Opening a Repository

Crab Desktop supports three ways to start working with a repository.

Clone a Remote Repository

Best for: starting fresh with a repository hosted in cloud storage or on a git forge.

1. Open the Clone dialog: File → Clone or Cmd+Shift+P → "Clone Repository"
2. Enter the repository URL:
   • crab://bucket/repo — Crab cloud storage
   • https://github.com/org/repo.git — HTTPS
   • git@github.com:org/repo.git — SSH
3. Choose a local directory
4. Click Clone

For Crab URLs, the clone downloads only metadata (refs and pack files). File content stays in the cloud until you hydrate it. See Large Files for details.

Open a Local Folder

Best for: repositories already on your machine.

1. File → Open Folder (or drag a folder onto the app window)
2. Select a directory containing a .git folder
3. The repository loads immediately

The app detects whether the repository uses Crab (has .crab/ directory) and enables large-file features accordingly.

Connect to a Remote Server

Best for: working with repositories on GPU servers, cloud instances, or shared machines.

1. Open the SSH view from the Activity Bar
2. Add a connection (or import from ~/.ssh/config)
3. Browse the remote filesystem and open a repository

Remote repositories work identically to local ones — all operations are transparently routed over SSH. See SSH Remote for the full guide.

Multiple Repositories

You can have multiple repositories open simultaneously:

• Each appears in the sidebar
• Click to switch between them
• Pin frequently-used repos to keep them at the top
• Drag to reorder

Repositories are restored automatically on next launch (configurable in Settings → Workspace → Reopen repos on startup).

What Happens After Opening

Once a repository is open:

1. The Dashboard loads with repository metrics
2. The Explorer shows the file tree
3. Git status is available immediately
4. The sidebar shows the repo name and current branch