Go program updates local copies of Git repositories
Programming Snapshot – Go Interfaces

© Lead Image © Jörg_Stöber, 123RF.com
Using the Go Interface mechanism, Mike demonstrates its practical application with a refresh program for local copies of Git repositories.
Vacation time is travel time! I like to take my laptop with me on long-haul flights. After all, the best ideas for new articles always come to me at the worst possible times. But, without an Internet connection, neither Google nor ChatGPT work, and GitHub is also out of reach for code ideas. Even the stuff I wrote previously is stashed away in Git repositories, and – worse still – the copies on my laptop are not always up to date. That's really annoying, because it means duplicating the work, which I want to avoid, or at least pesky integration and potential conflict-resolution tasks later, when I look to reconcile the texts I checked in while I was up in the air with an out of sync repository.
Wouldn't it be great to fire up a program on my laptop before the plane takes off to update the local copies of all my checked-out Git repositories? It would need to sync the existing clones on the laptop with the latest cloud version until Git reported "up-to-date," as well as clone repositories I previously only checked out on my home computer on my laptop to deliver all the resources I can access at home.
Meta Format
Now the little helper can't read my mind (yet) and simply load everything that I think is important. That's why I went for a meta file, as shown in Figure 1, to specify the repositories and define the directory names in each new development environment. It contains an array in YAML format whose elements under the keywords dir
and url
contain the clone directory and the URL of a repository I want to clone. Because this is GitHub repository metadata, the format, for historical reasons, should be called GitHub Meta Format (GMF), because I wrote it in Perl 15 years ago and introduced it in my column [1]. Fast forward to today, and there's an opportunity to rewrite it in Go and at the same time demonstrate Go's cool interface mechanism for plugin-based architecture!
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.