GitNote

A simple, stable VSCode extension that keeps your notes in sync with Git. Automatically commits, pushes, and pulls — so you can focus on writing.

Works on both desktop VSCode and github.dev (browser).

Features

Auto-commit — Commits changes after file save with configurable delay (default: 10s)
Auto-push — Pushes to remote after each commit with retry on failure
Auto-pull — Pulls on startup, on window focus return after idle, and on first file change after idle
File filtering — Target specific files using glob patterns
Branch exclusion — Skip automation on specific branches
Conflict safety — Pauses when merge conflicts or rebase are detected
Commit on focus loss — Commits and pushes pending changes when the window loses focus
Minimal dependencies — Only minimatch; uses VSCode's built-in Git API

Feature comparison

Feature	Desktop	github.dev
Auto-commit	Yes	Yes
Auto-push	Yes	Yes (atomic with commit)
Auto-pull (startup)	Yes	Yes
Auto-pull (after idle)	Yes	Yes
Conflict / rebase detection	Yes	—
File filtering	Yes	Yes
Branch exclusion	Yes	Yes
Commit on focus loss	Yes	Yes
Countdown timer	Yes	Yes

Installation

From Marketplace (recommended)

Install from the Visual Studio Marketplace, or search "GitNote" in the VSCode Extensions panel.

From source

git clone https://github.com/amaya382/gitnote.git
cd gitnote
npm install
npm run compile

Press F5 in VSCode to launch the Extension Development Host.

Quick start

Open a workspace containing a Git repository
Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) → GitNote: Enable
Edit and save files — they will be automatically committed and pushed

The status bar shows the current state: Watching, Committing, Pushing, Pulling, Paused, or Error.

Commands

Command	Description
`GitNote: Enable`	Enable auto-commit/push/pull
`GitNote: Disable`	Disable automation
`GitNote: Toggle`	Toggle on/off
`GitNote: Sync Now`	Immediately pull, commit, and push

Configuration

Setting	Default	Description
`gitnote.enabled`	`false`	Enable GitNote
`gitnote.commitDelay`	`10`	Delay (seconds) before auto-commit after save
`gitnote.autoPush`	`true`	Push to remote after commit
`gitnote.pullOnStartup`	`true`	Pull on startup
`gitnote.pullAfterIdle`	`true`	Pull on window focus or first interaction after idle
`gitnote.idleThreshold`	`30`	Idle threshold in seconds
`gitnote.filePattern`	`"*/"`	Glob pattern for target files
`gitnote.excludeBranches`	`[]`	Branches to exclude
`gitnote.commitMessageFormat`	`"GitNote: {timestamp}"`	Commit message template
`gitnote.commitOnFocusLost`	`true`	Commit and push pending changes on window focus loss
`gitnote.showCountdown`	`true`	Show countdown timer in status bar
`gitnote.conflictBehavior`	`"pause"`	`"pause"` or `"notify"` on conflicts (desktop only)

Commit message variables

{timestamp} {date} {time} {branch} {files} {count}

Example: Markdown-only notes repo

{
  "gitnote.enabled": true,
  "gitnote.filePattern": "**/*.md",
  "gitnote.commitDelay": 10,
  "gitnote.commitMessageFormat": "note: {date} ({count} files)"
}

How it works

Desktop

File save → Debounce (10s) → Safety checks → Commit → Push

Change detection — three layers: file save events, repository state changes, and filesystem watcher (for deletions/renames)
Idle detection — tracks user activity and window focus; if idle for 30s (configurable), regaining window focus or saving a file triggers a pull first
Safety — mutex-locked operations prevent concurrent git commands; automation pauses during conflicts and rebase; branch checkout cancels pending commits
Push retry — exponential backoff on failure (30s → 60s → 120s, max 3 attempts)

Browser (github.dev)

File save → Debounce (10s) → Commit (includes push)

Change detection — file save events only (createFileSystemWatcher is not available in github.dev)
Atomic commit+push — uses the remoteHub.commit command provided by the GitHub Repositories extension; commit and push happen as a single operation
Auto-pull — pulls on startup and after idle via remoteHub.pull (if available)

Development

Build

npm install
npm run compile

Test

npm run test          # Unit tests
npm run lint          # Lint

# Test web extension locally in browser
npx @vscode/test-web --browserType=chromium --extensionDevelopmentPath=./

Publish

# 1. Bump version
npm version patch  # or minor / major

# 2. Package
npx @vscode/vsce package

# 3. Publish to VS Marketplace
npx @vscode/vsce publish

# 4. Publish to Open VSX (optional)
npx ovsx publish gitnote-*.vsix -p $OVSX_TOKEN

Compatibility

Works with standard Git repositories and baretree worktree setups. Requires VSCode 1.85.0+.

Acknowledgements

Inspired by GitDoc.