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Introduction
In this guide we learn how to create a git cloneable URL for your GitHub repository served using an IPFS CID.
This is useful to ensure content availability regardless of geographic region, censorship resistance and as a persistent backup of valuable information!
Note: Data uploaded to IPFS is available to all network users. You may wish to locally encrypt personal/sensitive data.
Install IPFS Kubo
Follow installation instructions provided here
In this example we use Linux, other OS versions are available.
Check installation was successful using “ipfs –version”
Clone Repository
To start, select a Git repository you want to host & clone it:
Run Command: “git clone https://github.com/zechub/zechub”
Now, to get it ready to be cloned via IPFS.
cd zechub git update-server-info
Unpack Git’s objects:
mv objects/pack/.pack . git unpack-objects < .pack rm -f .pack objects/pack/
Doing this will allow IPFS to deduplicate objects if you update the Git repository later on.
Add to IPFS
Once you’ve done that, that repository is ready to be served. All that’s left to do is to add it to IPFS:
$ pwd
/code/myrepo
$ ipfs add -r .
The resulting CID: Qmbgqox5g3614gjTb43s5mdSmmk95aGWWA9EHksL2T91A2
Brilliant! Now your repository is uploaded to the network.
Clone using IPFS
You should now be able to retrieve the GitHub repository using:
git clone http://ipfs.io/ipfs/“yourCID”
Alternatively you are able to search & retrieve using your local IPFS node.
Final Note: The repo folder on IPFS does not receive updates alongside the actual github repository. It is recommended to reupload the folder at regular intervals.