i need to figure out how to run this project...and do some demo examples..i need you to make me some kind of tutorial

I’ll map the repo first so the tutorial is grounded in what this project actually does, then I’ll write it into the workspace in a useful format rather than hand-wave from the README.

I’ve got a Go repo with two commands (git-sync and git-sync-bench) plus a library API. Next I’m reading the existing docs and runnable entry points so the tutorial can cover both “try it quickly” and “understand what happened.”

One wrinkle: go isn’t on this shell’s PATH, but the repo has mise.toml, so I’m checking the project’s tool setup next. That matters for the tutorial because “run this” should work on this machine from a clean shell.

mise is present and is pulling the configured Go toolchain/tooling now. I’m going to verify the actual run commands and, if the local Git HTTP backend is available, include a demo that uses only disposable local repos.

The benchmark command can exercise a local file:// target directly, while the main CLI’s realistic demo path is smart HTTP. I’m checking both so the tutorial can give you the shortest possible demo and the closer-to-production one.

I’m going to add a small tutorial plus a local demo script. The script will create disposable source/target repos, serve them through Git’s smart HTTP backend, run plan, sync, branch mapping, and an incremental update, then show the resulting refs.

The tutorial and demo script are in place. I’m running the demo now, because runnable documentation that hasn’t met a terminal yet is still a little too theoretical for my taste.

The first local demo exposed a real macOS/CGI edge case: chunked request bodies are rejected by git http-backend when run through CGI. I’m tightening the tiny demo server so it buffers request bodies and sets Content-Length, which keeps the demo simple and still exercises real smart HTTP.

The demo now completes cleanly and shows the expected main and stable target refs. I’m doing one last pass over the added files and a lightweight syntax check.

Done. I added:

• docs/tutorial.md: a practical tutorial covering setup, build/test, core commands, hosted-remote usage, demo scenarios, output fields, and benchmark usage.
• docs/demo-local-smart-http.sh: a runnable local demo that creates disposable source/target repos, serves them over Git smart HTTP, runs plan, sync, incremental sync, branch mapping, and verifies target refs.

I verified it with:

Run the tutorial demo with:

No, you don’t need to create one manually.

I added a demo script that creates temporary demo repos for you:

It automatically creates:

• a bare source repo
• a bare target repo
• a working repo with commits
• a local smart HTTP server
• a real git-sync plan
• a real git-sync sync
• an incremental sync
• a branch mapping demo from main to stable

By default it cleans everything up when done.

If you want to keep the demo repos and poke around afterward:

Then inspect them:

Yes. For a good demo recording, I’d show the value as: “no local clone, preview first, sync safely, rerun incrementally.”

A strong screen-record flow:

1. Start With The Problem Show the two empty/demo repos:

   Point: target starts empty.

2. Preview Before Changing Anything Run:

   Screenshot the JSON plans section showing:

   • action: "create"
   • dryRun: true
   • sourceRef
   • targetRef

   This is a great “automation-friendly and safe” moment.

3. Initial Sync Run:

   Screenshot:

   • pushed: 1
   • relay: true
   • relayMode: "bootstrap"

   This shows the big value: it bootstraps the empty target through relay.

4. Verify Target Got The Ref Run:

   Screenshot refs/heads/main appearing on the target.

5. Incremental Sync Add a second commit to source, push it, then run:

   Screenshot:

   • action: "update"
   • relayMode: "incremental"
   • stats.enabled: true

   This is probably the best value shot: reruns only move the delta, with stats.

6. Branch Mapping Run:

   Screenshot:

   • sourceRef: "refs/heads/main"
   • targetRef: "refs/heads/stable"
   • final show-ref showing both main and stable

   This shows it’s not just “copy everything blindly”; it has controlled ref mapping.

Best single screenshot: the JSON from incremental sync showing relay: true, relayMode: "incremental", pushed: 1, and stats.

Best short recording: run this and narrate as it goes:

Then zoom in on the JSON chunks for plan, bootstrap, and incremental.

I’d aim for 2 to 3 minutes.

