A cinematic Git commit replay tool for the terminal.
Turn your Git history into a living, animated story β typing, syntax highlighting, file tree transitions.
Watch commits unfold with realistic typing animations, syntax highlighting, and file tree transitions, transforming code changes into a visual experience.
## Installation
### Using Install Script (Recommended)
```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/unhappychoice/gitlogue/main/install.sh | bash
```
### Using Homebrew
```bash
brew install gitlogue
```
### Using Cargo
```bash
cargo install gitlogue
```
### On Arch Linux
```bash
pacman -S gitlogue
```
### Using Nix
```bash
# Run directly without installation
nix run github:unhappychoice/gitlogue
# Or install to your profile
nix profile install github:unhappychoice/gitlogue
# For flake-based configurations, add to your inputs:
# inputs.gitlogue.url = "github:unhappychoice/gitlogue";
# Then use: inputs.gitlogue.packages.${system}.default
```
### From Source
```bash
git clone https://github.com/unhappychoice/gitlogue.git
cd gitlogue
cargo install --path .
```
See the [Installation Guide](docs/installation.md) for more options and troubleshooting.
## Features
π¬ **Commit Replay as Animation** β Realistic typing, cursor movement, deletions, and file operations
π **Working Tree Diff View** β Visualize staged/unstaged changes before committing
π¨ **Tree-sitter Syntax Highlighting** β 29 languages supported
π³ **Project File Tree** β Directory structure with change statistics
π₯οΈ **Screensaver Mode** β Endless random commit playback
π **Themes** β 9 built-in themes + full customization support
β‘ **Fast & Lightweight** β Built with Rust for performance
## Usage
### Popular Use Cases
π₯οΈ **Screensaver** β Ambient coding display for your workspace
π **Education** β Visualize how code evolved over time
πΊ **Presentations** β Replay real commit histories live
π¬ **Content Creation** β Record demos with VHS or asciinema
π¨ **Desktop Ricing** β A living decoration for your terminal
πΌ **Look Busy Mode** β Appear productive during meetings
> [!WARNING]
> **Not a True Screensaver** β gitlogue does not include traditional screensaver functions like power management or screen blanking. It's purely a visual display tool.
>
> **OLED Burn-in Risk** β Static elements (like the editor background and border lines) may cause burn-in on OLED displays over extended periods. LCD displays are generally safe from this issue.
### Quick Start
```bash
# Start the cinematic screensaver
gitlogue
# View a specific commit
gitlogue --commit abc123
# Replay a range of commits
gitlogue --commit HEAD~5..HEAD
# Replay commits in chronological order (oldest first)
gitlogue --order asc
# Loop a specific commit continuously
gitlogue --commit abc123 --loop
# Loop through a commit range
gitlogue --commit HEAD~10..HEAD --loop
# View staged changes (default)
gitlogue diff
# View unstaged changes instead
gitlogue diff --unstaged
# Filter commits by author or email (case-insensitive partial match)
gitlogue --author "john"
# Filter commits by date
gitlogue --after "2024-01-01"
gitlogue --before "1 week ago"
gitlogue --after "2024-06-01" --before "2024-07-01"
# Use a different theme
gitlogue --theme dracula
# Adjust typing speed (ms per character)
gitlogue --speed 20
# Set different speeds for different file types
gitlogue --speed-rule "*.java:50" --speed-rule "*.xml:5"
# Ignore specific file patterns (e.g., notebooks, lock files)
gitlogue --ignore "*.ipynb" --ignore "poetry.lock"
# Use an ignore file
gitlogue --ignore-file .gitlogue-ignore
# List available themes
gitlogue theme list
# Set default theme
gitlogue theme set dracula
# Combine options
gitlogue --commit HEAD~5 --author "john" --theme nord --speed 15 --ignore "*.ipynb"
```
## Key Bindings
### Playback
| Key | Action |
|-----|--------|
| `Space` | Toggle play / pause |
| `h` | Step one line backward |
| `l` | Step one line forward |
| `H` (Shift+h) | Step one change backward |
| `L` (Shift+l) | Step one change forward |
| `p` | Previous commit |
| `n` | Next commit |
| `Esc` | Open menu |
| `q` / `Ctrl+c` | Quit |
### Menu
| Key | Action |
|-----|--------|
| `j` / `β` | Move selection down |
| `k` / `β` | Move selection up |
| `Enter` | Select item |
| `Esc` | Close menu |
## Configuration
gitlogue can be configured via `~/.config/gitlogue/config.toml`.
