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Re: [PATCH/RFC 0/4] config: read both home and xdg files for --global

From
Johannes Schindelin <johannes.schindelin@gmx.de>
Date
Nov 17, 2025, 13:29 UTC
Message-ID
<8e2b868d-8753-bbcd-840c-8eaefaa7cbd1@gmx.de>
In-Reply-To
<pull.1938.git.1760058849.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
Hi,
On Fri, 10 Oct 2025, Delilah Ashley Wu via GitGitGadget wrote:
Show 59 quoted lines
> As reported in [1]: `$HOME/.gitconfig` and `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/git/config` are
> both valid global config locations, but `git config list --global` only
> includes the former in its output.
> 
> Suppose we have this config in `$HOME/.gitconfig`:
> 
> [home]
>     config = true
> 
> 
> And this config in `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/git/config`:
> 
> [xdg]
>     config = true
> 
> 
> Then, to reproduce the issue that `--global` only shows the home config:
> 
> $ git config list --global --show-scope --show-origin
> global  file:/Users/delilah/.gitconfig    home.config=true
> 
> 
> Git correctly applies the XDG config in its effective configuration, but it
> doesn't show up when `--global` is specified. We can confirm this by
> checking the output without the `--global` flag:
> 
> $ git config list --show-scope --show-origin
> global  file:/Users/delilah/.config/git/config    xdg.config=true
> global  file:/Users/delilah/.gitconfig            home.config=true
> 
> 
> The expected behaviour is both configs should be shown when `--global` is
> specified, so we'd expect its output to look the same as above. This was
> confirmed in [2], which quoted the `git config` documentation:
> 
> > OPTIONS
> >     --global::
> >         For writing options: write to global `~/.gitconfig` file
> >         rather than the repository `.git/config`, write to
> >         `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/git/config` file if this file exists and the
> >         `~/.gitconfig` file doesn't.
> >
> >         For reading options: read only from global `~/.gitconfig` and from
> >         `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/git/config` rather than from all available files.
> 
> 
> The first patch fixes forward slash normalisation on Windows paths. The
> second patch introduces tests and regression checks. The third and fourth
> patches implement the fix to include both config files when `--global` is
> specified. Johannes has kindly pre-reviewed this patch series via GitHub on
> GitGitGadget #1938 [3]. You'll notice some force-pushes after the review,
> but I only changed commit messages.
> 
> [1]:
> https://lore.kernel.org/git/CAFA9we-QLQRzJdGMMCPatmfrk1oHeiUu9msMRXXk1MLE5HRxBQ@mail.gmail.com/
> [2]: https://lore.kernel.org/git/xmqqmt5lezi3.fsf@gitster.g/
> [3]: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/pull/1938/
> 
> Thank you all for your time!

For the record, my "Reviewed-by:" still stands, if lack of reviews should be the reason why this patch series has not even entered the `seen` branch.

Ciao, Johannes

Previous: Junio C HamanoNext: Junio C Hamano
Message 12 of 30 in “config: read both home and xdg files for --global”
  1. 0/4 config: read both home and xdg files for --globalDelilah Ashley Wu via GitGitGadget, Oct 10, 2025
  2. 1/4 cleanup_path: force forward slashes on WindowsDelilah Ashley Wu via GitGitGadget, Oct 10, 2025
  3. Junio C HamanoNov 19, 2025
  4. 2/4 config: test home and xdg files in `list --global`Delilah Ashley Wu via GitGitGadget, Oct 10, 2025
  5. Junio C HamanoNov 19, 2025
  6. 3/4 config: read global scope via config_sequenceDelilah Ashley Wu via GitGitGadget, Oct 10, 2025
  7. Junio C HamanoNov 19, 2025
  8. 4/4 config: keep bailing on unreadable global filesDelilah Ashley Wu via GitGitGadget, Oct 10, 2025
  9. Kristoffer HaugsbakkOct 10, 2025
  10. Delilah Ashley WuNov 22, 2025
  11. Junio C HamanoJan 20, 2026
  12. Johannes SchindelinNov 17, 2025
  13. Junio C HamanoNov 18, 2025
  14. Junio C HamanoNov 19, 2025
  15. Delilah Ashley WuNov 22, 2025
  16. 0/3 config: read both home and xdg files for --globalDelilah Ashley Wu, Aug 23, 2026
  17. 2/3 config: let sequence require a successful fileDelilah Ashley Wu, Aug 23, 2026
  18. Junio C HamanoAug 26, 2026
  19. Delilah Ashley WuOct 9, 2026
  20. 1/3 path: use forward slashes in XDG config on WindowsDelilah Ashley Wu, Aug 23, 2026
  21. Junio C HamanoAug 26, 2026
  22. Delilah Ashley WuSep 10, 2026
  23. Delilah Ashley WuOct 9, 2026
  24. 3/3 config: read global scope via config_sequenceDelilah Ashley Wu, Aug 23, 2026
  25. Junio C HamanoAug 26, 2026
  26. Chris TorekAug 23, 2026
  27. Junio C HamanoAug 24, 2026
  28. 0/2 config: read both home and xdg files for --globalDelilah Ashley Wu, Oct 9, 2026
  29. 1/2 t1300: test list with missing global configDelilah Ashley Wu, Oct 9, 2026
  30. 2/2 config: read global scope via config_sequenceDelilah Ashley Wu, Oct 9, 2026

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