feat(ui): persist PAT between sessions for gitingest.com

[cyclotruc]

Add Persistence for Personal Access Token (PAT) in Frontend

📝 Problem

Currently, when users enter their GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT) to access private repositories, the token is not persisted between browser sessions. Users have to re-enter their PAT every time they visit the site or refresh the page.

This creates friction for users who frequently work with private repositories and need to enter their token repeatedly.

🎯 Desired Outcome

Users should have the option to persist their PAT locally so they don't need to re-enter it on every visit, while maintaining appropriate security considerations.

🤔 Discussion Points

Some questions to consider when implementing this feature:

Storage Options:

• Should we use localStorage, sessionStorage, or something else?
• What are the security trade-offs of different approaches?

User Experience:

• Should persistence be opt-in or opt-out?
• How do we inform users about the security implications?
• Should there be an easy way to clear saved tokens?

Security Considerations:

• How do we balance convenience with security?
• Should we implement any form of token obfuscation?
• What warnings or disclaimers should we show users?

Implementation Scope:

• Should this be a simple browser storage solution?
• Are there other authentication patterns we should consider?

Feel free to comment with your thoughts on the best approach!

[cyclotruc]

see also: #193

[filipchristiansen]

I will tag this closed PR #257 as well to remind us that we may want to add support for private repos also for GitLab etc.

[gethsun1]

Hi @cyclotruc,

I'd love to work on this issue. As a fullstack developer with experience in Web3 and user authentication flows, I understand the need to balance convenience with client-side security.

I propose making PAT persistence an opt-in feature using localStorage, coupled with:

• A toggle switch in the UI to enable/disable persistence
• A security notice or tooltip explaining risks
• An easy way to clear saved tokens from settings

I'm confident I can ship a clean, user-friendly solution that respects user control and security best practices. Let me know if you'd like a quick technical outline before I start!

Thanks in advance,

[cyclotruc]

@gethsun1 Hi and thank you for offering your help
You are very welcome to tackle this one, as long as you explain the security implications of your changes in your PR we should be good!

Looking forward to see your contribution!

[gethsun1]

Thanks @cyclotruc for the assignment and prompt response

I'll start working on the implementation shortly will make sure to include a clear explanation of the security implications & will also explore making the persistence opt-in via the UI for better user awareness

Looking forward to contributing

I’ll share progress updates soon