Start git without a console window on Windows, and run one reload at a time

.gitea/workflows/ci.yaml

@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      # The same tool cache as in release.yaml: the same key and the same folders, or
+      # neither job can use what the other saved.
       - name: Restore tool cache
         uses: actions/cache@v4
         with:
@@ -24,7 +26,10 @@ jobs:
             ~/.rustup
             ~/.local/bin/mise
             ~/.local/share/mise
-          key: tools-check-${{ hashFiles('scripts/ci-setup.sh', 'mise.toml') }}
+          key: tools-${{ hashFiles('scripts/ci-setup.sh', 'mise.toml') }}
+          # After a change to mise.toml, start from the last tools; mise installs only what changed.
+          restore-keys: |
+            tools-
       - name: Restore build cache
         uses: actions/cache@v4
         with:

.gitea/workflows/release.yaml

@@ -24,10 +24,11 @@ jobs:
       CARGO_BUILD_JOBS: "2"
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      # The same tool cache as in ci.yaml: the same key and the same folders, or
+      # neither job can use what the other saved.
       - name: Restore tool cache
         uses: actions/cache@v4
         with:
-          # ~/.cache/cargo-xwin holds the Windows SDK files cargo-xwin downloads.
           path: |
             ~/.cargo/bin
             ~/.cargo/registry
@@ -35,8 +36,22 @@ jobs:
             ~/.rustup
             ~/.local/bin/mise
             ~/.local/share/mise
+          key: tools-${{ hashFiles('scripts/ci-setup.sh', 'mise.toml') }}
+          # After a change to mise.toml, start from the last tools; mise installs only what changed.
+          restore-keys: |
+            tools-
+      # cargo-xwin, which takes minutes to compile, and the Windows SDK files it downloads.
+      # The Windows Rust target is left out: rustup lists its installed parts in a file in
+      # the tool cache, and refuses to install the target over files that list does not name.
+      - name: Restore cargo-xwin cache
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: |
+            ~/.cargo/bin/cargo-xwin
             ~/.cache/cargo-xwin
-          key: tools-release-${{ hashFiles('scripts/ci-setup.sh', 'mise.toml') }}
+          key: cargo-xwin-${{ hashFiles('scripts/ci-setup.sh', 'mise.toml') }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            cargo-xwin-
       - name: Restore build cache
         uses: actions/cache@v4
         with:

