# copit
[](https://github.com/huynguyengl99/copit/releases)
[](https://pypi.org/project/copit/)
[](https://crates.io/crates/copit)
[](https://huynguyengl99.github.io/copit/)
[](https://github.com/huynguyengl99/copit/blob/main/LICENSE)
[](https://codecov.io/gh/huynguyengl99/copit)
Copy reusable source code from GitHub repos, HTTP URLs, and ZIP archives into your project.
Inspired by [shadcn/ui](https://ui.shadcn.com/) — instead of installing opaque packages, copit copies
source code directly into your codebase. The code is yours: readable, modifiable, and fully owned.
No hidden abstractions, no dependency lock-in. Override anything, keep what you need.
## Use cases
- **Quickly copy and own code** — Pull files from GitHub repos, HTTP URLs, or ZIP archives directly into your project. No forks, no submodules — just your own copy to read, modify, and maintain.
- **Build frameworks with injectable components** — Create a core library as a traditional package, then offer optional components that users copy into their projects via copit. Think of how shadcn/ui is built on top of Tailwind and Radix UI: the base libraries are installed as dependencies, while UI components are copied in and fully owned. Apply the same pattern to any ecosystem — a LangChain-style core as a library, with community integrations (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.) as injectable source code that users can customize freely.
## Installation
### Standalone (recommended)
```bash
# macOS / Linux
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/huynguyengl99/copit/main/install.sh | bash
```
You can specify a version or install directory:
```bash
COPIT_VERSION=v0.1.0 curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/huynguyengl99/copit/main/install.sh | bash
# Custom install location
INSTALL_DIR=/usr/local/bin curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/huynguyengl99/copit/main/install.sh | bash
```
### From PyPI
```bash
pip install copit
# or
uv pip install copit
```
### From Cargo
```bash
cargo install copit
```
### Uninstall
If installed via the standalone script:
```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/huynguyengl99/copit/main/uninstall.sh | bash
```
If installed to a custom directory:
```bash
INSTALL_DIR=/usr/local/bin curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/huynguyengl99/copit/main/uninstall.sh | bash
```
For PyPI: `pip uninstall copit`. For Cargo: `cargo uninstall copit`.
## Quick start
```bash
# Initialize a copit.toml in your project
copit init
# Copy a file from a GitHub repo
copit add github:serde-rs/serde@v1.0.219/serde/src/lib.rs
# Copy a file from a raw URL
copit add https://raw.githubusercontent.com/serde-rs/serde/refs/heads/master/LICENSE-MIT
# Copy from a ZIP archive
copit add https://example.com/archive.zip#src/utils.rs
```
## Usage
### `copit init`
Creates a `copit.toml` config file in the current directory with a default target directory (`vendor`).
### `copit add <source>...`
Fetches source code and copies it into your project.
```
Usage: copit add [OPTIONS] [SOURCES]...
Arguments:
[SOURCES]... Source(s) to add (e.g., github:owner/repo@ref/path, https://...)
Options:
--to <TO> Target directory to copy files into
--overwrite Overwrite existing files without prompting
--skip Skip existing files without prompting
--backup Save .orig copy of new version for excluded modified files
--freeze Pin this source so update and update-all skip it
--no-license Skip copying license files
```
### Source formats
| Format | Example |
|---|---|
| GitHub | `github:owner/repo@ref/path/to/file` (alias: `gh:`) |
| HTTP URL | `https://example.com/file.txt` |
| ZIP archive | `https://example.com/archive.zip#inner/path` |
### `copit update <path>...`
Re-fetches specific tracked source(s) by path (as shown in `copit.toml`). Always overwrites non-excluded files.
```bash
# Re-fetch a specific tracked source
copit update vendor/mylib
# Re-fetch with a new version
copit update vendor/mylib --ref v2.0
# Re-fetch with backup for excluded modified files
copit update vendor/mylib --backup
```
Options:
- `--ref <version>` — Override the version ref for this update (updates the source string and ref field)
- `--backup` — Save `.orig` copy of new version for excluded modified files
- `--overwrite` — Overwrite existing files without prompting
- `--skip` — Skip existing files without prompting
- `--freeze` — Pin this source so update and update-all skip it
- `--unfreeze` — Unpin this source so it can be updated again
### `copit update-all`
Re-fetches **all** tracked sources in `copit.toml`.
```bash
# Re-fetch all tracked sources
copit update-all
# Re-fetch all with backup for excluded modified files
copit update-all --backup
```
Options:
- `--ref <version>` — Override the version ref (errors if multiple sources are tracked)
- `--backup` — Save `.orig` copy of new version for excluded modified files
- `--overwrite` — Overwrite existing files without prompting
- `--skip` — Skip existing files without prompting
### `copit licenses-sync`
Reorganizes license files to match the current (or a new) `licenses_dir` configuration — moving between centralized and side-by-side layouts.
```bash
# Move all license files into a centralized directory
copit licenses-sync --licenses-dir licenses
# Move licenses back to side-by-side (next to each source)
copit licenses-sync --no-dir
# Re-sync based on current config
copit licenses-sync
```
Options:
- `--licenses-dir <DIR>` — Move licenses into a centralized directory and set `licenses_dir` in config
- `--no-dir` — Move licenses back to side-by-side and remove `licenses_dir` from config
- `--dry-run` — Preview what would be moved without making changes
### `copit remove <path>...` (alias: `rm`)
Removes previously copied files from disk and their entries from `copit.toml`.
```bash
# Remove a specific file
copit remove vendor/lib.rs
# Remove multiple files
copit rm vendor/lib.rs vendor/utils.rs
# Remove all tracked sources
copit rm --all
```
### Config file
`copit.toml` tracks your project's target directory and all copied sources:
```toml
target = "vendor"
[[sources]]
path = "vendor/prek-identify"
source = "github:j178/prek@master/crates/prek-identify"
ref = "master"
commit = "abc123def456..."
copied_at = "2026-03-07T08:46:51Z"
excludes = ["Cargo.toml", "src/lib.rs"]
```
Root-level fields:
- `overwrite`/`skip`/`backup`: Project defaults. Priority: CLI flags > per-source > root-level > `false`.
- `licenses_dir`: Centralized directory for license files. When set, licenses go to `{licenses_dir}/{relative_path}/` (mirroring the target structure) instead of next to the source.
Per-source (`[[sources]]`) fields:
- `ref`: The user-specified version string (branch/tag/sha)
- `commit`: Resolved commit SHA from GitHub API (optional, GitHub sources only)
- `excludes`: List of relative paths (within source folder) to skip on re-add. With `--backup`, the new version is saved as `<file>.orig`.
- `frozen`: Pin this source so it's skipped during `update` and `update-all`.
- `no_license`: Skip copying license files for this source (set via `--no-license` on `add`, respected by `update`/`update-all`).
- `overwrite`/`skip`/`backup`: Per-source overrides.
See [Configuration](docs/configuration.md) for full details.
## License
MIT