match. The remainder
will be selected as the file path.

🖥️ XDG Handling

To enable XDG handling, adjust your config:

{
  ...
  xdg_handler = {
    enabled = true,
  },
}

The next plugin setup will generate a desktop entry for git-dev.nvim,
a launcher script that will be called by the desktop entry (to workaround
limitations of escaping with xdg-open) and will it as the default handler for
nvim-gitdev URIs.

git-dev.nvim URIs follow the following scheme:

nvim-gitdev://<method>/?param1=value1&param2=value2

Example:

nvim-gitdev://open/?repo=moyiz/git-dev.nvim

Parameter names are ignored. All parameter values are unpacked and passed to the
method as positional arguments.

Note

The desktop entry contains Terminal=true attribute, which could or could not
work depends on your setup. If a new terminal is not launched, update
opts.xdg_handler.script.content and wrap the command with a terminal.
Example: content = '#!/usr/bin/env sh\nalacritty -e nvim -c GitDevXDGHandle\\ "$@"'

📓 Recipes

❔ Interactive Opening

The sky is the limit. I have settled for this key binding at the moment (set via
lazy.nvim):

{
  "moyiz/git-dev.nvim",
  ...
  keys = {
    {
      "<leader>go",
      function()
        local repo = vim.fn.input "Repository name / URI: "
        if repo ~= "" then
          require("git-dev").open(repo)
        end
      end,
      desc = "[O]pen a remote git repository",
    }
  }
  ...
}

🌲 nvim-tree

To open with nvim-tree:

opts = {
  opener = function(dir, _, selected_path)
    -- vim.cmd("Oil " .. vim.fn.fnameescape(dir))
    vim.cmd("NvimTreeOpen " .. vim.fn.fnameescape(dir))
    if selected_path then
      vim.cmd("edit " .. selected_path)
    end
  end
}

🌲 neo-tree

opts = {
  opener = function(dir, _, selected_path)
    vim.cmd("Neotree " .. dir)
    if selected_path then
      vim.cmd("edit " .. selected_path)
    end
  end
}

📑 New tab

Recommended. Repositories will be opened in a new tab and its CWD will be set.

opts = {
  cd_type = "tab",
  opener = function(dir, _, selected_path)
    vim.cmd "tabnew"
    vim.cmd("Neotree " .. dir)
    if selected_path then
      vim.cmd("edit " .. selected_path)
    end
  end
}

🦊 Web browser

It does not make much sense on its own, but a showcase for getting both the
repository URL and the local directory.

opts = {
  cd_type = "none",
  opener = function(_, repo_url)
     -- vim.cmd("!librewolf " .. repo_url)
     vim.cmd("!firefox " .. repo_url)
  end
}

📝 Customizing Default URL

By default, this plugin accepts partial repository URI (e.g. org/repo) by
applying it onto a format string. This behavior can be customized by setting
git.base_uri_format to change the URI, or git.default_org to prepend a
default organization name if the given repository name does not contain /.

-- Change default URI
opts = {
  git = {
    base_uri_format = "https://git.home.arpa/%s.git",
  }
}

-- Open my own repositories by name with SSH.
-- E.g. "git-dev.nvim" rather than "moyiz/git-dev.nvim"
opts = {
  git = {
    default_org = "moyiz",
    base_uri_format = "git@github.com:%s.git",
  }
}

-- Enforce only full URIs (do not accept partial names).
opts = {
  git = {
    base_uri_format = "%s"
  }
}

🏡 Private Repositories - Parse HTTP as SSH

All repositories in my home Gitea service are private. Cloning such repositories
using HTTP URLs will require inserting user and password. Since my SSH keys are
already set, a custom parser can workaround it by leveraging the domain
parameter of the parser function.

opts = {
  extra_domain_to_parser = {
    ["git.home.arpa"] = function(parser, text, _)
      text = text:gsub("https://([^/]+)/(.*)$", "ssh://git@%1:2222/%2")
      return parser:parse_gitea_like_url(text, "ssh://git@git.home.arpa:2222")
    end,
  },
}

Notice that my Gitea service listens on port 2222 for SSH. This custom parser
tricks parse_gitea_like_url by converting a HTTP URL to SSH like URL (which
is not a valid git URI). I.e.

https://git.home.arpa/homelab/k8s/src/commit/ef3fec4973042f0e0357a136d927fe2839350170/apps/gitea/kustomization.yaml

To:

ssh://git@git.home.arpa:2222/homelab/k8s/src/commit/ef3fec4973042f0e0357a136d927fe2839350170/apps/gitea/kustomization.yaml

Then, the parser trims the "domain" and proceeds as usual. Output:

{
  commit = "ef3fec4973042f0e0357a136d927fe2839350170",
  repo_url = "ssh://git@git.home.arpa:2222/homelab/k8s.git",
  selected_path = "apps/gitea/kustomization.yaml",
  type = "http"
}

🪥 Close & Clean

Keymap example to close / clean currently active repository.

{
  "moyiz/git-dev.nvim",
  ...
  keys = {
    {
      "<leader>gc",
      function()
        require("git-dev").close_buffers()
      end,
      mode = "n",
      desc = "[C]lose buffers of current repository",
    },
    {
      "<leader>gC",
      function()
        require("git-dev").clean()
      end,
      mode = "n",
      desc = "[C]lean current repository",
    },
  }
}

👣 Tridactyl - Open in Neovim

Requires native messenger.

bind ;go composite get_current_url | shellescape | js -p tri.excmds.exclaim("alacritty -e nvim -c \'GitDevOpen " + JS_ARG + "\'")

Or if you enabled xdg_handler:

bind ;go composite get_current_url | shellescape | js -p tri.excmds.exclaim("xdg-open nvim-gitdev://open/?repo=" + JS_ARG)

Set the keymap and terminal by preference.

👣 Qutebrowser - Open in Neovim

config.bind('<Space>.', 'spawn kitty -e xdg-open "nvim-gitdev://open/?repo={url}"')

📜 License

See License.

Languages

Lua97.4%Makefile2.6%

Contributors

MOTWSA
BSD 3-Clause "New" or "Revised" License
Created September 14, 2025
Updated December 6, 2025