Tapping into Radicle CLI

Goal: Achieving decentralisation for source control, eventually aim is moving away from Github

Steps:

  1. Took a read of the docs, ended up at the getting started guide

  2. Decided to go with the CLI, so although I didn’t have to, and could have done just done cargo install --force --locked --git https://seed.alt-clients.radicle.xyz/radicle-cli.git radicle-cli I wanted to get a little bit more deep so I forked the Radlcie CLI repo to build it from source.

  3. Ran rustup update to fix an initial compilation issue with an outdated version of rust

  4. Ran brew install cmake based a new error stating to check if cmake was installed

  5. Ran the cargo install --force --locked --path . command, hoping third time’s the charm. Went and made some coffee…takes awhile to build. Continued reading into the docs in the meanwhile. Success! It compiled!

  6. Ran rad auth. I had previously downloaded Radicle Upstream, the desktop GUI, so it picked up my original ID and added it once I entered my password.

  7. Created a new folder, did rad init with error. Seems like you need to have a folder with git already set up to get it initialised. I was working thru a Buildspace course so decided to use that folder as I hadn’t fully set it up yet.

  8. Ran git init -y to initialise git

  9. Ran git checkout -b main to configure my branch

  10. Ran touch .gitignore to create a file to commit

  11. Ran git add . to add the file

  12. Ran git commit -m “adds git ignore to commit the change

  13. Ran rad init again, this time it worked. Followed the wizard and gave it a new name, it was successful. Confirmed that rad .gave me back the details for the repo in Radicle

  14. Tried to do a rad push but got an error

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Troubleshooting

Line 14 of the .git/config file referenced in the error had this entry:

[gpg]
    format = ssh

I ran down a rabbit hole for a bit, and then realised I hadn’t paid attention to the warning about my current git version. It turns out I had been using the default Apple system installed version, which wasn’t current enough for the Radicle CLI to work properly. I ran brew install git first, and then re-ran rad push. Success!

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A little shaky, but all in all, not too bad an experience, Radicle hosts a seed node for my content as well, making it available right away. Nice!