Question 1

How do I set up my GitHub token for cli-github?

Accepted Answer

Set the GITHUB_TOKEN environment variable temporarily with export or permanently in /etc/environment, but avoid hardcoding it in scripts for security. The README provides basic commands but lacks advanced token management tips.

Question 2

cli-github or GitHub's official gh CLI: which is better?

Accepted Answer

cli-github is simpler and focuses on data fetching like repo info and downloads, while gh CLI offers a broader feature set including PRs and issues. Use cli-github for basic tasks; gh CLI for a full GitHub workflow.

Question 3

Can cli-github access private repositories?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but only if your GitHub token has the necessary repo permissions. Ensure the token is properly scoped when setting it up, as the tool relies on API access without additional configuration options.

Question 4

How to download all files from a repository recursively?

Accepted Answer

Use the -r option to list files with sizes, but for bulk downloads, you can use -dt or -dz for tarballs/zipballs of the entire repo. For specific files, you might need to script around the limitations.

Question 5

Is cli-github compatible with Windows?

Accepted Answer

As a Python tool, it should work on Windows if Python is installed, but the README doesn't provide Windows-specific instructions, so setup may require manual adjustments for environment variables.

Question 6

How can I filter repositories by language or stars?

Accepted Answer

cli-github doesn't have built-in filtering; you would need to pipe output to other commands like grep or awk. This limitation makes it less suitable for complex data analysis tasks.

Question 7

Is cli-github still maintained and updated?

Accepted Answer

Based on the README, the last significant update isn't clear, and with dependencies like future, it may not actively incorporate new GitHub API features, so check the GitHub repo for recent activity.

cli-github

What is cli-github?

Overview

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Pros & Cons

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Frequently Asked Questions