# Supercharge Your Git Commits with OpenCommit and Ollama

> Generate meaningful commit messages using AI locally with OpenCommit and Ollama - no API keys or cloud services required

- Page: https://midgarcorp.cc/blog/supercharge-git-commits-with-opencommit-and-ollama/
- Author: guitaripod (Midgar Oy)
- Published: 2025-06-12
- Tags: git, ai, ollama, productivity, developer-tools

Writing meaningful commit messages is crucial for maintaining a readable project history. [OpenCommit](https://github.com/di-sukharev/opencommit) automates this process by analyzing your staged changes and generating contextual commit messages using AI. By combining it with Ollama, you can run everything locally without API keys or cloud services.

## Benefits of Local AI Commits

Running OpenCommit with Ollama provides several advantages:

- **Complete privacy** - Your code never leaves your machine
- **No API keys** - No service sign-ups or credential management
- **Zero costs** - Generate unlimited commits without usage fees
- **Fast responses** - No network latency
- **Offline capability** - Works without internet after initial model download

## Prerequisites

- Node.js installed on your system
- Ollama installed and running ([ollama.com](https://ollama.com))
- At least one Ollama model downloaded (`ollama pull mistral`)

## Installation

Install OpenCommit globally:

```bash
npm install -g opencommit
```

Configure OpenCommit to use Ollama:

```bash
oco config set OCO_AI_PROVIDER='ollama'
oco config set OCO_MODEL='mistral'
oco config set OCO_API_URL='http://localhost:11434/api/chat'
oco config set OCO_GITPUSH=false  # Disable auto-push for more control
```

## Basic Usage

Stage your changes and generate a commit:

```bash
git add .
oco
```

OpenCommit analyzes your staged changes and generates a commit message. You can accept, regenerate, or edit the suggestion.

Skip confirmation for faster workflow:

```bash
oco --yes
```

## Model Selection

Different Ollama models offer various performance characteristics:

```bash
# List available models
ollama list

# Fast and efficient - recommended for most use cases
oco config set OCO_MODEL='mistral:latest'

# Higher quality, slower generation
oco config set OCO_MODEL='llama3.2:latest'

# Best quality for complex changes
oco config set OCO_MODEL='gemma2:27b'

# Code-specialized model
oco config set OCO_MODEL='devstral:latest'
```

## Configuration Options

### GitMoji Support

```bash
# Enable emoji prefixes
oco config set OCO_EMOJI=true

# Use full GitMoji specification
oco --fgm
```

### Detailed Descriptions

```bash
# Add multi-sentence change descriptions
oco config set OCO_DESCRIPTION=true
```

### Language Settings

```bash
# Generate commits in different languages
oco config set OCO_LANGUAGE=es  # Spanish
oco config set OCO_LANGUAGE=fr  # French
oco config set OCO_LANGUAGE=de  # German
```

## Per-Project Configuration

Override global settings with a project-specific `.env` file:

```env
OCO_AI_PROVIDER=ollama
OCO_MODEL=devstral:latest
OCO_EMOJI=true
OCO_DESCRIPTION=false
OCO_LANGUAGE=en
```

Useful for maintaining different commit conventions across projects and teams.

## Git Hook Integration

Set up OpenCommit as a prepare-commit-msg hook:

```bash
# Install hook
oco hook set

# Regular commits now use OpenCommit
git add .
git commit  # Automatically generates message

# Remove hook
oco hook unset
```

Integrates seamlessly with IDE source control features.

## Remote Ollama Configuration

Connect to Ollama running on another machine:

```bash
# Configure remote endpoint
oco config set OCO_API_URL='http://192.168.1.100:11434/api/chat'
```

Useful for leveraging more powerful hardware or sharing an Ollama instance across teams.

## Troubleshooting

### Verify Ollama Connection

```bash
curl http://localhost:11434/api/tags
```

### Model Errors

```bash
# Pull model before using
ollama pull mistral
oco config set OCO_MODEL='mistral'
```

### Performance Issues

- Use smaller models (`mistral`, `phi`) for faster generation
- Verify adequate RAM allocation for Ollama
- Monitor system resources during generation

### Commit Quality

- Stage meaningful changes before generation
- Use more capable models for complex diffs
- Enable descriptions: `oco config set OCO_DESCRIPTION=true`

## Advanced Features

### File Exclusions

Create `.opencommitignore` to exclude files:

```
*.log
build/
dist/
**/*.min.js
```

### Template Placeholders

```bash
# Issue reference
oco '#123: $msg'

# PR reference
oco 'PR-456: $msg'
```

### Configuration Management

```bash
# View all settings
oco config describe

# Check specific setting
oco config describe OCO_MODEL
```

## Practical Workflow

### Single Commit Workflow

```bash
# Review changes
git diff

# Stage and commit
git add src/
oco --yes

# Push when ready
git push
```

### Multi-Commit Feature Development

```bash
# Component implementation
git add src/components/
oco --yes

# Test coverage
git add tests/
oco --yes

# Documentation updates
git add README.md
oco --yes

# Review before push
git log --oneline -5
git push
```

## Best Practices

- **Model Selection**: Start with `mistral` for speed, upgrade to larger models as needed
- **Staging Strategy**: Stage related changes together for coherent commit messages
- **Review Generated Messages**: Always review AI suggestions before committing
- **Project Standards**: Use `.env` files to enforce team commit conventions
- **Security**: Keep `.opencommitignore` updated to exclude sensitive files

## Conclusion

OpenCommit with Ollama provides a powerful, privacy-focused solution for generating meaningful commit messages. The combination delivers professional git history without sacrificing code privacy or incurring API costs. Setup takes minutes, and the workflow enhancement is immediate.

Start using `oco` instead of manual commit messages and watch your git history transform into a searchable, meaningful record of your project's evolution.