Git-bug is an open-source bug tracker designed to operate entirely within Git repositories, eliminating the need for separate project management platforms. The tool offers both offline-first capability and distributed collaboration features, according to its GitHub documentation.
The system works by embedding bug tracking data directly into Git, meaning users need only their standard Git repository to maintain a complete issue tracker. This approach prevents vendor lock-in—if a primary service becomes unavailable, teams already have a full backup of all bug data stored locally.
Git-bug supports multiple workflows. In the native workflow, teams use standard Git commands like git bug push and git bug pull to sync bugs between remotes, similar to how code is managed. A bridge workflow allows the tool to integrate with external bug trackers including GitHub, GitLab, Jira, and Launchpad, enabling bidirectional import and export of issues.
The tool provides several interfaces for interacting with bugs. Users can work from the command line using Git commands, access an interactive terminal UI via git bug termui, or launch a web UI with git bug webui. The web interface includes browsing, searching, filtering capabilities, and doubles as a code browser with file trees, syntax highlighting, and commit history.
Under the hood, git-bug communicates through a GraphQL API and packages the web UI into a single Go binary served by a local HTTP server. The data format is formally specified in the git-bug spec, covering the DAG entity format, identities, and bug entity structure.
Key features include offline operation—users can create and edit bugs without internet connectivity—and no project pollution, as git-bug stores data without adding files to the project directory. The tool operates at millisecond speeds for listing and opening bugs, according to the documentation.
The project is released under GPLv3 or later license. The web UI workflow, designed to support public bug tracking with external authentication, is marked as work-in-progress, with the documentation noting that contributions are welcome.
Key facts
- Git-bug embeds bug tracking directly into Git repositories, requiring only a standard Git repo to maintain issues
- The tool supports offline operation and distributed collaboration using Git remotes to push and pull bugs
- It bridges to GitHub, GitLab, Jira, and Launchpad for importing and exporting bugs to other trackers
- Multiple interfaces available: CLI, interactive terminal UI, and web UI with GraphQL API backend
- Data stored locally in Git prevents vendor lock-in and serves as automatic backup