Post 864: EigenGit - Decentralized Git on R3

Watermark: -864

Post 864: EigenGit

Decentralized Git on R3 Architecture

Revolutionary version control: Git without GitHub, GitLab, or any central server

From Post 860 R3 Architecture: DHT + BitTorrent = Decentralized everything

Key insight: Git is already distributed - we just replace the central server

Result: Unstoppable code hosting with zero platform dependencies

Part 1: The Problem with Git Hosting

Git is Distributed, Hosting is Not

Git itself (distributed):

✅ Every clone is a full copy
✅ Content-addressed (SHA-256 hashes)
✅ Objects (blobs, trees, commits)
✅ Designed for decentralization
✅ No central authority needed

Git hosting platforms (centralized):

❌ GitHub (Microsoft)
❌ GitLab (Single company)
❌ Bitbucket (Atlassian)
❌ All can be:
   - Censored
   - Taken down
   - Terms of service changed
   - Access revoked

The contradiction:

Git = Decentralized
GitHub = Centralized

Why do we need GitHub when Git is already distributed?

Part 2: The Solution - EigenGit

Git + R3 Architecture = True Decentralization

EigenGit architecture:

class EigenGit:
    """
    Decentralized Git using R3
    No GitHub, no GitLab
    Pure P2P version control
    """
    
    def __init__(self, repo_name):
        # EigenDHT for repository discovery
        self.dht = EigenDHTNode('eigengit_dht')
        # Socket: /tmp/eigengit_DHT.sock
        
        # BitTorrent for object distribution
        self.bt = EigenBitTorrentNode('eigengit_bt',
                                       '/tmp/eigengit_BT.sock',
                                       '/tmp/eigengit_DHT.sock')
        
        self.repo_name = repo_name

The components:

1. Git (unchanged):

Same .git directory
Same objects (blobs, trees, commits)
Same commands (commit, branch, merge)
100% compatible

2. EigenDHT (discovery):

Replaces GitHub’s repository index
Query: “Where is bitcoin-zero-down?”
Response: Magnet link + metadata
Decentralized, censorship-resistant

3. BitTorrent (distribution):

Replaces GitHub’s object storage
Git objects distributed via P2P
Every clone is a seeder
Bandwidth scales with users

Part 3: How It Works

The EigenGit Workflow

Traditional Git + GitHub:

# Clone from GitHub
git clone https://github.com/user/repo.git

# Push to GitHub
git push origin main

# GitHub stores everything centrally

EigenGit:

# Clone from DHT + BitTorrent
eigengit clone bitcoin-zero-down

# What happens:
# 1. Query DHT: "repo:bitcoin-zero-down"
# 2. Get magnet link for Git objects
# 3. Download via BitTorrent
# 4. Reconstruct .git directory
# 5. Standard Git from here

# Push to DHT + BitTorrent
eigengit push

# What happens:
# 1. Pack Git objects
# 2. Create torrent (magnet link)
# 3. Announce to DHT with metadata
# 4. Seed objects via BitTorrent
# 5. Others can now clone

Technical Flow

Clone operation:

def clone(repo_name):
    # Step 1: Query DHT
    repo_data = dht.lookup(f'repo:{repo_name}')
    
    # Response:
    {
        'magnet': 'magnet:?xt=urn:btih:abc123...',
        'head': 'commit_hash_of_main_branch',
        'refs': {
            'heads/main': 'abc123...',
            'heads/develop': 'def456...',
            'tags/v1.0': 'ghi789...'
        },
        'description': 'Bitcoin Zero Down blog',
        'pushed_by': '0xwallet_address',
        'timestamp': 1234567890
    }
    
    # Step 2: Download Git objects via BitTorrent
    git_pack = bt.download_magnet(repo_data['magnet'])
    
    # Step 3: Unpack into .git/
    unpack_git_objects(git_pack, '.git/')
    
    # Step 4: Checkout HEAD
    git_checkout(repo_data['refs']['heads/main'])
    
    # Done! Standard Git repo

Push operation:

def push(local_repo):
    # Step 1: Pack Git objects
    git_objects = pack_repo_objects('.git/')
    
