Re: [PATCH] Solve git-submodule issues with detached work trees

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Jul 23, 2012, 18:21 UTC
Message-ID: <7v7gtumj88.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org>
In-Reply-To: <500D8C30.9010807@web.de>

Jens Lehmann <Jens.Lehmann@web.de> writes:

Show 35 quoted lines

> Am 23.07.2012 07:09, schrieb Junio C Hamano:
>> Daniel Graña <dangra@gmail.com> writes:
>> 
>>> A common way to track dotfiles with git is using GIT_DIR and
>>> GIT_WORK_TREE to move repository out of ~/.git with something like:
>>>
>>>     git init --bare ~/.dotfiles
>>>     alias dotfiles="GIT_DIR=~/.dotfiles GIT_WORK_TREE=~ git"
>>>
>>>     dotfiles add ~/.bashrc
>>>     dotfiles commit -a -m "add my bashrc"
>>>     ...
>>>
>>> but git-submodule complains when trying to add submodules:
>>>
>>>     dotfiles submodule add http://path.to/submodule
>>>     fatal: working tree '/home/user' already exists.
>>>
>>>     git --git-dir ~/.dotfiles submodule add http://path.to/submodule
>>>     fatal: /usr/lib/git-core/git-submodule cannot be used without a
>>> working tree.
>>>
>>> Signed-off-by: Daniel Graña <dangra@gmail.com>
>>> ---
>> 
>> I think this is in line with what we discussed earlier on list when
>> the interaction between GIT_DIR/GIT_WORK_TREE and submodules came up
>> the last time.  Jens?
>
> Yes, I think this is the only way submodules in current git can
> be used with the GIT_DIR and GIT_WORK_TREE environment variables:
> set them when adding or initializing the submodule and always use
> the same settings when accessing them later. Daniel's dotfile
> alias achieves exactly that, so his fix looks good. But I agree
> the tests should be improved as you already pointed out.

Thanks for a quick review. The "the only way ... in current git can be used" part makes it sound as if it is a somewhat suboptimal ugly workaround, but if that is what you meant, what is a more optimal and less ugly way that you have in mind?

If you want to move .git out of way with GIT_DIR and if you want to sit somewhere different from the top of your working tree, you must use GIT_WORK_TREE (or core.worktree) to tell where the top resides, whether your project use submodules or not, so I do not think it is an ugly workaround but is the one true way to use such a dismembered layout, I would think.