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Git sync

Scratchpad can keep your DATA_DIR in sync with a private git repository, so your notes are backed up, versioned, and portable across machines. Sync shells out to the system git binary, reusing the machine's existing git/SSH config.

Set GIT_URL to enable it; leave it blank to run local-only.

How it works

  • On boot: clones the remote into DATA_DIR (or initializes a repo + remote), then pulls.
  • On edit: a debounced commit + push (bursts of edits coalesce into one commit).
  • A Sync now button in the UI forces an immediate pull + push.
  • Commits are authored as GIT_AUTHOR_NAME <GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL>.
  • The SQLite index and .env live outside DATA_DIR, so secrets are never committed.

Use an SSH remote and let the machine's SSH key authenticate — no tokens to store:

GIT_URL=git@github.com:you/scratchpad-data.git

On the server, generate a key and add it to the repo as a deploy key with write access (or use an existing key already authorized for the repo):

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -f ~/.ssh/scratchpad -N ''
cat ~/.ssh/scratchpad.pub      # add to GitHub repo → Settings → Deploy keys (Allow write)
ssh-keyscan github.com >> ~/.ssh/known_hosts

Make sure the user running Scratchpad has access to that key (e.g. via ~/.ssh/config or ssh-agent).

HTTPS + token

Alternatively use an HTTPS remote with a fine-grained personal access token (scoped to the one repo, Contents: read & write):

GIT_URL=https://github.com/you/scratchpad-data.git
GIT_USER=you
GIT_PAT=github_pat_xxx

Conflicts

Sync uses fast-forward pulls. If the remote has diverged (e.g. edited from two machines before syncing), the UI shows a conflict state and pauses auto-push; resolve it in the data repo directly, then sync again.