repodock

Paste a GitHub link, and repodock downloads the project and runs it from a local dashboard.

Trying out a project from GitHub usually means cloning it, reading the README to work out how to start it, installing its dependencies and keeping a terminal open. repodock does that from one window: paste a link (or a username to pick from all their repositories), and each project gets a card with its detected run command, a Run/Stop button, live output with CPU and memory use, and buttons to update, configure or delete it. It never installs or runs anything without asking first. Works on Windows, macOS and Linux.

What it does

• Its own app window on Windows (Edge WebView2), with a tray icon: closing the window keeps your apps running, and the tray menu stops them or quits. Starting repodock again brings the open window to the front. It can start with Windows, minimised to the tray.
• Runs almost anything: Node.js, Python, Go, Rust, .NET, Java, Docker, Makefiles, Windows programs and static websites (see the table below), or a ready-made program from the project's GitHub Releases. When a release has a download for your system, the card offers it, since that's usually quicker than building the project.
• Terminal programs (text interfaces like glow) can run in their own terminal window on Windows; the card suggests it when a program complains that it needs a terminal.
• Live stats per running app: CPU, memory (the whole process tree), uptime, and an Open in browser button as soon as the app prints a localhost address. Stop all in one click.
• Per-project settings: a fixed port, a .env editor (values hidden until you show them), and your own buttons like Build or Test.
• Updates: badges like "3 new commits" (checked with git fetch every 30 minutes) and Update all.
• Missing tools: when a project needs Node.js, Python, Go, Rust, .NET, Java or Docker and it isn't installed, the card says so and offers the winget command to install it, which runs only when you confirm.
• Crash notices with optional auto-restart, and the logs of the last five runs of each project, searchable.
• Disk use per project and Free up space, which removes node_modules, .venv and ignored build output.
• Your way: light, dark or system theme, accent colour, cards or list, favourites, tags, owners with their avatars, and GitHub search inside the app.
• Keyboard: Ctrl+K jumps to any project (Shift+Enter runs it), / filters, ? lists the rest.
• Export and import your library (projects, commands, tags and settings, not .env secrets) to move to another computer.

Download for Windows

Download repodock-setup.exe, double-click it and click through the installer. No Python or admin rights needed. It adds repodock to the Start Menu (and the desktop, if you tick the box) and can be removed from Windows Settings > Apps like any other program.

• Windows may say "Windows protected your PC" because the installer isn't signed. Click More info, then Run anyway.
• repodock opens in its own window. Closing it keeps repodock (and the apps you started) running in the tray, next to the clock; right-click the icon and choose Quit repodock to stop everything.
• Rather not install anything? Download repodock-windows-portable.zip, unzip it anywhere and double-click repodock.exe. repodock-cli.exe next to it is the command-line version.
• The window uses Microsoft Edge WebView2, which comes with Windows 10 and 11. If it's missing, repodock opens in your browser instead.
• repodock itself needs nothing else, but projects do: a Python project needs Python, a Node.js project needs Node.js, and so on. The card tells you when something is missing. Git is optional.

Install with Scoop (Windows)

scoop bucket add repodock https://github.com/UmutAlisoglu/repodock
scoop install repodock

That's the portable version: repodock in a terminal, and a Start Menu shortcut for the app window. scoop update repodock gets new versions.

Install with pipx (macOS, Linux, Windows)

pipx install git+https://github.com/UmutAlisoglu/repodock

That's pure Python with no dependencies, and it opens the dashboard in your browser. For the app window and tray icon, add the optional app extra, which installs pywebview (plus pystray and Pillow for the tray icon on Windows):

pipx install "repodock[app] @ git+https://github.com/UmutAlisoglu/repodock"

On macOS and Linux the window works when pywebview has a GUI backend (Cocoa, or GTK/Qt); there's no tray icon there, so closing the window quits.

On Windows, install Python first (tick "Add python.exe to PATH"), then in PowerShell:

py -m pip install --user pipx
py -m pipx ensurepath
pipx install git+https://github.com/UmutAlisoglu/repodock

Git is recommended but optional: without it, repodock downloads zip archives instead.