    # Git objects are content-addressed
    # Same as GitHub, but we distribute via BT
    
    # Step 2: Create torrent
    magnet = bt.create_torrent(git_objects)
    bt.start_seeding(magnet)
    
    # Step 3: Announce to DHT
    metadata = {
        'magnet': magnet,
        'head': get_current_head(),
        'refs': get_all_refs(),
        'description': read_readme(),
        'pushed_by': wallet.address,
        'timestamp': time.time()
    }
    
    dht.store(f'repo:{repo_name}', metadata)
    
    # Done! Repo now discoverable and downloadable

Fetch updates:

def fetch():
    # Step 1: Query DHT for latest
    latest = dht.lookup(f'repo:{repo_name}')
    
    # Step 2: Compare commits
    remote_head = latest['head']
    local_head = get_local_head()
    
    if remote_head != local_head:
        # Step 3: Download missing commits
        missing_commits = bt.download_range(
            local_head, 
            remote_head
        )
        
        # Step 4: Apply updates
        apply_commits(missing_commits)

Part 4: Git Objects + BitTorrent = Perfect Match

Why This Works Brilliantly

Git objects are content-addressed:

Blob: SHA-256(file_content)
Tree: SHA-256(directory_listing)
Commit: SHA-256(tree + parent + message)

Same as BitTorrent pieces!

BitTorrent is designed for this:

✅ Content-addressed pieces
✅ Merkle tree verification
✅ Efficient partial downloads
✅ Parallel transfers
✅ Automatic integrity checking

Perfect match for Git objects

Example:

# Git commit object
{
    'type': 'commit',
    'tree': 'abc123...',  # SHA-256
    'parent': 'def456...',
    'author': 'Matthieu',
    'message': 'Add EigenGit post'
}

# BitTorrent piece
{
    'piece': 'abc123...',  # Same hash!
    'data': git_object_data,
    'verified': True
}

# They're the same thing!

Part 5: Comparison

GitHub vs EigenGit

Feature	GitHub	EigenGit
Hosting	Centralized (Microsoft)	Decentralized (DHT)
Storage	GitHub servers	BitTorrent P2P
Discovery	github.com	EigenDHT
Censorship	Possible ❌	Resistant ✅
Takedown	DMCA, ToS ❌	Unstoppable ✅
Bandwidth	GitHub pays	Users share ✅
Scaling	Limited by servers	Unlimited (P2P) ✅
Single Point of Failure	Yes ❌	No ✅
Terms of Service	Must agree ❌	None ✅
Account Required	Yes ❌	No ✅
Can Ban Users	Yes ❌	Impossible ✅
Git Compatible	Yes ✅	Yes ✅
Cost	$$ for private repos	Free (P2P) ✅

Winner: EigenGit on decentralization, GitHub on features (for now)

Part 6: Architecture Details

EigenGit Components

1. EigenDHT (Repository Index):

# Store repo metadata
dht.store('repo:bitcoin-zero-down', {
    'magnet': 'magnet:?xt=...',
    'head': 'commit_hash',
    'refs': {...},
    'description': 'Blog about Bitcoin',
    'topics': ['bitcoin', 'ethereum', 'r3'],
    'license': 'GPL-3.0',
    'pushed_by': '0xABC...',
    'timestamp': 1234567890,
    'stars': 42,  # Community curation
    'forks': 7
})

# Query repos
repos = dht.query('topic:bitcoin')
# Returns all repos tagged with "bitcoin"

2. BitTorrent (Object Distribution):

# Git objects packed as torrent
git_pack = {
    'objects/': {
        'abc123...': blob_data,
        'def456...': tree_data,
        'ghi789...': commit_data,
        # ... all objects
    },
    'refs/': {
        'heads/main': 'abc123...',
        'tags/v1.0': 'def456...'
    }
}

