Azure DevOps

GitComet Pro works with Git repositories in Azure DevOps Services (dev.azure.com, including older *.visualstudio.com addresses) and Azure DevOps Server. Once connected, you can review pull requests and their comment threads, vote, complete and abandon pull requests, set auto-complete, and follow, run, and cancel pipelines.

Azure DevOps work items are not shown. GitComet Pro works with Azure Repos and Azure Pipelines only, and Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC) repositories are not supported.

Choose how to connect

Microsoft sign-in works only for work and school accounts, so a personal Microsoft account needs a token. A build without a registered Microsoft app also needs a token. In that case the form says Browser sign-in is unavailable for this host in this build.

Find your organization name

Your organization is the first part of the path in your Azure DevOps address:

https://dev.azure.com/contoso/Website/_git/website
                      ^^^^^^^ organization

For an older address such as https://contoso.visualstudio.com, the organization is contoso.

On Azure DevOps Server, enter the collection instead, usually DefaultCollection. If your server lives under a virtual directory such as https://devops.example.com/tfs/DefaultCollection, enter tfs/DefaultCollection as the collection.

Sign in with a work or school account

1. Open Settings (Cmd+, on macOS, Ctrl+, on Windows and Linux) and choose Forge connections.
2. Choose Create connection, then Azure DevOps.
3. Enter your organization in Organisation or server collection.
4. Choose Connect Azure DevOps. Your browser opens Microsoft's sign-in page. Sign in and accept the permission request.
5. Return to GitComet Pro. The connection is saved and lists your repositories.

If the browser cannot return to GitComet Pro, open the token form with Use a token and choose Use device sign-in. GitComet Pro shows a code: open the sign-in page, enter the code, and approve the request.

Your organization's Microsoft Entra administrator may need to allow GitComet Pro before you can sign in. If Microsoft asks for administrator approval, send the request to your administrator, or use a personal access token instead.

Create a personal access token

Personal access tokens are created per user, inside your organization. Microsoft documents the same steps in Use personal access tokens.

1. Sign in at dev.azure.com and open your organization.

2. Open User settings (the person icon with a gear, at the top right next to your avatar) and choose Personal access tokens.

   You can also go there directly:

   https://dev.azure.com/<organization>/_usersSettings/tokens

   On Azure DevOps Server the address is https://<server>/<collection>/_usersSettings/tokens.

   In GitComet Pro, Create token in browser opens this page once you have entered your organization.

3. Choose New Token.

4. Fill in the form:

   • Name: GitComet Pro, or anything that helps you recognize it later.
   • Organization: the organization your repositories are in. Avoid All accessible organizations: a token for one organization is safer, and GitComet Pro uses one organization per connection.
   • Expiration (UTC): as long as your organization's policy allows. The maximum is one year. When the token expires, you create a new one and reconnect.
   • Scopes: choose Custom defined and select the scopes in the next section. Do not choose Full access.

5. Choose Create, then copy the token right away. Azure DevOps shows it only once.

Token scopes

GitComet Pro needs three scopes. The access level of each one decides which features work.

Project and Team is not in the first list of scopes. Choose Show all scopes at the bottom of the form to find it.

Choose a narrower set if you need less:

• Browse only: Code Read, Build Read, Project and Team Read. You can see pull requests, threads, and pipelines, but every action that changes something fails with a permission error from Azure DevOps.
• Publish new repositories: use Code Read, write, & manage instead of Read & write. Only publishing a local repository to a new Azure Repos repository needs it.
• No pipelines: leave out Build. The pull request features keep working; pipeline views show a permission error from Azure DevOps.

GitComet Pro does not need Work Items, Release, Test Management, Packaging, Identity, or the Code Full and Status levels.

A token never gives you more than your own Azure DevOps permissions. If you cannot complete a pull request in the browser, a token with write access will not let you do it either.

Connect with the token

1. In Forge connections, choose Create connection, then Azure DevOps, then Use a token.
2. Fill in the form:
   • Instance URL (HTTPS): leave blank for dev.azure.com. For Azure DevOps Server, enter the server's address, such as https://devops.example.com.
   • Organisation or workspace: your organization, or your server collection.
   • Personal / API / access token: paste the token.
   • Repository URL (optional): leave blank.
3. Choose Connect with token.

GitComet Pro checks the token by asking Azure DevOps who it belongs to, then saves it in your operating system's keychain. The token never leaves your device except to go to Azure DevOps.

Approve repositories

When the connection is saved, its Repository access list shows the Git repositories of every project you can read in the organization. Select each repository you want to use in GitComet Pro to approve it on this device. Nothing is loaded from Azure DevOps for a repository until you approve it.

GitComet Pro matches your local clone to Azure DevOps through its remote URL. All of these forms are recognized:

https://dev.azure.com/contoso/Website/_git/website
https://contoso@dev.azure.com/contoso/Website/_git/website
https://contoso.visualstudio.com/Website/_git/website
git@ssh.dev.azure.com:v3/contoso/Website/website

When the token expires

Azure DevOps rejects an expired or revoked token, and the connection shows Reconnect required. To fix it:

1. Create a new token with the same scopes, or open the old one in Personal access tokens and choose Regenerate.
2. In GitComet Pro, open the connection's menu and choose Reconnect.
3. Choose Use a token, paste the new token, and choose Reconnect with token.
4. Approve your repositories again. Reconnecting clears the approvals.

Troubleshooting

"Enter an Azure DevOps organisation or collection." The Organisation field is empty. Enter the name from your Azure DevOps address.

"Connected, but repositories could not be loaded." The token is valid but cannot list projects or repositories. Make sure it has Project and Team: Read and Code: Read, and that it was created for this organization, not another one. Then choose Refresh repositories.

The token is rejected straight away. Check that the token's Organization matches the organization you entered, and that it has not expired. Your organization's administrators can also restrict personal access tokens by policy. Ask them if tokens are allowed.

Pull requests load, but commenting or voting fails. The token has Code Read only. Create one with Code Read & write and reconnect.

Pipelines do not load, or running a pipeline fails. The token is missing Build, or has Build Read where running needs Read & execute.

A repository is missing from the list. The list shows Git repositories in healthy projects that you can read. Make sure you are a member of the project, then choose Refresh repositories. You can also choose Verify repository URL… and paste the clone URL.