SnailGit For Mac

SnailGit is a Git client that offers you the possibility to access repository management or browsing capabilities from the comfort of your Finder window. The utility features a minimalist repository browser, but can also be used to create or clone Git repositories.

To help you get started, SnailGit comes with a Setup Guide, where you must provide the name and email that are to be used in the commit messages, and provide access to the .ssh public key, to the Applications folder, and to the /usr/local/bin directory.

It is worth mentioning that you need an SSH public key to connect to Git servers and traditionally it is placed in your user folder as a .ssh file. If you don’t have such a file, you can generate it by using the ssh-keygen tool via the command line.

To get full advantage of the SnailGit capabilities, make sure to enable the complementary Finder extension via the System Preferences. The extension will place an icon in the Finder toolbar, and grants access to frequently used Git related functions on the spot.

Once you have finished configuring the SnailGit application, via the app’s file menu you can either choose to clone an existing repository, or simply create a new one. In the first case, you must provide the repository URL and output directory while the latter merely requires directions to the appropriate folder.

SnailGit also comes with a Repository Browser, where you get to see all the included files, select the revision type (HEAD, Branch, Tag, or Commit), and quickly export the revision to a ZIP archive. To gain more time, you also get to launch the browser via the Finder contextual menu.

Note that SnailGit comes with icon overlay capabilities designed to help you check the status of your working copies via the Finder. However, the function only works if the SnailGit extension is enabled, and the repository is included in the list of working copies via the SnailGit Preferences.

Bottom line, SnailGit is a Git desktop client that can be used to both navigate and manage Git repositories via a graphical user interface.

SnailGit also comes with a companion Finder extension that provides quick access to Git management functions without having to navigate to the app’s user interface. Last but not least, the icon overlay feature helps you monitor the Git working copies in real time.