A good pacing:

• 0:00-0:20: “Here’s the problem: source has refs, target is empty.”
• 0:20-0:50: Run plan --json and show it previews the exact ref action.
• 0:50-1:20: Run initial sync and highlight pushed: 1, relay: true, relayMode: "bootstrap".
• 1:20-1:45: Show target now has refs/heads/main.
• 1:45-2:20: Add a commit, rerun sync, highlight relayMode: "incremental" and stats.
• 2:20-2:45: Show --map main:stable and final refs.

If you want it tighter for social/Slack, you could make a 60-90 second version focused only on: plan, sync, incremental sync.

Yeah, for 30-60 seconds, I’d make it a tight “3 proof points” clip or screenshots carousel.

Best 30-60 sec recording

1. Preview Run plan --json. Highlight:

   Message: “Preview exact ref changes before pushing.”

2. Bootstrap Sync Run sync --json. Highlight:

   Message: “Seed an empty target through relay.”

3. Incremental Sync After second commit, run sync --stats --json. Highlight:

   Message: “Reruns move only the update path and emit machine-readable stats.”

Best screenshots

Screenshot 1: plan --json Capture the plans block with sourceRef, targetRef, action, reason, and dryRun.

Screenshot 2: first sync --json Capture pushed: 1, relay: true, relayMode: "bootstrap".

Screenshot 3: incremental sync --stats --json Capture action: "update", relayMode: "incremental", and a bit of the stats.items block.

Screenshot 4, optional: final refs

Show:

For a single hero screenshot, use the incremental sync JSON. It shows the most value at once: safe planning, actual update, relay mode, and stats.

Yes. The framing is strong, but I’d soften the GitHub drama slightly so Entire sounds opportunistic in the good way, not dunking. Also fix “from an source” to “from a source.”

Here’s a tighter version:

For a thread, I’d do:

Best image for the post: screenshot the JSON showing:

That’s the crispest “this is doing something real” moment.

That works as tweet 1. I’d only make a few small edits for flow and grammar:

Main fixes:

• an source → a source
• Added It’s before “a step forward” so the sentence lands cleaner.
• Otherwise I’d keep it. The timing/context is obvious without naming GitHub reliability directly.

For the picture on tweet 1, I’d use a screenshot that shows either:

or a terminal split showing:

The first is more technical. The second is more immediately legible.

Totally. For tweet 2 and 3, I’d make the controversy the door, then quickly move to “here’s the technical thing worth trying.”

Tweet 2

Tweet 3

A slightly spicier tweet 2:

I’d use the spicier one if this is going out while the GitHub frustration is hot. Then tweet 3 can stay technical and grounded.

Yeah, you’re right. It’s doing the same job as tweet 1: “GitHub drama → here’s git-sync.” We don’t need to repeat that beat.

Tweet 2 should now show the mechanism. Tweet 3 should show the developer payoff.

Tweet 2

Tweet 3

Or tighter / less bullet-y:

Tweet 2

Tweet 3

I’d pick the tighter versions. They feel more like a product thread and less like docs pasted into a timeline.

Yeah, that tweet can match really well if we make the media do the proof.

I’d structure it as 4 tweets total:

Tweet 1: announcement Your current tweet, with the tiny grammar fix:

Tweet 2: concept + simple diagram/screenshot This is where your “most migration tools” framing fits.

Media: screenshot/graphic showing:

Or a terminal screenshot of plan --json showing "dryRun": true and "action": "create".

Tweet 3: video demo Keep this tweet extremely simple because the video carries it.

Media: 30-60 second screen recording of docs/demo-local-smart-http.sh, zooming/cropping to the JSON moments:

• "dryRun": true
• "relayMode": "bootstrap"
• "relayMode": "incremental"
• "stats": { "enabled": true }

Tweet 4: screenshot / developer payoff This is the “try it” tweet.

Media: screenshot of the incremental sync JSON showing:

My recommendation:

• Tweet 2 screenshot: simple visual/diagram or plan --json
• Tweet 3 video: the terminal demo
• Tweet 4 screenshot: incremental JSON output

If you only want one screenshot and one video, then use:

• Screenshot on Tweet 2: plan --json showing safe preview
• Video on Tweet 3: plan → sync → incremental sync
• Tweet 4 no media, just repo link + “try the demo” command.

