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[PATCH/RFC 3/4] config: read global scope via config_sequence

From
DGDelilah Ashley Wu via GitGitGadget <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
Date
Oct 10, 2025, 01:14 UTC
Message-ID
<9d8af4e6164002b8096fc03fa8189a670133bc77.1760058849.git.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To
<pull.1938.git.1760058849.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
From: Delilah Ashley Wu <delilahwu@microsoft.com>

The output of `git config list --global` should include both the home (`$HOME/.gitconfig`) and XDG (`$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/git/config`) configs, but it only reads from the former.

We assumed each config scope corresponds to a single config file. Under this assumption, `git config list --global` reads the global config by calling `git_config_from_file_with_options(...,"~/.gitconfig", ...)`. This function usage restricts us to a single config file. Because the global scope includes two files, we should read the configs via another method.

The output of `git config list --show-scope --show-origin` (without `--global`) correctly includes both the home and XDG config files. So there's existing code that respects both locations, namely the `do_git_config_sequence()` function which reads from all scopes. Introduce flags to make it possible to ignore all but the global scope (i.e. ignore system, local, worktree, and cmdline). Then, reuse the function to read only the global scope when `--global` is specified. This was the suggested solution in the bug report: https://lore.kernel.org/git/kl6ly1oze7wb.fsf@chooglen-macbookpro.roam.corp.google.com.

Then, modify the tests to check that `git config list --global` includes both home and XDG configs.

This patch introduces a regression. If both global config files are unreadable, then `git config list --global` should exit non-zero. This is no longer the case, so mark the corresponding test as a "TODO known breakage" and address the issue in the next patch, config: keep bailing on unreadable global files.

Implementation notes:
  1. The `ignore_global` flag is not set anywhere, so the
     `if (!opts->ignore_global)` condition is always met. We can remove
     this flag if desired.
  2. I've assumed that `config_source->scope == CONFIG_SCOPE_GLOBAL` iff
     `--global` is specified. This comparison determines whether to call
     `do_git_config_sequence()` for the global scope, or to keep calling
     `git_config_from_file_with_options()` for other scopes.
  3. Keep populating `opts->source.file` in `builtin/config.c` because
     it is used as the destination config file for write operations.
     The proposed changes could convolute the code because there is no
     single source of truth for the config file locations in the global
     scope. Add a comment to help clarify this. Please let me know if
     it's unclear.
Reported-by: Jade Lovelace <lists@jade.fyi>
Suggested-by: Glen Choo <glencbz@gmail.com>
Helped-by: Derrick Stolee <stolee@gmail.com>
Signed-off-by: Delilah Ashley Wu <delilahwu@microsoft.com>
Reviewed-by: Johannes Schindelin <johannes.schindelin@gmx.de>
---
 builtin/config.c     | 12 ++++++++++++
 config.c             | 26 +++++++++++++++-----------
 config.h             |  2 ++
 t/t1300-config.sh    |  6 +++---
 t/t1306-xdg-files.sh |  2 +-
 5 files changed, 33 insertions(+), 15 deletions(-)
diff --git a/builtin/config.c b/builtin/config.c
index 59fb113b07..3fd1bd7f8d 100644
--- a/builtin/config.c
+++ b/builtin/config.c
@@ -768,6 +768,18 @@ static void location_options_init(struct config_location_options *opts,
 	}
 
 	if (opts->use_global_config) {
+		/*
+		 * Since global config is sourced from more than one location,
+		 * use `config.c#do_git_config_sequence()` with `opts->options`
+		 * to read it. However, writing global config should point to a
+		 * single destination, set in `opts->source.file`.
+		 */
+		opts->options.ignore_repo = 1;
+		opts->options.ignore_cmdline= 1;
+		opts->options.ignore_worktree = 1;
+		opts->options.ignore_system = 1;
+		opts->source.scope = CONFIG_SCOPE_GLOBAL;
+
 		opts->source.file = opts->file_to_free = git_global_config();
 		if (!opts->source.file)
 			/*
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 74bf76a97e..4b9f3831b1 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -1526,22 +1526,27 @@ static int do_git_config_sequence(const struct config_options *opts,
 		worktree_config = NULL;
 	}
 
-	if (git_config_system() && system_config &&
+	if (!opts->ignore_system && git_config_system() && system_config &&
 	    !access_or_die(system_config, R_OK,
 			   opts->system_gently ? ACCESS_EACCES_OK : 0))
 		ret += git_config_from_file_with_options(fn, system_config,
 							 data, CONFIG_SCOPE_SYSTEM,
 							 NULL);
 