Usage

repodock

This opens the dashboard in its own window, or in the browser at http://localhost:8766 (with --browser, or when the window isn't available). Paste any of these into the box:

• https://github.com/owner/project (also .git links, /tree/branch links and git@github.com: links)
• owner/project
• https://github.com/owner or just owner to choose from all of their repositories

Projects are downloaded into ~/repodock/<owner>/<project> and grouped by owner on the page. Other commands:

repodock --dir D:\Projects        # keep projects somewhere else (or set REPODOCK_DIR)
repodock --browser                # use the browser instead of the app window
repodock --minimized              # start in the tray
repodock --port 9000 --no-open
repodock add owner/project        # download from the terminal
repodock add owner --all          # every repository of a user, except forks and archived ones
repodock list
repodock detect path/to/folder    # show how repodock would run a folder

A GitHub token is optional. repodock uses GITHUB_TOKEN, GH_TOKEN or your GitHub CLI login when present, which raises the API rate limit and lets it recognize your own repositories.

"Run with repodock" buttons

Links like repodock://owner/project open that project in repodock, which asks whether to add it (nothing runs until you press Run). The Windows installer sets this up; with pipx or the portable zip, turn on Open "Run with repodock" links in Settings (Windows and Linux).

• For your README: make a button like the one above at umutalisoglu.github.io/repodock. It links to a page that opens repodock, or explains how to get it.
• Browser extension: adds a Run with repodock button to every GitHub project, and a "Download for Windows" button on release pages that picks the right file for your computer. See extension/.

How it runs projects

repodock looks at the files in the project and suggests a run command. You can pick another suggestion or type your own, and it's remembered per project.

Project	Suggested command	Dependencies (asked first)
Node.js	npm run dev, npm start, or node main.js (pnpm, Yarn and Bun detected from the lockfile)	npm install / npm ci / pnpm install / ...
Python	the script the README says to run, python main.py (also app.py, launch.py, webui.py, ...), Django manage.py runserver, Flask, FastAPI (uvicorn), Streamlit, python -m package, or the project's own command from pyproject.toml	a .venv in the project, then pip install -r requirements.txt (or requirements/dev.txt, ...) and/or pip install -e .
Go	go run . or go run ./cmd/<name>	downloaded by Go
Rust	cargo run --release	downloaded by Cargo
.NET	dotnet run --project <App>.csproj	restored by dotnet
Java	mvn spring-boot:run, mvnw, gradlew run / bootRun	downloaded by the build tool
Deno	deno task dev / start
Makefile	make run / start / serve / dev
Procfile	the web: command
Docker	docker compose up --build (first choice when it starts three or more services), or build and run the Dockerfile
Start scripts	the project's own launcher first: start_windows.bat, webui-user.bat, start.bat, ... (start_linux.sh, webui.sh, start.sh, ... on macOS and Linux)
Windows programs	a .exe, .bat, .cmd or .ps1 in the project
Static website	serves index.html (or public/, docs/, dist/) on a local port, or a list of folders when each one is its own small site

When a command needs a program you don't have (Node.js, Go, Docker, ...), the card says so.

Nothing runs without your say-so

• The first time you run a project, and whenever its command changes, repodock shows the exact command before anything runs. The same goes for your own command buttons, programs downloaded from Releases and winget installs.
• Dependencies are never installed automatically. If a project needs them, you choose between Install and run, Run without installing or Cancel, and you see the exact install command. Python dependencies go into a .venv inside the project, never into your system Python.
• Projects from other people get a clear warning: their code runs with your permissions, so only run what you trust.
• Stop ends the whole process tree (for example npm and the node server it started), on Windows too. Quitting repodock (tray menu, Settings, or Ctrl+C in a terminal) stops everything it started.
• The dashboard only listens on 127.0.0.1. The API refuses requests from other websites (a custom header is required) and from other host names (which blocks DNS rebinding).

Where things are kept

Projects go in ~/repodock/<owner>/<project> (change it with --dir or REPODOCK_DIR). repodock's own files are in ~/repodock/.repodock/: the last five logs of each project, downloaded releases, and .repodock.json next to it holds your settings.

Updating and deleting

Update runs git pull, or for zip downloads fetches the new version while keeping installed dependencies. Delete stops the project and removes its folder. Folders you clone into ~/repodock/<owner>/<project> yourself show up automatically.

Development

python -m venv .venv && source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -e .
python -m unittest discover -s tests

The tests use local git repositories and a fake GitHub API, so they need no network. CI runs them on Linux (Python 3.9 to 3.13), Windows and macOS. The Windows workflow builds repodock.exe and repodock-cli.exe with PyInstaller (packaging/windows/repodock.spec), opens the app window and quits it, then builds and silently installs the Inno Setup installer. Publishing a GitHub release attaches the installer and the portable zip to it, updates the Scoop manifest in bucket/, and saves winget manifests (made by packaging/manifests.py) as a workflow artifact.

License

MIT