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+++
title = "Making Cgit Repos Installable as Go Packages "
summary = "Steps I took to configure my private Cgit repo hub to host Go packages."
tags = ["nginx", "cgit", "go"]
date = 2026-03-07
+++
# Putting my private Git server to good use
In my quest to learn the real ins and outs of Go by going through *The
Go Programming Language*, I decided to use my newly minted private
repo [hub](https://git.brandonirizarry.xyz) to store exercises from the book as packages I can reuse
for later exercises. For example, I decided to make the lissajous
example from Chapter 1 into a separate installable [package](https://git.brandonirizarry.xyz/lissajous). The
lissajous package is used to create a GIF of a [Lissajous curve](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lissajous_curve),
which was a staple visual effect in old sci-fi movies.
However, simply "go-getting" from the repo's URL, as you would in the
case of GitHub, isn't that simple. There were multiple hiccups along
the way which I had to overcome. What follows is my best attempt to
piece together what I did to finally enable Go package installation
from my private Git server. Hopefully this account will serve two
purposes:
1. Set people straight who are looking for answers to this same
question.
2. Serve as a reference for my future self in case I have to do this
again.
# Steps
## Inject the appropriate HTML `meta` tag from Nginx
This [excellent](https://anirudh.fi/go-get-cgit ) blog post by Anirudh
Oppiliappan set me on the right path for fixing an error I encountered
early on involving a missing `go-import` something-or-other:
I ended up putting the `sub_filter` stuff inside the `location @cgit`
block:
```nginx
location @cgit {
include fastcgi_params;
fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME /usr/lib/cgit/cgit.cgi;
fastcgi_param PATH_INFO $uri;
fastcgi_param QUERY_STRING $args;
fastcgi_param HTTP_HOST $server_name;
fastcgi_pass unix:/run/fcgiwrap.socket;
# Make our repos go-gettable.
sub_filter '</head>'
'<meta name="go-import" content="$host$uri git https://$host$uri"></head>';
sub_filter_once on ;
}
```
Remembering the semicolons here is important. You can always use `sudo
nginx -t` to test whether your current config is valid.
## Configure Git to use SSH for your Git server
Add this block to your home directory's `.gitconfig` file, making the
appropriate substitution for "example.com" (in my case it would be
`brandonirizarry.xyz`):
```ini
[url "git@example.com:"]
insteadOf = https://git.example.com/
```
Alternatively, you can issue the equivalent command line invocation:
```
git config --global url."git@example.com:".insteadOf "https://git.example.com/"
```
Now, whenever you invoke `go get`, you'll be prompted for your SSH
password.
Note that, in this case, the `git` in `git@example.com` refers to the
Linux *user* on your remote server that owns the directory containing
all your Git repos. This syntax mirrors the one used when logging into
the same server via SSH, viz. `ssh git@example.com`.
## Set GOPRIVATE
~~I'm not sure I need to set this in my case, since AFAICT this has more
to do with close-sourcing code, which isn't my intention here. But I
threw it in just in case.~~
UPDATE 5/30/2026: Yes, you need this. :)
Since I want **all** my repos to be potentially installable as Go
packages for now, so I use a glob to indicate that:
`go env -w GOPRIVATE=git.brandonirizarry.xyz/*`
Initially, I had set `GOPRIVATE` to point to the `lissajous` repo
only, though this glob technique should work also (and be way easier
to maintain.)
|
