tolaria/docs/adr/0059-local-only-git-commits-without-remote.md

type, id, title, status, date

type	id	title	status	date
ADR	0059	Local-only git commits for vaults without a remote	active	2026-04-12

Context

ADR-0034 mandates a git repo for every vault, but never required a remote. In practice, the commit flow always attempted a git push after staging and committing. Users with purely local vaults (no remote configured) would hit a push error on every commit.

The fix required distinguishing between two commit modes at the point of user action:

• Push mode: repo has a remote → commit then push (existing behavior).
• Local mode: repo has no remote → commit only, no push attempted.

Decision

useCommitFlow detects the vault's remote status before opening the commit dialog and at commit time. When hasRemote === false, it commits locally and skips the push step entirely, showing "Committed locally (no remote configured)" as the confirmation toast.

Options considered

• Option A (chosen): Runtime detection via a new useGitRemoteStatus hook + CommitMode type (push | local). Pros: transparent to the user, no configuration needed, adapts if a remote is added later. Cons: adds an async remote-status check to the commit open flow.
• Option B: Require all vaults to have a remote (keep blocking behavior). Pros: simpler model. Cons: breaks the valid use case of a local-only knowledge base; contradicts ADR-0056 which removed provider-specific OAuth.
• Option C: Let the push fail silently and always show success. Pros: no new logic. Cons: misleading feedback; users wouldn't know the push was skipped vs. succeeded.

Consequences

• useGitRemoteStatus is a new hook that exposes remoteStatus and refreshRemoteStatus; it is called both when opening the commit dialog and after each commit.
• CommitDialog now receives a commitMode prop and adjusts its CTA label accordingly (Commit & Push vs Commit).
• The commitAndPush callback in CommitFlowConfig is replaced by resolveRemoteStatus + vaultPath; the actual git operations (git_commit, git_push) are invoked directly inside useCommitFlow.
• Local-only commits fire trackEvent('commit_made') the same as push commits for analytics continuity.
• Re-evaluation warranted if a remote is later added to a previously-local vault and the UX should prompt the user to push accumulated commits.