GitHub Client (Rust) - Create Repo from Template

CLI to create a new GitHub repository from a template repository using the GitHub API.

• repo_name: name of the new repository (string)
• repo_desc: description (string)
• repo_type: public or private
• template_name: template in the form owner/repo (string)
• branch: include all branches from the template (boolean)
• protect_default_branch: whether to protect the default branch after creation (boolean, default true)

Provide a GitHub token via GITHUB_TOKEN or GH_TOKEN with permissions to:

• Read the template repository (and its branches).
• Create repositories under the authenticated user or organization.

Recommended:

• For public repos: a token with public_repo.
• For private repos: a token with repo.
• For organizations: make sure the token has permission to create repositories in that org, and the org policy allows template usage.

Fine-grained PAT (recommended):

• Repository permissions (on your account/org):
  • Administration: Read and write (needed for branch protection and branch creation)
  • Environments: Read and write (needed to configure environments)
  • Metadata: Read
• On the template repository:
  • Contents: Read

# Environment variables (recommended)
export GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_your_pat_here
export REPO_NAME="my-new-repo"
export REPO_DESC="My repo from template"
export REPO_TYPE="private" # or public
export TEMPLATE_NAME="owner/template-repo"
export BRANCH="false" # set to true to include all branches
export PROTECT_DEFAULT_BRANCH="true" # toggle default-branch protection
cargo run --release --

Or via flags:

cargo run --release -- \
 --repo-name my-new-repo \
 --repo-desc "My repo from template" \
 --repo-type private \
 --template-name owner/template-repo \
 --branch \
 --protect-default-branch

This repository includes a workflow create-repo.yml with workflow_dispatch inputs. Trigger it from the Actions tab and provide:

• repo_name, repo_desc, repo_type, template_name, branch, protect_default_branch

Set a repository secret GH_PAT with an appropriate Personal Access Token (see above). The workflow will use this token to create the repository.

• The CLI applies branch protection to the repository’s default branch when protect_default_branch=true.
• It waits briefly for the default branch to be fully available to avoid 404 race conditions, then sets protection rules:
  • PR required with at least 1 approval
  • Dismiss stale reviews, require last push approval
  • Enforce admins
  • Disallow force-pushes and deletions
  • Require linear history and conversation resolution

When the template repository name starts with service- (e.g., service-golang, service-rust), the CLI auto-configures:

• Branches:
  • Creates dev from the default branch.
  • Applies protection to dev (same policy as default) if protection is enabled.
• Environments:
  • dev environment allows branches dev, feature/*, hotfix/*.
  • release environment allows branches release/*, main.

This makes it easy to follow a GitFlow-style workflow across service repositories created from standard service templates.

• If the template name starts with service-, the CLI seeds the new repository by copying folders from a service-template repository:
  • terraform/, helm/, kustomize/
• By default it looks for <owner>/service-template. You can override with:
  • Flag: --service-template-repo otherOwner/service-template
  • Env: SERVICE_TEMPLATE_REPO=otherOwner/service-template