-	git_global_config_paths(&user_config, &xdg_config);
+	if (!opts->ignore_global) {
+		git_global_config_paths(&user_config, &xdg_config);
+
+		if (xdg_config && !access_or_die(xdg_config, R_OK, ACCESS_EACCES_OK))
+			ret += git_config_from_file_with_options(fn, xdg_config, data,
+						CONFIG_SCOPE_GLOBAL, NULL);
 
-	if (xdg_config && !access_or_die(xdg_config, R_OK, ACCESS_EACCES_OK))
-		ret += git_config_from_file_with_options(fn, xdg_config, data,
-							 CONFIG_SCOPE_GLOBAL, NULL);
+		if (user_config && !access_or_die(user_config, R_OK, ACCESS_EACCES_OK))
+			ret += git_config_from_file_with_options(fn, user_config, data,
+						CONFIG_SCOPE_GLOBAL, NULL);
 
-	if (user_config && !access_or_die(user_config, R_OK, ACCESS_EACCES_OK))
-		ret += git_config_from_file_with_options(fn, user_config, data,
-							 CONFIG_SCOPE_GLOBAL, NULL);
+		free(xdg_config);
+		free(user_config);
+	}
 
 	if (!opts->ignore_repo && repo_config &&
 	    !access_or_die(repo_config, R_OK, 0))
@@ -1560,8 +1565,6 @@ static int do_git_config_sequence(const struct config_options *opts,
 		die(_("unable to parse command-line config"));
 
 	free(system_config);
-	free(xdg_config);
-	free(user_config);
 	free(repo_config);
 	free(worktree_config);
 	return ret;
@@ -1591,7 +1594,8 @@ int config_with_options(config_fn_t fn, void *data,
 	 */
 	if (config_source && config_source->use_stdin) {
 		ret = git_config_from_stdin(fn, data, config_source->scope);
-	} else if (config_source && config_source->file) {
+	} else if (config_source && config_source->file &&
+		   config_source->scope != CONFIG_SCOPE_GLOBAL) {
 		ret = git_config_from_file_with_options(fn, config_source->file,
 							data, config_source->scope,
 							NULL);
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 19c87fc0bc..9425fe115d 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ typedef int (*config_parser_event_fn_t)(enum config_event_t type,
 
 struct config_options {
 	unsigned int respect_includes : 1;
+	unsigned int ignore_system : 1;
+	unsigned int ignore_global : 1;
 	unsigned int ignore_repo : 1;
 	unsigned int ignore_worktree : 1;
 	unsigned int ignore_cmdline : 1;
diff --git a/t/t1300-config.sh b/t/t1300-config.sh
index 5fa0111bd9..42f256e122 100755
--- a/t/t1300-config.sh
+++ b/t/t1300-config.sh
@@ -2372,7 +2372,7 @@ test_expect_success 'list with nonexistent global config' '
 	git config ${mode_prefix}list --show-scope
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'list --global with nonexistent global config' '
+test_expect_failure 'list --global with nonexistent global config' '
 	rm -rf "$HOME"/.gitconfig "$HOME"/.config/git/config &&
 	test_must_fail git config ${mode_prefix}list --global --show-scope
 '
@@ -2429,7 +2429,7 @@ test_expect_success 'list --global with both home and xdg' '
 	global	file:$HOME/.gitconfig	home.config=true
 	EOF
 	git config ${mode_prefix}list --global --show-scope --show-origin >output &&
-	! test_cmp expect output
+	test_cmp expect output
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'override global and system config' '
@@ -2483,7 +2483,7 @@ test_expect_success 'override global and system config' '
 	test_cmp expect output
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'override global and system config with missing file' '
+test_expect_failure 'override global and system config with missing file' '
 	test_must_fail env GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL=does-not-exist GIT_CONFIG_SYSTEM=/dev/null git config ${mode_prefix}list --global &&
 	test_must_fail env GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL=/dev/null GIT_CONFIG_SYSTEM=does-not-exist git config ${mode_prefix}list --system &&
 	GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL=does-not-exist GIT_CONFIG_SYSTEM=does-not-exist git version
diff --git a/t/t1306-xdg-files.sh b/t/t1306-xdg-files.sh
index 0318755799..475bd26aba 100755
--- a/t/t1306-xdg-files.sh
+++ b/t/t1306-xdg-files.sh
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ test_expect_success 'read with --list: xdg file exists and ~/.gitconfig exists'
 	echo user.name=read_config >expected &&
 	echo user.name=read_gitconfig >>expected &&
 	git config --global --list >actual &&
-	! test_cmp expected actual
+	test_cmp expected actual
 '
 
 

-- 
gitgitgadget
Previous: Junio C HamanoNext: Junio C Hamano
Message 6 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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