Git: Straight outta ISPF
So you want to use GIT to manage your SYS1.PARMLIB, or your USERID.COBOL.SRCE but you are (just like me) getting really tired of ftp-ing the files to a Linux-box, adding them to a git repo and commit/pushing them over and over (and over) again?
Imagine how awesome it would be to just update your git repository âstraight outta ISPFâ
Weâve tackled this with some ISPF-Rexx, a little panel and the ported git for z/OS available via awesome peeps at Rocket Software.
TL;DR -> https://streamable.com/qa2thÂ
After making changes to a member all you need to do is type âZGADDâ in front of it and the REXX will work itâs magic, copying the member over to USS, and adding it to a git repo. If no git repo is present at the requested directory it will even create one and populate it with a minimal â.gitattributesâ to ease the ASCII-EBCDIC issues :)
The pop-up window will then ask you where in USS your git-repo is (or where you want to create it) and letâs you enter a short commit message.
After pressing enter you will a directory with the same name as the PDS :) Itâs should be no suprise that the member in question (DFNSTRT) is there too...
In keeping the promise of a full git interface from ISPF letâs take a look at git log (yeah I know, still need to do some work on âlessâ)
There are still some âsharp edgesâ that need to be sorted before this stuff can be released into the wild. Itâs already sitting in a neat little private repo on GitHub (updated directly from ISPF of course).
Stay tuned.....it wonât be long until the repo goes public :)
In case youâre wondering, the members shown in the screenshots are purely for example purposes, thereâs just no way weâd have a rootkit running for z/OS. Or would we......