# Create magnet link
magnet = bt.create_torrent(git_pack)
# magnet:?xt=urn:btih:...

# Seed forever
bt.seed(magnet)  # Keep repo available

3. Local Git (Standard):

# After clone, just use Git normally
cd bitcoin-zero-down/

git log
git branch feature
git commit -m "Add feature"
git merge feature

# When ready to share
eigengit push

Part 7: Advanced Features

Beyond Basic Git

1. Community curation:

# Star a repo (stored in DHT)
eigengit star bitcoin-zero-down

# Fork tracking
eigengit fork bitcoin-zero-down my-fork

# Discover popular repos
eigengit trending

2. Multiple remotes via DHT:

# Original
eigengit remote add origin repo:bitcoin-zero-down

# Fork
eigengit remote add fork repo:my-bitcoin-fork

# Pull from any remote
eigengit pull origin main
eigengit pull fork experimental

3. Signed commits (Ethereum):

# Commits signed by wallet
git commit -m "Add feature" --sign-with-wallet

# Verify authorship on-chain
eigengit verify-signature abc123...
# Returns: "Signed by 0xABC... (verified)"

4. Incentivized seeding:

# Tip seeders (optional)
eigengit tip repo:bitcoin-zero-down 0.01 ETH

# Distributed among active seeders
# Incentivizes keeping repos available

Part 8: Use Cases

When to Use EigenGit

Perfect for:

1. Censorship-resistant code:

Government can't take it down
DMCA can't remove it
Platform can't ban you
Code stays available forever

2. Long-term archival:

No company to go bankrupt
No servers to shut down
Distributed across network
Permanent preservation

3. Anonymous development:

No account needed
No email required
No personal information
Just push code

4. Large projects:

Bandwidth scales with users
More clones = faster downloads
No server costs
Unlimited scaling

5. Decentralized teams:

No central authority
No gatekeepers
Anyone can push
Pure collaboration

Not ideal for (yet):

Web UI (no web interface yet)
Issues/PRs (need separate system)
CI/CD integration (coming)
Beginners (command-line only)

Part 9: Implementation

Building EigenGit

Core implementation (~200 lines):

#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""
EigenGit - Decentralized Git on R3
~200 lines to replace GitHub
"""

import sys
import os
import json
from pathlib import Path

# Import R3 components
sys.path.insert(0, str(Path(__file__).parent.parent / 'universal-model'))
from eigendht import EigenDHTNode
from eigenbittorrent import EigenBitTorrentNode

class EigenGit:
    def __init__(self):
        # R3 components
        self.dht = EigenDHTNode('eigengit_dht')
        self.bt = EigenBitTorrentNode('eigengit_bt',
                                       '/tmp/eigengit_BT.sock',
                                       '/tmp/eigengit_DHT.sock')
    
    def clone(self, repo_name):
        """Clone repo from DHT + BitTorrent"""
        # Query DHT
        repo_data = self.dht.lookup(f'repo:{repo_name}')
        
        if not repo_data:
            print(f"Repo not found: {repo_name}")
            return
        
        # Download via BitTorrent
        print(f"Downloading {repo_name}...")
        git_pack = self.bt.download(repo_data['magnet'])
        
        # Unpack into .git/
        os.makedirs(repo_name, exist_ok=True)
        os.chdir(repo_name)
        self._unpack_git_objects(git_pack)
        
        # Checkout HEAD
        os.system(f"git checkout {repo_data['head']}")
        
        print(f"Cloned {repo_name}")
    
    def push(self, repo_name):
        """Push repo to DHT + BitTorrent"""
        # Pack Git objects
        git_pack = self._pack_git_objects('.git/')
        