You can set the default theme, typing speed, and background preferences.
See the [Configuration Guide](docs/configuration.md) for full options and examples.
## Supported Languages
Astro, Bash, C, C#, C++, Clojure, CSS, Dart, Elixir, Erlang, Go, Haskell, HTML, Java, JavaScript, JSON, Kotlin, Lua, Markdown, Nix, PHP, Python, Ruby, Rust, Scala, Svelte, Swift, TypeScript, XML, YAML, Zig
## Documentation
[Installation Guide](docs/installation.md)
[Usage Guide](docs/usage.md)
[Configuration Guide](docs/configuration.md)
[Theme Customization](docs/themes.md)
[Contributing Guidelines](docs/CONTRIBUTING.md)
[Architecture Overview](docs/ARCHITECTURE.md)
## Related Projects
### Git Visualization & Coding
- [**GitType**](https://github.com/unhappychoice/gittype) - A CLI code-typing game that turns your source code into typing challenges
### Terminal Screensavers
- [**tarts**](https://github.com/oiwn/tarts) - Collection of terminal screensavers in Rust (Matrix, Game of Life, Boids, 3D effects, and more)
- [**cbonsai**](https://gitlab.com/jallbrit/cbonsai) - Grow beautiful bonsai trees in your terminal
- [**asciiquarium**](https://github.com/cmatsuoka/asciiquarium) - Enjoy the mysteries of the sea from your terminal
- [**cmatrix**](https://github.com/abishekvashok/cmatrix) - The Matrix screensaver effect for your terminal
- [**pipes.sh**](https://github.com/pipeseroni/pipes.sh) - Animated pipes flowing through your terminal
## Contributing
Contributions are welcome.
See the [Contributing Guidelines](docs/CONTRIBUTING.md) for details.
## License
ISC License. See [LICENSE](LICENSE) for details.
## Author
[@unhappychoice](https://unhappychoice.com)
## Support
If you find this project useful, please consider:
- βοΈ [Star on GitHub](https://github.com/unhappychoice/gitlogue)
- π¦ [Share on X](https://x.com/intent/post?text=Your%20Git%20history%20as%20cinema.%20gitlogue%20replays%20commits%20as%20a%20terminal%20animation%20%F0%9F%8E%9E%EF%B8%8F&url=https%3A//github.com/unhappychoice/gitlogue&hashtags=gitlogue,CLI,Rust,git)
- π¦ [Share on Bluesky](https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=Your%20Git%20history%20as%20cinema.%20gitlogue%20replays%20commits%20as%20a%20terminal%20animation%20%F0%9F%8E%9E%EF%B8%8F%20%23gitlogue%20%23CLI%20%23Rust%20%23git%20https%3A//github.com/unhappychoice/gitlogue)
- 𧡠[Share on Threads](https://www.threads.net/intent/post?text=Your%20Git%20history%20as%20cinema.%20gitlogue%20replays%20commits%20as%20a%20terminal%20animation%20%F0%9F%8E%9E%EF%B8%8F%20%23gitlogue%20%23CLI%20%23Rust%20%23git%20https%3A//github.com/unhappychoice/gitlogue)
- πΌ [Share on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A//github.com/unhappychoice/gitlogue)
- π [Share on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A//github.com/unhappychoice/gitlogue)
- π§ [Submit to Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com/submitlink?u=https%3A//github.com/unhappychoice/gitlogue&t=Your%20Git%20history%20as%20cinema.%20gitlogue%20replays%20commits%20as%20a%20terminal%20animation%20%F0%9F%8E%9E%EF%B8%8F)
- π¬ Drop it into your Discord server or developer chat
- βοΈ Write about it on your blog or in a newsletter
Every bit of support helps. Thanks!