Tig is a text-mode interface for Git that functions primarily as a repository browser built on ncurses.
Tig solves the problem of navigating Git repositories and reviewing changes through a terminal user interface rather than command-line arguments. It displays repository history, diffs, and file contents in an interactive pane-based layout that you can navigate with keyboard commands. Beyond browsing, the tool can stage changes for commit at the chunk level, allowing you to selectively include portions of modified files, and it can serve as a pager for output from various Git commands.
Tig suits developers who spend significant time in the terminal and prefer visual navigation of repository state over memorizing Git command syntax. It works well for code review workflows where you need to examine multiple commits and diffs in sequence, and for staging workflows where precision matters. The tool is particularly valuable on systems where graphical Git clients are unavailable or impractical, such as remote servers accessed over SSH.
The project maintains active continuous integration across Linux, macOS, and Windows platforms. Development follows a structured approach to issue handling, with bug reports directed through the GitHub issue tracker or the Git mailing list, and the maintainers request specific diagnostic information including Tig version, ncurses version, system details, and Git version when bugs are reported. The project provides comprehensive documentation through a manual and release notes, with community questions routed to Stack Overflow rather than the issue tracker.
