Introduction

There are many options available for setting up git repositories. We present each one here with a brief description and how to go about adding repositories from each option into Iguana. Utilizing repositories in Iguana is a great way to deploy your channels to different environments (see more about this HERE), share code modules, or backup channels.

1. Local directory [top]

You can use repositories hosted in local directories on your machine to store Iguana channels. This is a great way to backup channels, or to have a local repository folder that your can then share with other people.

Create a repository using a local directory on your machine:

Create a directory for the repository, we called ours my first repository.
Open the Settings > Repositories page:
Click the New Repository button.
Enter a name for the repository, we used my-first-repository.
Browse to find the directory you created in step one.
Make sure that the Local protocol is checked.
Click the Save Repository button:

To test the repository:

Open the Settings > Export Channels page.
Then export a channel to the new repository.
Open the Settings > Import Channels page.
Then import the channel you just exported.

2. Shared local directory [top]

You just use Iguana to create a repository using an empty local directory on a Shared Drive. This is useful for sharing code in projects with multiple developers. It’s also great for moving code between different instances of Iguana.

The user running Iguana must have access to the shared directory, see this FAQ for details: Windows: How to get the Iguana Service to Work with a Mapped Network Drive. The process is similar for other operating systems like Linux and Mac.

Tip: You can use SMB to access a shared directory from Windows, Linux and Mac for cross-platform sharing.

See this article (or google) for more information: Share Files Between Windows, Mac, and Linux

There is no GUI other than what Iguana gives out of the box, for simple scenarios this may be all you need.

And when you outgrow this solution it’s very easy to upgrade to one of the other options.

If you have any questions please contact us at support@interfaceware.com.

Create a repository using a shared local directory on your machine:

Create a directory for the repository on a shared drive, we called ours my first repository.
1. Ensure that the user running Iguana has read/write permissions for the shared directory.
2. For Windows you will have to change the Iguana Service Logon to a user that has read/write permissions for the shared directory.
Open the Settings > Repositories page.
Click the New Repository button.
Enter a name for the repository.
Browse to find the shared directory you created in step one.
Make sure that the Local protocol is checked.
Click the Save Repository button.

Test the repository:

First export a channel to the new repository.
Then import the channel you just exported.

3. Cloud Based [top]

A popular choice for working with Git is via cloud based repositories from companies like Bitbucket or Github. Most online accounts have excellent web-based interfaces which make it easy to setup and administer your repositories. Each option provides great documentation on their websites for going about doing this.

Create a private online repository at a site like Bitbucket or Github:

Create a online repository.
Open the Settings > Repositories page.
Click the New Repository button.
Enter a name for the repository.
Enter the URL for the repository you created in step one.
Make sure that the HTTPS protocol is checked:
Alternatively can select the SSH protocol instead of the HTTPS protocol:
Note: You will need to supply the private key that you are using with the repository.
Click the Save Repository button.

Test the repository:

First export a channel to the new repository.
Then import the channel you just exported.

4. On-Premise [top]

You can also run a Git server on-premise on your own server. To simplify management and maintain separation of concerns the installed Git server should not be a server an Iguana is already running on.

A number of companies offer on premise solutions such as Gitlab and Team Foundation Server. Depending on the features you require/the size of your team, there are a variety of free and paid options available from each option.

You can follow the respective documentation from those websites to setup and host your own repositories. Adding these repos to Iguana will work the same way as described in step 3.