README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+<p align="center">
+  <img src="logo.svg" width="96" alt="">
+</p>
+
+<h1 align="center">gites</h1>
+
+<p align="center">
+  A colorful viewer for the history of a git repository.<br>
+  Linux and Windows desktop app, driven from the keyboard.
+</p>
+
+<p align="center">
+  <a href="https://git.wrobel.it/szaman/gites/releases">Download</a> ·
+  <a href="#keys">Keys</a> ·
+  <a href="#build-from-source">Build from source</a>
+</p>
+
+![The commit graph of a small repository, with branches, merges, tags and the preview panel for the selected commit](docs/screenshots/graph.png)
+
+## What it does
+
+- **Draws the commit graph.** Every branch gets its own color. Labels on each commit show
+  local branches, remote branches and tags, and the checked-out commit is ringed.
+- **Hides what you don't need.** Hide one branch with its eye button in the sidebar, or
+  with <kbd>h</kbd> on a commit. Type a pattern such as `prototypes/*` and choose
+  **hide** or **show only**. gites remembers the filters of each repository.
+- **Folds long straight stretches.** Commits in a row that have no branch, tag, fork or
+  merge fold into one dotted line. <kbd>c</kbd> folds all of them, <kbd>space</kbd>
+  opens or closes the one at the selected commit.
+- **Shows the selected commit** in a panel at the bottom: the full message, the author
+  and committer, the hash (click to copy), the parents (click to go there), and the
+  files it changed with the number of added and removed lines.
+- **Shows what changed in a file.** Click a file in the panel, or press <kbd>Enter</kbd>
+  for the first one. Choose one of three layouts with <kbd>v</kbd>:
+  - **One column**, as `git diff` prints it.
+  - **Side by side**, the old file on the left and the new one on the right.
+  - **Inline**, one line per changed line, with removed words struck out and added words
+    marked. Best for prose, such as Markdown.
+
+  In every layout, the words that changed inside a line are marked.
+- **Opens other repositories** from a list of recent ones, or from a folder picker
+  (<kbd>o</kbd>).
+- **Stays current.** gites reloads the repository when its window gets focus again.
+
+![The diff of one file, with old and new side by side and the changed words marked](docs/screenshots/diff.png)
+
+## Install
+
+Download a package from the [releases page](https://git.wrobel.it/szaman/gites/releases):
+
+| System | File |
+|---|---|
+| Debian, Ubuntu | `gites_<version>_amd64.deb` |
+| Fedora, openSUSE | `gites-<version>-1.x86_64.rpm` |
+| Any Linux | `gites_<version>_amd64.AppImage` |
+| Windows, installer | `gites_<version>_x64-setup.exe` |
+| Windows, no install | `gites_<version>_x64_portable.exe` |
+
+gites runs the `git` command, so git must be installed and on your `PATH`.
+
+## Use
+
+```sh
+gites                     # the repository in the current folder
+gites ~/code/my-project   # another repository
+```
+
+## Keys
+
+**In the commit graph**
+
+| Key | Action |
+|---|---|
+| <kbd>↑</kbd> <kbd>↓</kbd> or <kbd>k</kbd> <kbd>j</kbd> | Select the previous or next commit |
+| <kbd>PgUp</kbd> <kbd>PgDn</kbd> | Move one screen up or down |
+| <kbd>g</kbd> <kbd>G</kbd> or <kbd>Home</kbd> <kbd>End</kbd> | Go to the first or last commit |
+| <kbd>Enter</kbd> | Show what changed in the first file of the commit |
+| <kbd>space</kbd> | Fold or unfold the straight stretch at the selected commit |
+| <kbd>c</kbd> | Fold or unfold all straight stretches |
+| <kbd>h</kbd> | Hide the branch of the selected commit |
+| <kbd>y</kbd> | Copy the short hash |
+| <kbd>/</kbd> | Type a filter pattern |
+| <kbd>p</kbd> | Show or hide the preview panel |
+| <kbd>o</kbd> | Open another repository |
+| <kbd>r</kbd> | Reload |
+
+**In a file's diff**
+
+| Key | Action |
+|---|---|
+| <kbd>↑</kbd> <kbd>↓</kbd> or <kbd>k</kbd> <kbd>j</kbd> | Scroll by one line |
+| <kbd>PgUp</kbd> <kbd>PgDn</kbd> | Scroll by one screen |
+| <kbd>g</kbd> <kbd>G</kbd> or <kbd>Home</kbd> <kbd>End</kbd> | Go to the top or bottom |
+| <kbd>n</kbd> <kbd>N</kbd> | Go to the next or previous change |
+| <kbd>]</kbd> <kbd>[</kbd> | Show the next or previous file of the commit |
+| <kbd>v</kbd> | Switch the layout: one column, side by side, inline |
+| <kbd>Esc</kbd> | Go back to the commit graph |
+
+## Where gites keeps its settings
+
+The window layout, the diff layout and the recent repositories are kept in
+`settings.json`, and the filters of each repository in `filters.json`. Both files are in
+the `gites` folder of your data folder: `~/.local/share/gites` on Linux,
+`%APPDATA%\gites` on Windows.
+
+## Build from source
+
+gites is a [Tauri](https://tauri.app) app: the window is Vue and TypeScript, and the part
+that runs git is Rust. [mise](https://mise.jdx.dev) installs the right versions of Node,
+Bun and Rust.
+
+On Linux, Tauri also needs the WebKitGTK development packages. `scripts/ci-setup.sh`
+lists them for Debian and Ubuntu.
+
+```sh
+mise install          # Node, Bun and Rust
+bun install           # packages for the window code
+
+mise run dev          # run gites with live reload; add a path to open a repository
+mise run test         # unit tests for the window code and the Rust code
+mise run check        # type checks for both
+mise run install      # build a release binary and install it as ~/.local/bin/gites
+```
+
+Pushing a tag such as `v1.2.3` builds the Linux and Windows packages and publishes them
+on the releases page.

src-tauri/src/git.rs

@@ -32,12 +32,17 @@ pub struct RepoData {
 }
 
 pub fn git(dir: &Path, args: &[&str]) -> Result<String, String> {
-    let out = Command::new("git")
+    let mut cmd = Command::new("git");
-        .arg("-C")
+    cmd.arg("-C").arg(dir).args(args);
-        .arg(dir)
+    // gites has no console, so Windows would open a console window for every git it
-        .args(args)
+    // starts. Each one flashes on screen and takes the focus, and gites reloads on focus.
-        .output()
+    #[cfg(windows)]
-        .map_err(|e| format!("could not run git: {e}"))?;
+    {
+        use std::os::windows::process::CommandExt;
+        const CREATE_NO_WINDOW: u32 = 0x0800_0000;
+        cmd.creation_flags(CREATE_NO_WINDOW);
+    }
+    let out = cmd.output().map_err(|e| format!("could not run git: {e}"))?;
     if !out.status.success() {
         return Err(String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stderr).trim().to_string());
     }

src/App.vue

@@ -105,11 +105,18 @@ function startDrag(e: PointerEvent, axis: "x" | "y") {
 
 let filtersLoadedFor: string | null = null;
 
+let loading = false;
+
 async function load() {
+  // The window gets focus often; one reload at a time is enough.
+  if (loading) return;
+  loading = true;
   try {
     await applyRepo(await invoke<RepoData>("load_repo"));
   } catch (e) {
     error.value = String(e);
+  } finally {
+    loading = false;
   }
 }