        # Create torrent
        magnet = self.bt.seed(git_pack)
        
        # Get metadata
        head = os.popen('git rev-parse HEAD').read().strip()
        refs = self._get_refs()
        
        # Announce to DHT
        metadata = {
            'magnet': magnet,
            'head': head,
            'refs': refs,
            'pushed_by': self._get_wallet_address(),
            'timestamp': time.time()
        }
        
        self.dht.store(f'repo:{repo_name}', metadata)
        
        print(f"Pushed {repo_name}")
        print(f"Magnet: {magnet}")
    
    def _pack_git_objects(self, git_dir):
        """Pack Git objects for distribution"""
        # Use git pack-objects
        # Returns pack file data
        pass
    
    def _unpack_git_objects(self, pack_data):
        """Unpack Git objects"""
        # Use git unpack-objects
        pass
    
    def _get_refs(self):
        """Get all refs (branches, tags)"""
        refs = {}
        # Parse .git/refs/
        return refs
    
    def _get_wallet_address(self):
        """Get wallet address for attribution"""
        # Load from ~/.eigengit/wallet
        return "0x..."

# CLI interface
if __name__ == '__main__':
    eg = EigenGit()
    
    if sys.argv[1] == 'clone':
        eg.clone(sys.argv[2])
    elif sys.argv[1] == 'push':
        eg.push(sys.argv[2])

That’s it! ~200 lines to replace GitHub with DHT + BitTorrent.

Part 10: Roadmap

EigenGit Development

Phase 1 - Q2 2026 (Core):

✅ R3 architecture (DHT + BT)
🔄 Basic clone/push
🔄 Ref management
🔄 Command-line tool
🔄 Git compatibility

Phase 2 - Q3 2026 (Features):

📋 Fetch/pull updates
📋 Multiple remotes
📋 Signed commits (Ethereum)
📋 Repository search
📋 Community curation (stars)

Phase 3 - Q4 2026 (Advanced):

📋 Web UI (via EigenDHT)
📋 Issue tracking (decentralized)
📋 Pull requests (off-chain)
📋 CI/CD integration
📋 IDE plugins

Phase 4 - 2027 (Ecosystem):

📋 Incentivized seeding
📋 Repo tokens (governance)
📋 Code bounties (on-chain)
📋 Decentralized code review
📋 EigenGit packages (npm alternative)

Part 11: Why This Matters

The Bigger Picture

1. Code freedom:

No platform can censor your code
No government can take it down
No company can change terms
Code stays available forever

2. True open source:

Current "open source" = hosted on GitHub
GitHub = Microsoft = centralized
EigenGit = truly open (no owner)

3. Precedent:

If Git can be decentralized
So can npm (EigenNPM)
So can PyPI (EigenPyPI)
So can Docker Hub (EigenDocker)

Decentralize all the things!

4. Unstoppable development:

Can't ban developers
Can't freeze repos
Can't enforce ToS
Pure code collaboration

Conclusion

EigenGit - Git Without GitHub

What we’re building:

Git (unchanged):

Same commands ✅
Same objects ✅
Same workflow ✅
100% compatible ✅

Hosting (revolutionized):

DHT replaces repository index ✅
BitTorrent replaces object storage ✅
No central server ✅
Unstoppable ✅

The result:

EigenGit = {
  Git (standard),
  EigenDHT (discovery),
  BitTorrent (distribution),
  No GitHub needed,
  No GitLab needed,
  Pure P2P version control
}

From Post 860: R3 architecture foundation

From Post 863: Popcorn Time R3 uses EigenGit

Result: Truly decentralized code hosting - unstoppable, uncensorable, unlimited

The vision:

A world where:
- Code can't be censored
- Repos can't be taken down
- Developers can't be banned
- Hosting costs nothing
- Bandwidth scales infinitely

EigenGit makes this real.

Status: 🚀 Coming Q2 2026

Implementation: ~200 lines of Python

Based on: R3 Architecture (DHT + BitTorrent)

∞

Links:

Post 860: R3 Architecture - Technical foundation
Post 863: Popcorn Time R3 - Uses EigenGit
universal-model - R3 implementation (EigenGit: Coming soon)
Git Documentation - Standard Git

Announcement: 2026-02-18
Release: Q2 2026
Status: 🔨 In Development

∞