# Install gitslave with Homebrew, zypper

Create group of related repos with one as superproject. Version 2.0.2 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with zypper: sudo zypper install gitslave.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:gitslave
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install gitslave
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

### Linux

- zypper (92%):

```sh
sudo zypper install gitslave
```

  Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: gitslave from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:gitslave
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 2.0.2
- **Source summary:** Create group of related repos with one as superproject
- **Homepage:** <https://gitslave.sourceforge.net/>
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- gits (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 2.0.2
## Project history and usage

Gitslave is a Git-era multi-repository management tool built around a `gits` wrapper command. It organizes a superproject and related slave repositories so common Git operations can be applied across the group.

### Project history

The official site and man page describe Gitslave as a response to the limitations of Git submodules for projects that need active development across several repositories. Release notes show a 2.0 release in March 2011 and a 2.0.2 release in January 2012, with features such as recursive subprojects, tutorial documentation, reference clone support, and limited Windows support.

### Adoption history

Gitslave's own documentation says it was used for mid-sized product development with many slave repositories, branches, tags, and developers, as well as for smaller personal setups that kept related editor configuration repositories in sync. Its niche was teams that wanted a CVS- or SVN-like multi-directory workflow while retaining separate Git repositories.

### How it is used

Practitioners create or clone a superproject, run setup commands such as `gits prepare`, attach related repositories, and then use `gits` for operations such as clone, populate, branch, commit, push, pull, merge, tag, checkout, status, and log. The `.gitslave` file records repository relationships for the superproject.

### Why package nerds care

For package history, Gitslave is a useful artifact from the period when Git users were experimenting with alternatives to submodules, repo-style workflows, monorepos, and multi-SCM tools such as mr. It shows how package ecosystems captured local workflow tools that were important to a specific development style even without becoming mainstream Git features.

### Timeline

- 2011: Gitslave 2.0 released with recursive subprojects and tutorial documentation.
- 2011: Gitslave 2.0.1 added broader Git resource locator handling and pager support.
- 2012: Gitslave 2.0.2 added reference-clone support and documented limited Windows use.

### Related projects

- Gitslave is related to Git submodules, Google's repo tool, monorepo and subtree workflows, and mr for managing multiple repositories.

### Sources

- <https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/gitslave>
- <https://gitslave.sourceforge.net/>
- <https://gitslave.sourceforge.net/ReleaseNotes.txt>
- <https://gitslave.sourceforge.net/gits-man-page.html>
- <https://sourceforge.net/p/gitslave/code>


## Security Notes

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

- **Geiger risk:** green / low
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals


## Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.


## Configuration files

- Unix: .gitslave
## Other Package-Manager Records

- zypper - gitslave - 2.0.2-10.7: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: gitslave from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Creates a group of related repositories | http://gitslave.sourceforge.net
- zypper - gitslave-doc - 2.0.2-10.7: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: gitslave-doc from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Documentation for gitslave | http://gitslave.sourceforge.net


## Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/gitslave.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/gitslave.yml)


## Sources

- pkg.so package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph