Git-ripper

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Download specific folders from GitHub repositories without cloning the entire codebase

Installation •
Usage •
Features •
Examples •
Configuration •
Troubleshooting •
Contributing •
License

Why Git-ripper?

Have you ever needed just a single component from a massive repository? Or wanted to reference a specific configuration directory without downloading gigabytes of code? Git-ripper solves this problem by letting you extract and download only the folders you need, saving bandwidth, time, and disk space.

Features

- Selective Downloads: Fetch specific folders instead of entire repositories
- Resume Interrupted Downloads: Automatically resume downloads that were interrupted or failed
- Progress Tracking: Visual progress indicators with file-by-file download status
- File Integrity Verification: Ensures downloaded files are complete and uncorrupted
- Directory Structure: Preserves complete folder structure
- Custom Output: Specify your preferred output directory
- Branch Support: Works with any branch, not just the default one
- Archive Export: Create ZIP archives of downloaded content
- Checkpoint Management: View and manage saved download progress
- Simple Interface: Clean, intuitive command-line experience
- Lightweight: Minimal dependencies and fast execution
- No Authentication: Works with public repositories without requiring credentials

Installation

$3

Git-ripper requires Node.js >=16.0.0 due to its use of modern JavaScript features and built-in Node.js modules.

$3

bash

npm install -g git-ripper





This installs Git-ripper as a global command-line tool accessible from anywhere in your terminal.



$3

bash

npx git-ripper





Run Git-ripper directly without installation using

npx

.



Usage



$3

bash

git-ripper https://github.com/username/repository/tree/branch/folder

$3

bash

git-ripper https://github.com/username/repository/tree/branch/folder -o ./my-output-folder

$3

bash

git-ripper https://github.com/username/repository/tree/branch/folder --zip

$3

bash

git-ripper https://github.com/username/repository/tree/branch/folder --zip="my-archive.zip"





$3



| Option                     | Description                              | Default           |

| -------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | ----------------- | --- | -------------------------- | ------------------------- | --- |

|

-o, --output

 | Specify output directory                 | Current directory |

|

--gh-token

       | GitHub Personal Access Token             | -                 |

|

--zip [filename]

         | Create ZIP archive of downloaded content | -                 |

|

--no-resume

              | Disable resume functionality             | -                 |

|

--force-restart

          | Ignore existing checkpoints and restart  | -                 |

|

--list-checkpoints | List all saved download checkpoints | - | | config set-token

 | Save GitHub token locally | -   |

|

config get-token

         | Show saved token (masked)                | -                 |

|

config remove-token

      | Remove saved token                       | -                 |

|

config show | Show current configuration | - | | -V, --version

            | Show version number       | -   |

|

-h, --help

               | Show help                                | -                 |



Authentication (Private Repositories & Rate Limits)



To download from private repositories or to increase your API rate limit, you need to provide a GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT).



$3



You can use either a Fine-grained token (Recommended) or a Classic token.



#### Option A: Fine-grained Token (Recommended)



1.  Go to Settings > Developer settings > Personal access tokens > Fine-grained tokens.

2.  Click Generate new token.

3.  Name it (e.g., "Git-ripper").

4.  Resource owner: Select your user.

5.  Repository access: Select Only select repositories and choose the private repository you want to download from.

6.  Permissions:

    - Click on Repository permissions.

    - Find Contents and change Access to Read-only.

    - _Note: Metadata permission is selected automatically._

7.  Click Generate token.



#### Option B: Classic Token



1.  Go to Settings > Developer settings > Personal access tokens > Tokens (classic).

2.  Click Generate new token > Generate new token (classic).

3.  Give your token a descriptive name.

4.  Select Scopes:

    - For Private Repositories: Select the

repo

 scope (Full control of private repositories).

5.  Click Generate token.



$3



#### Option 1: Save Token Locally (Recommended)



Save your token once and use it automatically for all future downloads:

bash

Save the token

git-ripper config set-token ghp_YourTokenHere



Now just download - token is used automatically

git-ripper https://github.com/username/private-repo/tree/main/src





#### Option 2: Environment Variable



Set the

GIT_RIPPER_TOKEN

 environment variable:

bash

Windows (PowerShell)

$env:GIT_RIPPER_TOKEN = "ghp_YourTokenHere"



Linux/Mac

export GIT_RIPPER_TOKEN="ghp_YourTokenHere"



Then download

git-ripper https://github.com/username/private-repo/tree/main/src





#### Option 3: Command Line Flag



Pass the token using the

--gh-token

 flag:

bash

git-ripper https://github.com/username/private-repo/tree/main/src --gh-token ghp_YourTokenHere





#### Token Priority



When multiple tokens are available, git-ripper uses this priority:



1.

--gh-token

 command line flag (highest)

2.

GIT_RIPPER_TOKEN

 environment variable

3. Saved token from

config set-token





#### Managing Saved Tokens

bash

View current configuration

git-ripper config show



View saved token (masked)

git-ripper config get-token



Remove saved token

git-ripper config remove-token





> Security Note: Be careful not to share your token or commit it to public repositories.



Examples



$3

bash

Download React DOM package

git-ripper https://github.com/facebook/react/tree/main/packages/react-dom

$3

bash

Extract VS Code build configuration

git-ripper https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/tree/main/build -o ./vscode-build-config

$3

bash

Get Node.js documentation

git-ripper https://github.com/nodejs/node/tree/main/doc -o ./node-docs

$3

bash

Extract Tailwind components

git-ripper https://github.com/tailwindlabs/tailwindcss/tree/master/src/components -o ./tailwind-components

$3

bash

Download from a private repository using a token

git-ripper https://github.com/my-org/private-project/tree/main/src --gh-token ghp_abc123...

$3

bash

Download React DOM package and create a ZIP archive

git-ripper https://github.com/facebook/react/tree/main/packages/react-dom --zip



Extract VS Code build configuration with custom archive name

git-ripper https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/tree/main/build --zip="vscode-build.zip"





Resume Downloads



Git-ripper now supports resuming interrupted downloads, making it perfect for large folders or unstable network connections.



$3

bash

Start a download

git-ripper https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/tree/main/src/vs/workbench



If interrupted (Ctrl+C, network issues, etc.), simply run the same command again

git-ripper https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/tree/main/src/vs/workbench

It will automatically resume from where it left off

$3

bash

Ignore any existing progress and start fresh

git-ripper https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/tree/main/src/vs/workbench --force-restart

$3

bash

Use traditional behavior without resume functionality

git-ripper https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/tree/main/src/vs/workbench --no-resume

$3

bash

List all saved download progress

git-ripper --list-checkpoints



Output shows:

1. ID: a1b2c3d4

   URL: https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/tree/main/src/vs/workbench

   Progress: 45/120 files

   Last Updated: 2025-06-04T10:30:00Z





$3



- Automatic Progress Saving: Downloads are checkpointed every few files

- File Integrity Verification: Ensures existing files are complete and valid

- Smart Recovery: Detects corrupted or incomplete files and re-downloads them

- Multi-Download Support: Manage multiple concurrent download projects

- Progress Indicators: Visual feedback showing completed vs remaining files



How It Works



Git-ripper operates in five stages:



1. URL Parsing: Extracts repository owner, name, branch, and target folder path

2. Resume Check: Looks for existing download progress and validates already downloaded files

3. API Request: Uses GitHub's API to fetch the folder structure

4. Content Download: Retrieves each file individually while maintaining directory structure and saving progress

5. Local Storage or Archiving: Saves files to your specified output directory or creates an archive



The resume functionality uses checkpoint files stored in

.git_ripper_checkpoints/

 to track download progress, file integrity hashes, and metadata for each download session.



Configuration



Git-ripper works out of the box without configuration. For rate-limited GitHub API usage or private repositories, use the

--gh-token

 option as described in the Authentication section.



Troubleshooting



$3



#### Rate Limit Exceeded



Error: Request failed with status code 403





Solution: GitHub limits unauthenticated API requests. You can either:



1. Wait a few minutes and try again

2. Use the

--gh-token

 option with a Personal Access Token to significantly increase your rate limit



#### Invalid URL Format



Error: Invalid GitHub URL format





Solution: Ensure your URL follows the pattern:

https://github.com/owner/repo/tree/branch/folder





#### Folder Not Found



Error: Path not found in repository





Solution: Verify the folder path exists in the specified branch and repository.



#### Resume Issues



If you encounter problems with resume functionality:

bash

Clear all checkpoints and start fresh

git-ripper https://github.com/owner/repo/tree/branch/folder --force-restart



Or disable resume entirely

git-ripper https://github.com/owner/repo/tree/branch/folder --no-resume





#### Corrupted Download



If files appear corrupted after resume:

bash

Force restart will re-download everything

git-ripper https://github.com/owner/repo/tree/branch/folder --force-restart





The resume feature automatically detects and re-downloads corrupted files, but

--force-restart

 ensures a completely clean download.



Contributing



Contributions make the open-source community an amazing place to learn, inspire, and create. Any contributions to Git-ripper are greatly appreciated.



1. Fork the repository

2. Create your feature branch (

git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature

)

3. Commit your changes (

git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature'

)

4. Push to the branch (

git push origin feature/amazing-feature`)
5. Open a Pull Request

See the open issues for a list of proposed features and known issues.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

- GitHub API for making this tool possible
- Everyone who has provided feedback and suggestions

---

Made with ❤️ by sairajB

If you find this tool useful, consider sponsoring its development

Git-ripper

Why Git-ripper?

Features

Installation

$3

Git-ripper requires Node.js >=16.0.0 due to its use of modern JavaScript features and built-in Node.js modules.

$3

bash

npm install -g git-ripper





This installs Git-ripper as a global command-line tool accessible from anywhere in your terminal.



$3

bash

npx git-ripper





Run Git-ripper directly without installation using

npx

.



Usage



$3

bash

git-ripper https://github.com/username/repository/tree/branch/folder

$3

bash

git-ripper https://github.com/username/repository/tree/branch/folder -o ./my-output-folder

$3

bash

git-ripper https://github.com/username/repository/tree/branch/folder --zip

$3

bash

git-ripper https://github.com/username/repository/tree/branch/folder --zip="my-archive.zip"





$3



| Option                     | Description                              | Default           |

| -------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | ----------------- | --- | -------------------------- | ------------------------- | --- |

|

-o, --output

 | Specify output directory                 | Current directory |

|

--gh-token

       | GitHub Personal Access Token             | -                 |

|

--zip [filename]

         | Create ZIP archive of downloaded content | -                 |

|

--no-resume

              | Disable resume functionality             | -                 |

|

--force-restart

          | Ignore existing checkpoints and restart  | -                 |

|

--list-checkpoints | List all saved download checkpoints | - | | config set-token

 | Save GitHub token locally | -   |

|

config get-token

         | Show saved token (masked)                | -                 |

|

config remove-token

      | Remove saved token                       | -                 |

|

config show | Show current configuration | - | | -V, --version

            | Show version number       | -   |

|

-h, --help

               | Show help                                | -                 |



Authentication (Private Repositories & Rate Limits)



To download from private repositories or to increase your API rate limit, you need to provide a GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT).



$3



You can use either a Fine-grained token (Recommended) or a Classic token.



#### Option A: Fine-grained Token (Recommended)



1.  Go to Settings > Developer settings > Personal access tokens > Fine-grained tokens.

2.  Click Generate new token.

3.  Name it (e.g., "Git-ripper").

4.  Resource owner: Select your user.

5.  Repository access: Select Only select repositories and choose the private repository you want to download from.

6.  Permissions:

    - Click on Repository permissions.

    - Find Contents and change Access to Read-only.

    - _Note: Metadata permission is selected automatically._

7.  Click Generate token.



#### Option B: Classic Token



1.  Go to Settings > Developer settings > Personal access tokens > Tokens (classic).

2.  Click Generate new token > Generate new token (classic).

3.  Give your token a descriptive name.

4.  Select Scopes:

    - For Private Repositories: Select the

repo

 scope (Full control of private repositories).

5.  Click Generate token.



$3



#### Option 1: Save Token Locally (Recommended)



Save your token once and use it automatically for all future downloads:

bash

Save the token

git-ripper config set-token ghp_YourTokenHere



Now just download - token is used automatically

git-ripper https://github.com/username/private-repo/tree/main/src





#### Option 2: Environment Variable



Set the

GIT_RIPPER_TOKEN

 environment variable:

bash

Windows (PowerShell)

$env:GIT_RIPPER_TOKEN = "ghp_YourTokenHere"



Linux/Mac

export GIT_RIPPER_TOKEN="ghp_YourTokenHere"



Then download

git-ripper https://github.com/username/private-repo/tree/main/src





#### Option 3: Command Line Flag



Pass the token using the

--gh-token

 flag:

bash

git-ripper https://github.com/username/private-repo/tree/main/src --gh-token ghp_YourTokenHere





#### Token Priority



When multiple tokens are available, git-ripper uses this priority:



1.

--gh-token

 command line flag (highest)

2.

GIT_RIPPER_TOKEN

 environment variable

3. Saved token from

config set-token





#### Managing Saved Tokens

bash

View current configuration

git-ripper config show



View saved token (masked)

git-ripper config get-token



Remove saved token

git-ripper config remove-token





> Security Note: Be careful not to share your token or commit it to public repositories.



