# Gerrit Code Review: Developer Setup

version v3.4.4

To build a developer instance, you’ll need Bazel to compile the code, preferably launched with Bazelisk.

## Git Setup

### Getting the Source

Create a new client workspace:

      git clone --recurse-submodules https://gerrit.googlesource.com/gerrit
      cd gerrit

The `--recurse-submodules` option is needed on `git clone` to ensure that the core plugins, which are included as git submodules, are also cloned.

### Switching between branches

When using `git checkout` without `--recurse-submodules` to switch between branches, submodule revisions are not altered, which can result in:

- Incorrect or unneeded plugin revisions.

- Missing plugins.

After you switch branches, ensure that you have the correct versions of the submodules.

Caution | If you store Eclipse or IntelliJ project files in the Gerrit source directories, do not run `git clean -fdx`. Doing so may remove untracked files and damage your project. For more information, see git-clean.

Run the following:

      git submodule update
      git clean -ffd

## Compiling

For details, see Building with Bazel.

## Testing

### Running the acceptance tests

Gerrit contains acceptance tests that validate the Gerrit daemon via REST, SSH, and the Git protocol.

A new review site is created for each test and the Gerrit daemon is then started on that site. When the test is completed, the Gerrit daemon is shut down.

For instructions on running the acceptance tests with Bazel, see Running Unit Tests with Bazel.

### End-to-end tests

This document describes how `e2e` (load or functional) test scenarios are implemented using `Gatling`.

## Local server

### Site Initialization

After you compile the project (above), run the Gerrit `init` command to create a test site:

      export GERRIT_SITE=~/gerrit_testsite
      $(bazel info output_base)/external/local_jdk/bin/java \
          -jar bazel-bin/gerrit.war init --batch --dev -d $GERRIT_SITE

Note | You must use the same Java version that Bazel used for the build, which is available at `$(bazel info output_base)/external/local_jdk/bin/java`.

This command takes two parameters:

- `--batch` assigns default values to several Gerrit configuration options. To learn more about these options, see Configuration.

- `--dev` configures the Gerrit server to use the authentication option, `DEVELOPMENT_BECOME_ANY_ACCOUNT`, which enables you to switch between different users to explore how Gerrit works. To learn more about setting up Gerrit for development, see Gerrit Code Review: Developer Setup.

After initializing the test site, Gerrit starts serving in the background. A web browser displays the Start page.

On the Start page, you can:

1. Log in as the account you created during the initialization process.

2. Register additional accounts.

3. Create projects.

To shut down the daemon, run:

      $GERRIT_SITE/bin/gerrit.sh stop

### Working with the Local Server

To create more accounts on your development instance:

1. Click 'become' in the upper right corner.

2. Select 'Switch User'.

3. Register a new account.

4. Configure your SSH key.

Use the `ssh` protocol to clone from and push to the local server. For example, to clone a repository that you’ve created through the admin interface, run:

    git clone ssh://username@localhost:29418/projectname

To use the `HTTP` protocol, run:

    git clone http://username@localhost:8080/projectname

The default password for user `admin` is `secret`. You can regenerate a password in the UI under User Settings — HTTP credentials. The password can be stored locally to avoid retyping it:

    git config --global credential.helper store
    git pull

To create changes as users of Gerrit would, run:

    git push origin HEAD:refs/for/master

### Running the Daemon

The daemon can be launched directly from the build area, without copying to the test site:

      $(bazel info output_base)/external/local_jdk/bin/java \
         -jar bazel-bin/gerrit.war daemon -d $GERRIT_SITE \
         --console-log

Note | To learn why using `java -jar` isn’t sufficient, see this explanation.

To debug the Gerrit server of this test site:

1. Open a debug port (such as port 5005). To do so, insert the following code immediately after `-jar` in the previous command. To learn how to attach IntelliJ, see Debugging a remote Gerrit server.

    -agentlib:jdwp=transport=dt_socket,server=y,suspend=n,address=5005

### Running the Daemon with Gerrit Inspector

Gerrit Inspector is an interactive scriptable environment you can use to inspect and modify the internal state of the system.

Gerrit Inspector appears on the system console whenever the system starts. Leaving the Inspector shuts down the Gerrit instance.

To troubleshoot, the Inspector enables interactive work as well as running of Python scripts.

To start the Inspector, add the '-s' option to the daemon start command:

      $(bazel info output_base)/external/local_jdk/bin/java \
         -jar bazel-bin/gerrit.war daemon -d $GERRIT_SITE -s

Note | To learn why using `java -jar` isn’t sufficient, see this explanation.

Inspector examines Java libraries, loads the initialization scripts, and starts a command line prompt on the console:

      Welcome to the Gerrit Inspector
      Enter help() to see the above again, EOF to quit and stop Gerrit
      Jython 2.5.2 (Release_2_5_2:7206, Mar 2 2011, 23:12:06)
      [OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (Sun Microsystems Inc.)] on java1.6.0 running for
      Gerrit 2.3-rc0-163-g01967ef
      >>>

When the Inspector is enabled, you can use Gerrit as usual and all interfaces (including HTTP and SSH) are available.

Caution | When using the Inspector, be careful not to modify the internal state of the system.

## Setup for backend developers

### Configuring Eclipse

To use the Eclipse IDE for development, see Eclipse Setup.

To configure the Eclipse workspace with Bazel, see Eclipse integration with Bazel.

### Configuring IntelliJ IDEA

See IntelliJ Setup for details.

## Setup for frontend developers

See Frontend Developer Setup.

Part of Gerrit Code Review