Gitolite is a Perl-based Git repository management system that provides fine-grained access control, mirroring, and extensibility through a plugin architecture. It operates as a layer on top of plain Git, intercepting SSH and HTTP connections to enforce repository-level and branch-level permissions. Key entry points include `src/gitolite` (CLI) and `src/gitolite-shell` (SSH/HTTP handler). The system compiles a central configuration file into a cached Perl data structure, then uses triggers and VREFs (virtual refs) to enforce rules during push and access operations. Internally, the architecture is modular: core libraries (`Rc.pm`, `Conf/Load.pm`, `Conf/Store.pm`) handle configuration loading and access checks; triggers (e.g., `Mirroring`, `Writable`, `Shell`) extend behavior at lifecycle points; and commands provide admin and user-facing operations. The trigger system and VREF pattern allow third-party extensions without modifying core code. The project includes a substantial test suite with a custom testing DSL (`Tsh.pm`) that simulates SSH and Git operations. External dependencies are minimal: Git, Perl 5.10+, and standard libraries. Optional integrations include Redis for caching, LDAP/FreeIPA for user groups, and HTTP servers for smart-HTTP. The codebase is mature and battle-tested, with over a decade of production use, though some contrib scripts and advanced features (e.g., `EMAIL-CHECK`, `refex-expr`) remain experimental or poorly documented.