Examples



$3

bash

Download React DOM package

git-ripper https://github.com/facebook/react/tree/main/packages/react-dom

$3

bash

Extract VS Code build configuration

git-ripper https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/tree/main/build -o ./vscode-build-config

$3

bash

Get Node.js documentation

git-ripper https://github.com/nodejs/node/tree/main/doc -o ./node-docs

$3

bash

Extract Tailwind components

git-ripper https://github.com/tailwindlabs/tailwindcss/tree/master/src/components -o ./tailwind-components

$3

bash

Download from a private repository using a token

git-ripper https://github.com/my-org/private-project/tree/main/src --gh-token ghp_abc123...

$3

bash

Download React DOM package and create a ZIP archive

git-ripper https://github.com/facebook/react/tree/main/packages/react-dom --zip



Extract VS Code build configuration with custom archive name

git-ripper https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/tree/main/build --zip="vscode-build.zip"





Resume Downloads



Git-ripper now supports resuming interrupted downloads, making it perfect for large folders or unstable network connections.



$3

bash

Start a download

git-ripper https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/tree/main/src/vs/workbench



If interrupted (Ctrl+C, network issues, etc.), simply run the same command again

git-ripper https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/tree/main/src/vs/workbench

It will automatically resume from where it left off

$3

bash

Ignore any existing progress and start fresh

git-ripper https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/tree/main/src/vs/workbench --force-restart

$3

bash

Use traditional behavior without resume functionality

git-ripper https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/tree/main/src/vs/workbench --no-resume

$3

bash

List all saved download progress

git-ripper --list-checkpoints



Output shows:

1. ID: a1b2c3d4

   URL: https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/tree/main/src/vs/workbench

   Progress: 45/120 files

   Last Updated: 2025-06-04T10:30:00Z





$3



- Automatic Progress Saving: Downloads are checkpointed every few files

- File Integrity Verification: Ensures existing files are complete and valid

- Smart Recovery: Detects corrupted or incomplete files and re-downloads them

- Multi-Download Support: Manage multiple concurrent download projects

- Progress Indicators: Visual feedback showing completed vs remaining files



How It Works



Git-ripper operates in five stages:



1. URL Parsing: Extracts repository owner, name, branch, and target folder path

2. Resume Check: Looks for existing download progress and validates already downloaded files

3. API Request: Uses GitHub's API to fetch the folder structure

4. Content Download: Retrieves each file individually while maintaining directory structure and saving progress

5. Local Storage or Archiving: Saves files to your specified output directory or creates an archive



The resume functionality uses checkpoint files stored in

.git_ripper_checkpoints/

 to track download progress, file integrity hashes, and metadata for each download session.



Configuration



Git-ripper works out of the box without configuration. For rate-limited GitHub API usage or private repositories, use the

--gh-token

 option as described in the Authentication section.



Troubleshooting



$3



#### Rate Limit Exceeded



Error: Request failed with status code 403





Solution: GitHub limits unauthenticated API requests. You can either:



1. Wait a few minutes and try again

2. Use the

--gh-token

 option with a Personal Access Token to significantly increase your rate limit



#### Invalid URL Format



Error: Invalid GitHub URL format





Solution: Ensure your URL follows the pattern:

https://github.com/owner/repo/tree/branch/folder





#### Folder Not Found



Error: Path not found in repository





Solution: Verify the folder path exists in the specified branch and repository.



#### Resume Issues



If you encounter problems with resume functionality:

bash

Clear all checkpoints and start fresh

git-ripper https://github.com/owner/repo/tree/branch/folder --force-restart



Or disable resume entirely

git-ripper https://github.com/owner/repo/tree/branch/folder --no-resume





#### Corrupted Download



If files appear corrupted after resume:

bash

Force restart will re-download everything

git-ripper https://github.com/owner/repo/tree/branch/folder --force-restart





The resume feature automatically detects and re-downloads corrupted files, but

--force-restart

 ensures a completely clean download.



Contributing



Contributions make the open-source community an amazing place to learn, inspire, and create. Any contributions to Git-ripper are greatly appreciated.



1. Fork the repository

2. Create your feature branch (

git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature

)

3. Commit your changes (

git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature'

)

4. Push to the branch (

git push origin feature/amazing-feature`)
5. Open a Pull Request

See the open issues for a list of proposed features and known issues.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

- GitHub API for making this tool possible
- Everyone who has provided feedback and suggestions

---

Made with ❤️ by sairajB

If you find this tool useful, consider sponsoring its development