FAQ

Why is the app unsigned?

Apple's Developer Program costs $99/year and is required for proper code signing and notarization. For an early-stage personal project, that's not justified yet.

From v0.1.1 onward the release is ad-hoc signed, which is free and gets you past the "damaged" error so a normal right-click → Open works. The v0.1.0 build is fully unsigned — you'll need to remove the quarantine flag manually (see Getting started).

Why macOS only?

It's the platform the author uses every day. Tauri makes cross-platform builds possible in principle, but each target adds its own packaging, testing, and support overhead. Windows and Linux are not planned right now.

Where is my data stored?

Git Explorer reads your git repos directly — it doesn't make copies, doesn't sync, and doesn't talk to any server other than the remotes you've configured in those repos. The only file it writes is:

~/.config/git-explorer/config.json

That file contains a single field, root_path, which is the folder you chose on first launch.

How do I reset the config?

Delete the file:

rm ~/.config/git-explorer/config.json

The next launch will prompt you to pick a root directory again.

How do I update?

There's no auto-updater yet. Watch the Releases page or star the repo for notifications. When a new version drops, download the new .dmg and drag it over the old app — your config is preserved.

Does it support SSH keys / credential helpers / 2FA?

Yes. Network operations (fetch, push, pull, merge) shell out to your system git binary, so whatever your terminal can do, the app can do.

Can I cancel a long-running fetch or push?

Yes. The same operation that started it shows a cancel button. Cancelling sends SIGTERM to the underlying git process.

It detected a folder I don't want / missed one I do want

A folder is considered a repo if it contains a .git entry — a directory, a worktree pointer file, or a submodule pointer file. If a project isn't showing up, check that .git exists at the expected level (Git Explorer walks up to 10 directories deep from your root).

How do I report a bug or request a feature?

Open an issue on GitHub. Include your macOS version, what you were doing, and any error messages. Diagnostic logs can be enabled with:

RUST_LOG=git_explorer_lib=debug open -a "Git Explorer"

What's the license?

Apache 2.0. See the LICENSE file.