Yes, perfect. Then keep all media as terminal output, and make each tweet point to a specific terminal moment.

I’d do 4 tweets:

Tweet 1: Announcement Your current tweet + repo link. No media, or use the best terminal screenshot here if you want the first tweet to carry the image.

Tweet 2: Why It’s Different + Screenshot Text:

Screenshot: terminal showing git-sync plan --branch main --json ...

Crop around:

This screenshot proves “plans every ref update first.”

Tweet 3: Video Text:

Screen recording: 30-60 seconds of the demo script, but edit/crop to these terminal beats:

Tweet 4: Developer Payoff + Screenshot Text:

Screenshot: terminal showing the incremental sync JSON. Crop around:

If you only want one screenshot + one recording, I’d use:

• Screenshot on Tweet 2: plan --json with "dryRun": true
• Video on Tweet 3: sync bootstrap → incremental relay → final show-ref
• Tweet 4: no media, just the “built for automation” payoff and demo command:

Yes, there’s a clean demo scenario for plan:

Story: target repo is empty, source has main, and before syncing anything we preview exactly what git-sync would do.

Command:

Best terminal screenshot crop:

Tweet copy to match:

That is probably the best screenshot for “safe, inspectable migration.” It shows value without needing people to understand packfiles yet.

Your URLs are just the HTTPS clone URLs for the GitHub repos:

Example shape:

For a safe demo, create a brand new empty target repo on GitHub, like:

Then run:

Then the actual sync:

If the source repo is public, you may not need GITSYNC_SOURCE_TOKEN, but you almost certainly need GITSYNC_TARGET_TOKEN because pushing to the target requires write access.

For screenshots, I’d use:

Just don’t point the target at any repo you care about for the demo. Make it empty and disposable.

Yep, we can make the terminal look clean without exposing real GitHub URLs. I’m going to add a “recording mode” to the local demo so it runs against real disposable localhost repos, but prints sanitized commands/URLs for screenshots.

That gives us fake public-looking URLs while still exercising the real code path. I’m testing the sanitized mode now so we don’t end up with a pretty screenshot command that secretly breaks.

The first pass hid the source/target URLs in the git-sync commands, but the setup noise still showed temp paths. I’m tightening it so recording mode produces a cleaner terminal: fake repo URLs, git-sync as the binary name, and no disposable temp paths in the visible demo beats.

Yes, and I made that easier.

You can now run the demo in a screenshot/recording-friendly mode:

It still runs against real disposable local repos, but the terminal shows clean fake URLs like:

So for the screenshot, you can capture the plan output without exposing any real source/target:

You can customize the fake names too:

That’s probably the cleanest path for your tweet assets: real terminal, real git-sync, fake repo URLs.

That’s a good instinct. I’ll make the recording mode print vendor-neutral placeholders exactly in that style, while still using real localhost URLs under the hood so the demo keeps working.

Yep, that’s better. I updated the sanitized demo mode so it now prints exactly vendor-neutral commands like:

Run it with:

It still runs against real disposable repos under the hood, but the terminal output shows:

and the screenshot-friendly plan output includes:

That avoids promoting or dunking on any specific host while keeping the demo legible.

Totally. I’ll make a little recording shell for that: you run one setup command, it drops you into a temporary directory, and then you can literally type ./git-sync plan --branch main --json former-host/former-repo new-host/new-repo yourself.

I added the interactive shell script. I’m checking syntax and running a non-interactive smoke test against the wrapper so we know the exact command you want to type actually succeeds.

Yep. I added a recording shell so you can type the command yourself.

Run this first:

It drops you into a temporary demo directory. Then you can literally type:

That command works because the local ./git-sync wrapper maps:

So the screenshot looks vendor-neutral, but the output is real git-sync output.

I also tested that exact command and it returns the clean plan JSON with "dryRun": true and "action": "create".

Ah, yep, I see the mismatch: the wrapper existed, but the script was still telling you to type ./git-sync. I’m going to put the demo directory on PATH, print commands as git-sync ..., and make the wrapper force non-interactive Git auth so it never wanders into username/password prompts.

