Gitmal: Turn Your Repo Into a Static Site in Seconds

Ever wish you could just point a tool at a GitHub repository and have it instantly generate a clean, readable static site? Not a full-blown documentation site with config files, but a simple, fast snapshot of your project's structure and content. That’s exactly what Gitmal does.

It’s like a quick developer preview for any repo. Forget complex static site generators for a moment—this is about immediate, zero-configuration visibility. If you've ever wanted to share a repo's contents in a more digestible format than a raw file list, Gitmal is a clever little solution.

What It Does

Gitmal is a static page generator specifically for GitHub repositories. You give it a repo URL, and it fetches the contents, then generates a clean, static HTML page that displays the repository's file and folder structure. Each item is linked, making it easy to browse the codebase directly from the generated page. It’s essentially a prettified, navigable snapshot.

Why It's Cool

The beauty of Gitmal is in its simplicity and single-purpose focus. It doesn’t require cloning the repo, installing dependencies, or writing a single line of configuration. It works entirely via the GitHub API.

This makes it perfect for quick shares, portfolio previews, or creating a more accessible view of a repository for non-developers or presentations. The implementation is straightforward—a Go server that handles the request, calls the API, and renders the template. It’s the kind of tool that solves a small but annoying problem elegantly.

How to Try It

The easiest way to see Gitmal in action is to use the live instance. Just take any public GitHub repo URL and swap out the domain.

Try visiting: https://gitmal.vercel.app/github.com/antonmedv/gitmal

(That’s right, it can even render itself!)

You can also run it locally if you prefer. Clone the repo and run the Go server:

git clone https://github.com/antonmedv/gitmal
cd gitmal
go run main.go

Then open your browser to http://localhost:8080 and append a repo path, like /github.com/username/reponame.

Final Thoughts

Gitmal isn't trying to replace complex static site generators like Hugo or Jekyll. Instead, it carves out a neat little niche: instant, zero-fuss repo browsing. It’s a tool you might use when you want to send someone a "prettified" link to your code, or quickly glance at a project's layout without opening an IDE.

It’s a great example of a focused developer tool that does one thing well. Next time you need a quick, shareable view of a repo’s structure, give Gitmal a spin.

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