Out-of-repository file remove error

git rm seems to have a problem with removing a file from a repository when the repository .git and working tree are not in the current directory. It leaves an index.lock file.

Here's a script to show the bug:

mkdir Bugtest cd Bugtest git init date > newfile git add newfile git commit -m 'Added' newfile cd .. git --git-dir=Bugtest/.git --work-tree=Bugtest rm newfile ls -l Bugtest/.git/index.lock

Output:

Initialized empty Git repository in .../Bugtest/.git/
Created initial commit 43dec15: Added
 1 files changed, 1 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 newfile
rm 'newfile'
fatal: Unable to write new index file
-rw-r--r-- 1 nick nick 32 Jul 19 18:20 Bugtest/.git/index.lock

I tested on:

git version 1.5.6.2 git version 1.5.6.3.440.g9d8f

Nick.