I fixed the prompt text and the shell environment. Now the command should be git-sync ... with no ./, because the script puts the temporary wrapper on your PATH.

You’re right. I fixed that.

Now run:

Inside the shell it opens, you can type exactly:

No ./.

I also set GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0 and verified git-sync resolves to the wrapper inside the demo directory, so it should not ask for username/password. If it does, run this inside the demo shell:

It should print something like:

No, that temp folder name is only from the demo setup.

The script creates disposable local repos with mktemp, so macOS gives it a random directory like:

That is not a git-sync thing, and it would not appear in normal real-life usage.

In real usage you’d run something like:

or with real remote URLs:

The temporary folder only exists so the demo can create fake source/target repos locally without touching any real host. It is basically the backstage area. Your screenshot/recording should focus on the command and JSON output, not the “Temporary demo directory” line.

Yes, that’s a nice polish pass. I’ll change the default demo root from an opaque mktemp path to a readable disposable path under /tmp, while keeping it unique enough not to collide.

It’s better, but macOS still uses a long $TMPDIR. I’m going to make the recording shell default to /tmp/git-sync-recording-demo so it reads cleanly on camera, and clear/recreate it each time unless you override it.

Yep, I changed the recording shell to use a clean, readable folder:

So now when you run:

it shows:

That’s much easier to understand on camera. It’s still just a disposable local demo workspace, but it looks intentional instead of like random system noise.

Yes, that reads cleaner. I’ll rename the demo repos themselves from generic source.git / target.git to former-repo.git / new-repo.git, and update the command it tells you to type for checking refs.

Yep, agreed. I updated the recording demo so the local folders now match the story:

And the command it suggests now ends with:

So on camera, everything lines up:

I tested the flow after the rename and it works.

That means the little local smart-HTTP server behind the fake former-host/former-repo alias died, so the wrapper is still pointing at a localhost port that is no longer listening. I’m going to make that part less fragile by building/running the demo server as a plain binary instead of go run under the shell.

That error means you’re in an old /tmp/git-sync-recording-demo directory after the demo server stopped. The fake command maps to a real localhost server, and that server has to be running.

I updated docs/demo-recording-shell.sh to make the server more stable by building it as a real binary instead of running it through go run.

Start fresh:

Then, inside the shell it opens, type:

Important bit: don’t open a separate terminal and run it from /tmp/git-sync-recording-demo; use the shell that the script drops you into. When you type exit, the demo server is done.

Next run the actual sync:

For the screen recording, highlight these fields in the output:

Then verify the new repo got the branch:

Yes, probe is a good “before plan” or “after setup” command, especially for screenshots. It shows git-sync can inspect the remotes before deciding what to do.

Run:

If you want tags included:

For the demo sequence, I’d do:

For tweet/video value:

• probe: “can inspect source + target”
• plan: “can preview exact ref updates”
• sync: “can execute via bootstrap relay”
• show-ref: “target really changed”

If you only have 30-60 seconds, I’d skip probe in the video and use it only if you want an extra screenshot. plan is more valuable visually.

You can run it a second time. It just won’t push anything if nothing changed.

After the first sync, run the same command again:

You should see something like:

That’s actually a useful demo beat: rerunning is safe/idempotent when the target is already up to date.

Then, to make a more exciting second sync, add a new commit to the former repo:

Now run sync again:

That one should show:

Right. Once you run sync, the demo state changes.

So for clean screenshots/recording, treat them as separate beats:

1. Before sync Run:

   This shows empty target / planned create / dryRun: true.

2. First sync Run:

   This shows:

3. Second immediate sync Run:

   This shows:

4. Incremental update Add a new commit, then sync:

   This shows:

If you want the exact first-sync output again, restart the demo shell:

Exactly. Restarting the demo shell resets the whole local demo back to the beginning.

Do this:

Then you’re back to a fresh state where new-repo is empty again, so this will show the first-sync result:

Expected highlights:

So your workflow can be:

• Restart shell → capture plan
• Restart shell → capture first sync
• Restart shell → record the full flow, if needed

The demo is disposable, so restarting is totally fine.

Got it. Keep tweet 1 exactly as-is. Then I’d make the rest of the thread very concrete and demo-led.

