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Re: [PATCH v2 0/3] config: read both home and xdg files for --global

From
Chris Torek <chris.torek@gmail.com>
Date
Aug 23, 2026, 12:36 UTC
Message-ID
<CAPx1GvcDNx4BUPQkVjbKxYLxTJ=StvLC43R0S_2=T0R8NKbZ7w@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To
<20260823-fix-config-list-global-home-and-xdg-v2-0-b29cc63f017b@microsoft.com>

On Sun, Aug 23, 2026 at 3:31 AM Delilah Ashley Wu <delilahwu@linux.microsoft.com> wrote:

Show 34 quoted lines
>
> Hi all, thanks for your patience. Here's my reroll.
>
> As reported in [1], `$HOME/.gitconfig` and `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/git/config`
> are both valid global configuration locations. However, when both files
> exist, `git config list --global` only reads from the former location
> whereas `git config list` (without `--global`) reads from both. The same
> issue was reported for `git config get` in [2]. This inconsistency has
> no good justification and contradicts the documented behaviour.
>
> Suppose that `$HOME/.gitconfig` contains:
>     [home]
>         config = true
>
> and `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/git/config` contains:
>     [xdg]
>         config = true
>
> Then, listing with `--global` shows only the home config:
>     $ git config list --global --show-scope --show-origin
>     global  file:/Users/delilah/.gitconfig    home.config=true
>
> and getting the XDG configuration entry with `--global` will fail:
>     $ git config get --global xdg.config; echo $?
>     1
>
> Git still reads the XDG config as part of its effective configuration,
> as shown by listing the configuration without `--global`:
>     $ 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 documentation, quoted in [1] and [2], states that `--global` should
> read from both files ...
I have a related question: which of the global file(s) does
    git config --global --edit
edit? Which one(s) should it edit?
Chris
Previous: Junio C HamanoNext: Junio C Hamano
Message 26 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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