Gitee — A Domestic Code Hosting Platform for China

Overview

This section introduces Gitee (also known as “码云”), a code hosting platform based in China that offers functionality similar to GitHub. It is particularly useful for IoT developers working within mainland China, and covers common workflows when using Gitee with the Trae IDE.

After completing this section, you will be able to:

Create a Gitee repository
Configure Gitee credentials in Trae IDE
Use Git credential helpers to store Gitee authentication
Authenticate with Personal Access Tokens (PAT) on macOS

Prerequisites

Before starting this section, make sure you have:

Completed the Git Version Control Basics section
Installed Trae IDE
(Optional) A Gitee account

What is Gitee?

Gitee (https://gitee.com) is a code hosting platform launched by OSChina. It provides features similar to GitHub, with several advantages for developers in mainland China:

Fast access: Servers are located in China — no VPN required
Free private repositories: The free tier includes private repos
Domestic cloud integration: Easier integration with Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud, etc.
Chinese-language UI: Fully localized interface

Note for international readers: If you are outside mainland China, you will likely use GitHub instead. The Git workflows described here apply equally to GitHub — simply replace gitee.com with github.com in the examples below.

Setting Up a Gitee Repository in Trae

Trae IDE supports standard Git operations and can connect to Gitee repositories:

1. Create a Repository on Gitee

Log in to Gitee → Click ”+” in the top-right corner → New Repository → Fill in name, description, choose public/private → Create.

After creation, you will get a repository URL:

https://gitee.com/your-username/repo-name.git

2. Clone the Repository Locally in Trae

Open the terminal in Trae and run:

git clone https://gitee.com/your-username/repo-name.git

# Or use the "Source Control" panel in Trae → "Clone Repository" → paste the Gitee URL

3. Let Trae Automate Git Operations

Trae’s AI features (Agent mode) can automatically perform Git operations including git add, git commit, git push, and git pull.

To enable this, make sure:

Git user info is configured:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your-email@example.com"

Gitee credentials are configured (see below)
The working directory is a valid Git repository: Trae’s Agent auto-detects this. If not, run git init or git clone first.

Tip: In Trae’s AI mode, you can use natural language commands like:

“Commit with message ‘Add temperature sensor driver’”

“Push to remote”

“Pull latest changes”

Remembering Gitee Credentials

When using HTTPS, each push/pull requires username and password. Use Git’s credential helper to store them:

macOS Keychain (Recommended)

git config --global credential.helper osxkeychain

After configuration, the first git push/git pull will prompt for credentials (use your PAT as the password — see below). Credentials are then saved in the macOS Keychain.

Persistent File Storage (General Solution)

# Stores credentials in plaintext — use only on personal machines
git config --global credential.helper store

Per-Domain Configuration

# Use credential store only for Gitee
git config --global credential.https://gitee.com.helper store

Authenticating with Personal Access Tokens (PAT) on Mac

Since 2022, both Gitee and GitHub no longer support account passwords for HTTPS Git operations. Use a Personal Access Token instead.

1. Generate a PAT on Gitee

Log in to Gitee → Avatar → Settings
Left menu → Security Settings → Personal Access Tokens
Click “Generate New Token”
Add a description (e.g., “Trae IDE development”)
Select scopes (recommended: projects, git_hooks, hooks, pull_requests)
Click Submit — copy the token immediately (it is shown only once!)

2. Use PAT for Authentication on Mac

Option A: HTTPS + PAT

git push
# When prompted:
#   Username: your Gitee username
#   Password: paste your PAT

Option B: Store PAT in Keychain (Recommended)

Combined with osxkeychain:

git config --global credential.helper osxkeychain

# Trigger a push, enter PAT when prompted — it will be saved automatically
echo "test" > test.txt
git add test.txt
git commit -m "Test PAT authentication"
git push -u origin main

Option C: SSH Key Authentication (Password-Free)

# 1. Generate SSH key
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your-email@example.com"

# 2. View public key
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

# 3. Add public key to Gitee: Settings → SSH Keys

# 4. Clone via SSH
git clone git@gitee.com:your-username/repo-name.git

# 5. Verify connection
ssh -T git@gitee.com

Troubleshooting

Q1: “remote: The project you were looking for could not be found.”

Cause: Incorrect repository URL or no access
Fix: Verify the URL and check collaborator permissions

Q2: “Authentication failed”

Cause: Expired PAT or incorrect password
Fix: Regenerate PAT and update stored credentials

Q3: macOS Keychain prompt keeps appearing

Cause: Expired or corrupted Keychain entry
Fix: Open Keychain Access app → search gitee.com → delete the entry → reconfigure

Q4: Trae AI reports “not a git repository”

Cause: Working directory is not a Git repo
Fix: Run git init or clone an existing repository

Summary

Skill	Key Operations
Gitee repository setup	Create account, create repo, get URL
Trae auto Git ops	Configure user.name/email, ensure credentials work
Remember credentials	Use `osxkeychain` or other credential helpers
Mac PAT authentication	Generate token, store in Keychain, push without password
SSH password-free login	Generate key, add to Gitee, clone via SSH

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