Tweet 2: Concept

Media: terminal screenshot of plan.

Command shown:

Crop around:

Tweet 3: Video

Media: 30-60 sec terminal recording.

Run:

Highlight:

Tweet 4: Incremental Payoff

Media: screenshot or short crop from incremental sync.

Command:

Crop around:

Tweet 5: Try It

Then type:

Yes. Make it less “protocol internals” and more “what pain does this remove?”

Tweet 2

Media: screenshot of:

Highlight:

Tweet 3

Media: 30-60 sec recording of:

Tweet 4

Optional screenshot/video crop:

Tweet 5

This still shows the commands, but the story is: less babysitting, preview before writing, scriptable when things are unstable, and useful beyond a one-time migration.

Ah yes, then don’t mention the local demo at all in the public thread. The commands are visual examples, not instructions for them to run.

Here’s a cleaner public version after your tweet 1:

Tweet 2

Media: screenshot of terminal:

Tweet 3

Media can be same screenshot crop, or no media.

Tweet 4

Media: 30-60 sec video showing:

Tweet 5

Tweet 6

For media, I’d use:

• Screenshot on tweet 2: plan --json, crop around action: create and dryRun: true
• Video on tweet 4: plan → sync → show-ref, around 30-45 seconds

Keep the fake URLs in the terminal. They read as placeholders and avoid naming any host.

This is close. I’d tighten Tweet 2 and Tweet 3 so they’re easier to read on X, especially with media attached. Your current Tweet 2 is doing a lot in one block.

Tweet 2

Media: screen recording of:

Highlight:

Tweet 3

Media: screen recording of:

Highlight first run:

Highlight second run:

I’d avoid “Happy syncing!” here. The rest of the copy has a serious, useful systems vibe; “Try it here” is cleaner.

Yes, keep the ending warmer. A few options:

My pick for the thread:

It’s cute, but still fits the “boring in the best way” line.

For Tweet 1, I’d use a short hero screen recording, not a screenshot.

The goal is: “this is real, it moves refs, and the command is simple.”

Tweet 1 Recording: 20-30 Seconds

Start fresh:

Then record yourself typing/running:

Pause/highlight:

Then run:

Pause/highlight:

Then run:

End on:

That gives the first tweet a complete tiny story:

For Tweet 2, you can still use the plan recording/screenshot more zoomed in. For Tweet 3, use the rerun/idempotent sync clip. But Tweet 1 should be the broad “look, it works” moment.

You’re right. Don’t duplicate plan → sync on Tweet 1 if Tweet 2 and 3 already carry those demos.

For Tweet 1, use a hero terminal screenshot, not a full flow recording.

Best Tweet 1 media:

or:

But since the CLI currently prints help as an error, better to make the screenshot from the tutorial/demo shell showing the clean command and result summary from sync.

I’d use a still screenshot with this visible:

and crop around:

That gives Tweet 1 the “what is this?” visual without stealing Tweet 2’s plan story or Tweet 3’s rerun story.

Then the thread media becomes:

Tweet 1 media Hero screenshot: git-sync sync ... showing pushed, relay, relayMode.

Tweet 2 media Screen recording: only plan --json, highlighting sourceRef, targetRef, action, dryRun.

Tweet 3 media Screen recording: actual sync + rerun:

Highlight: First run:

Second run:

So: Tweet 1 is the product glamour shot. Tweet 2 is “preview before writing.” Tweet 3 is “sync + safe rerun.”

No. git-sync itself does not run in the background.

It’s a command you run, it does the sync, prints output, and exits. So for the thread, describe it as something you can put into automation, jobs, scripts, CI, migration workflows, etc., but not as a background daemon.

In our demo shell, there is a tiny local HTTP server running in the background, but that’s only for the fake local recording setup. Real git-sync usage is just:

Run → output → exit.

Good questions, and they’re exactly the kind of “okay but can I trust this?” questions people will ask. I’ll check what the README already covers, then I’ll add a focused FAQ where the answers are missing or buried.

A lot of the answers exist, but they’re scattered between the README, architecture doc, and protocol doc. I’m going to add a plain-language FAQ to the README so people do not have to reverse-engineer the important caveats.