# GitUI — Blazing-Fast Terminal UI for Git Written in Rust

> GitUI brings a Rust-fast terminal interface to Git: browse commits, stage hunks, view diffs, manage branches, and resolve conflicts — all without leaving the keyboard. A great complement (or alternative) to lazygit.

## Install

Save as a script file and run:

# GitUI — Blazing-Fast Terminal UI for Git

## Quick Use
```bash
# macOS
brew install gitui
# Linux (Arch)
sudo pacman -S gitui
# Windows (Scoop)
scoop install gitui
# Cargo
cargo install gitui --locked

# Run inside any git repo
gitui
```

## Introduction
GitUI is a Rust-powered terminal interface for Git, built around a single design goal: feel instant. Its `libgit2` backend makes operations like "status on a 100K-file repo" finish in milliseconds, and all features are keyboard-driven.

With over 22,000 GitHub stars, GitUI is lazygit's main rival. Both are excellent; GitUI is faster on large repos and has a cleaner default layout, while lazygit has a slightly richer feature set and a larger community.

## What GitUI Does
GitUI offers tabs for Status, Log, Files, Stashing, and Stash operations. Each tab is keyboard-navigable with `hjkl` or arrows. You can stage/unstage hunks with `Enter`, commit with `c`, push/pull with `P`/`p`, branch, rebase, and inspect history — all without typing `git` once.

## Architecture Overview
```
[GitUI (Rust + tui-rs)]
      |
[libgit2 — fast Git backend]
      |
  +-----+-----+-----+-----+
  |     |     |     |     |
Status Log  Files Branch Stash
hunks  graph tree         rename/apply
      |
[Keybinds]
   Vim-style navigation
   global "1-5" to jump tabs
   "?" shows context help
      |
[Config]
  ~/.config/gitui/
  theme.ron, key_bindings.ron
```

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
```bash
# Quick reference keybinds (press ? inside gitui)
# 1  Status   (stage/unstage/commit)
# 2  Log      (browse + reset/checkout)
# 3  Files    (explore + open)
# 4  Stashing
# 5  Stashes  (apply/pop/drop)

# e  edit in $GIT_EDITOR
# c  commit
# P  push
# p  pull
# b  branches
# t  tags
# s  switch branch
```

```ron
// ~/.config/gitui/theme.ron — Catppuccin-ish colors
(
    selection_bg: Some(Rgb(69, 71, 90)),
    selection_fg: Some(Rgb(205, 214, 244)),
    cmdbar_bg:    Some(Rgb(30, 30, 46)),
    cmdbar_extra_lines_bg: Some(Rgb(30, 30, 46)),
    branch_fg:    Some(Rgb(245, 194, 231)),
    diff_line_add:    Some(Rgb(166, 227, 161)),
    diff_line_delete: Some(Rgb(243, 139, 168)),
)
```

## Key Features
- **Instant on large repos** — libgit2 native, no Git CLI subprocess
- **Stage/unstage hunks** — line-level granularity with Enter
- **Interactive rebase support** — reorder / squash / edit commits via TUI
- **Stash management** — create, apply, pop, drop stashes visually
- **Branch + tag management** — create, rename, delete, checkout, merge
- **Blame + file history** — inspect who changed what when
- **Custom keymaps + themes** — RON-format config files
- **GPG signing support** — respects your Git config

## Comparison with Similar Tools
| Feature | gitui | lazygit | tig | gh dash | git-gui |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Rust | Go | C | Go | Tcl/Tk |
| Backend | libgit2 | git CLI | libgit2 | git CLI | git CLI |
| Speed on large repos | Best | Fast | Fast | Fast | Slow |
| Feature breadth | Good | Best | Good (read-only focus) | Limited (GitHub-focused) | Basic |
| Community size | Growing | Largest | Established | GitHub-specific | Legacy |
| Best For | Speed-first terminal UI | Feature-rich TUI | Log/diff browsing | GitHub PRs | Legacy GUI |

## FAQ
**Q: GitUI vs lazygit?**
A: Both excellent. lazygit has more features and bigger community. GitUI is faster on large repos and cleaner UI. Try both, pick the one that fits your muscle memory.

**Q: Does GitUI work over SSH?**
A: Yes — it's a TUI, so run it in any terminal including SSH sessions. Install gitui on the remote or on your local machine against a mounted remote repo.

**Q: Can it handle merge conflicts?**
A: Yes, the Status tab marks conflicted files; press `e` to open your editor to resolve, then stage with `s`. For complex conflicts, many users still switch to a GUI.

**Q: Does it support submodules / worktrees?**
A: Yes — worktrees and submodule status show in the UI. Advanced operations still require the `git` CLI.

## Sources
- GitHub: https://github.com/gitui-org/gitui
- Author: extrawurst (Stephan Dilly)
- License: MIT

---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/a653bda2-380a-11f1-9bc6-00163e2b0d79
Author: Script Depot