CS EphGit

EphGit is the Computer Science department’s GitLab server. Store code and projects, collaberate and keep a history of your work. Made a wrong move? No Problem! Go back to yesterday with git.

URL: https://evolene.cs.williams.edu

Your instructor or course staff must create your GitLab account before your first login. If Okta sign-in succeeds but GitLab says you are not authorized, ask your instructor — you may not be provisioned yet.

Sign in

From a browser

1. Open https://evolene.cs.williams.edu
2. You are sent to Williams Okta (campus login)
3. After Okta, you return to EphGit, signed in

From the Okta dashboard

1. Sign in to Okta at https://sso.williams.edu
2. Open the CS EphGit tile
3. You land on EphGit, signed in

Create a new project

1. Sign in to EphGit
2. Click New project (or the + menu → New project/repository)
3. Choose Create blank project
4. Fill in:
   • Project name — e.g. cs136-lab1 or final-project
   • Project URL — often your username or a group name from the course
   • Visibility — use what your course requires (many course repos are Private)
5. Click Create project

GitLab shows a page with clone URLs and starter commands.

For course work, your instructor may instead give you a group or template project to fork or join — follow their directions if they differ from the steps above.

Using git from the terminal

Work on a CS lab or compute machine or laptop. Replace USERNAME, PROJECT, and paths with your own values.

Clone a project (HTTPS)

cd ~/cs136
git clone https://evolene.cs.williams.edu/USERNAME/PROJECT.git
cd PROJECT

HTTPS may ask for credentials. For routine work on CS machines, SSH (below) is often easier once your SSH key is added to GitLab.

Clone a project (SSH)

cd ~/cs136
git clone git@evolene.cs.williams.edu:USERNAME/PROJECT.git
cd PROJECT

Add your SSH public key under Preferences → SSH Keys in the GitLab web UI if git clone over SSH fails.

Everyday workflow

cd PROJECT
git status
git add file1.py file2.py
git commit -m "Add lab solution"
git push

Pull updates from a partner or the starter repo:

git pull

Connect an existing folder to a new empty project

If you already have files locally and created an empty project on GitLab:

cd my-lab-folder
git init
git remote add origin git@evolene.cs.williams.edu:USERNAME/PROJECT.git
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"
git branch -M main
git push -u origin main

Tips

• Commit often with clear messages — small commits are easier to undo and review.
• Do not commit secrets (passwords, API keys). Use .gitignore for build artifacts and local config.
• Project URL in the browser looks like https://evolene.cs.williams.edu/USERNAME/PROJECT.
• If git push is rejected, run git pull first, resolve any conflicts, then push again.

For account or access problems, contact your course staff — not OIT for GitLab project permissions.