Repositories and Git

Find your way around a repository

A repository is the home for a set of files and their recorded history. Open one from the dashboard’s repository list. Its Overview shows the files on the selected branch; open a folder or file to read it. Use the branch selector to look at a different line of work.

• Commits explains how the files changed over time. Open a commit to see its message and the lines it changed.
• Issues holds tasks, questions and bug reports. Pull requests holds proposed changes for review.
• Runs shows automated work such as tests. Releases holds published versions and downloads.
• Settings controls this repository’s access and behaviour. Some settings require an administrator.

Reading a file in the browser does not download a working copy. To edit files, clone the repository and open that local folder in your editor.

Download a single file

Open a file and use Raw to view its contents directly. You can copy that link for scripts or downloads:

curl -fsSL 'https://pillion.dev/api/v1/repos/OWNER/REPOSITORY/raw/install.sh?ref=main' -o install.sh
sh install.sh

The ref can be a branch, tag or commit ID. Leave it out to follow the repository’s default branch, or use a commit ID to keep the download fixed to one version. Public files need no sign-in. Private files require a signed-in browser or an access token in the request’s Authorization: Bearer TOKEN header.

Clone a repository you want to work on

Copy the repository’s HTTPS clone URL and use it with git clone. This downloads the files and their history and creates a folder on your computer:

git clone https://pillion.dev/OWNER/REPOSITORY.git
cd REPOSITORY

Replace the example URL and folder name with yours. Private repositories need an access token. You normally clone once per computer; use pull and push to keep that copy up to date afterwards.

Ownership and visibility

Each repository belongs to one user or organization. Its address is /OWNER/REPOSITORY. Public repositories can be read without signing in; private repositories require access.

Use New repository to choose the owner, name and visibility. A public repository is readable by anyone, but that does not give everyone permission to push changes. Give specific people access through Settings → Collaborators, or use organization teams.

If you are learning, follow Your first repository to create a private practice repository. The sections below cover bringing existing work to Pillion and publishing versions.

Push existing code

If a folder on your computer is already a Git repository, you can send its history to Pillion. First create an empty destination repository with the same object format. In your local repository folder, copy the destination’s clone URL and add it as a remote, a saved address for another copy. Using a new remote name keeps your existing remote available:

git remote add pillion https://pillion.dev/OWNER/REPOSITORY.git
git push -u pillion main
git push pillion --tags

Replace main with your branch name and the example URL with the repository’s clone URL. The first push sends that branch; --tags sends any named version markers you have created. Push additional branches individually as needed. This moves Git history; issues and pull requests are separate data.

Import from GitHub

1. Create the destination repository on Pillion.
2. Open its Settings → Import section.
3. Enter the GitHub repository URL and select Start import.
4. Check the import status before working in the destination. Verify the imported branches and collaboration data before moving your team over.

Import access depends on the source repository and the importer credentials configured for your Pillion service. If an import fails, keep the source repository available and contact support with the destination and reported status.

Imported workflows can stay in .github/workflows until you move them. Read the workflow directory rules before enabling CI.

Large files with Git LFS

Git Large File Storage, or LFS, keeps large files such as design assets separately while recording small references to them in Git. It can help when large binary files would make ordinary repository history expensive to download. Install Git LFS on your machine, then choose the file types it should manage:

git lfs install
git lfs track "*.psd"
git add .gitattributes
git commit -m "Track design files with Git LFS"

Add and push those files as usual. LFS transfers use HTTPS even when your Git remote uses SSH, so keep an HTTPS access token available. A storage quota error means the owner needs to free space or review the storage available to them before retrying.

Forks, tags and releases

A fork is another repository on Pillion, under your ownership, copied from a public repository. Use one when you want to contribute without permission to push a branch to the original. Clone your fork, make a change and open a pull request back to the original repository. A branch is a line of work within one repository; a fork is a separate repository. Pillion supports public forks.

A tag gives a particular point in Git history a name, such as v1.0. A release adds a published description and downloadable assets to a version. Use the repository’s Releases page when you want to tell people what is ready to use. A deployment is the separate act of running a version on a server or other destination.

Reference: object format

Git identifies stored content with calculated identifiers. Pillion offers SHA-1, the default format used by most existing Git repositories, and SHA-256. Keep SHA-1 unless you already need a SHA-256 repository. This setting is fixed at creation, and repositories using different formats cannot exchange Git objects.

Imports and forks must retain the source format. This setting does not control who can read your files; use visibility and repository roles for access.