Re: getting git.exe for Android Studio on Windows

From: Johannes Schindelin <johannes.schindelin@gmx.de>
Date: Jun 2, 2021, 22:16 UTC
Message-ID: <nycvar.QRO.7.76.6.2106030012000.55@tvgsbejvaqbjf.bet>
In-Reply-To: <YLdhGa8eWs9uyh4A@camp.crustytoothpaste.net>

Hi,

On Wed, 2 Jun 2021, brian m. carlson wrote:

Show 25 quoted lines

> On 2021-06-02 at 05:53:55, Somogyi Henrik wrote:
>
> Please keep the list in CC so that everyone can see the discussion.  I'm
> not that familiar with Windows and may be offline for a few days soon,
> so if you CC the list you may find someone who is better able to answer
> your questions.
>
> > I have installed "Git for Windows v2.31.1".
> >
> > I only need the git.exe so that Android Studio can use it for dowloading a
> > sample Android app from GitHub.
> >
> > But now I got 4 git.exe programs:
> >
> > F:\programs\Git
> > 	\bin\git.exe
> > 	\cmd\git.exe
> > 	\mingw64\bin\git.exe
> > 	\mingw64\libexec\git-core\git.exe
> >
> > Which should I specify in Android Studio as the needed git.exe?
>
> I believe you can go to a command prompt and type "where git" and that
> should print the proper location.  If you've installed the portable
> version, I believe the one in the top-level bin directory is correct.

The one that is guaranteed to work is the one added to the `PATH` when you choose to add Git to the `PATH` via the Git for Windows installer, which currently would be `C:\Program Files\cmd\git.exe`.

For backwards-compatibility, I reintroduced `C:\Program Files\bin\git.exe`.

Do note that both of those are simply redirectors. The actual binaries are in `\mingw64\bin\` (and the keen eye will not have missed that `libexec\git-core` contains a mere hardlinked version of the `bin` one), but there are too many binaries there, therefore it is not recommended to add those to the `PATH`.

If in doubt, stick with what the Git for Windows installer recommends. I do put in an effort trying to choose sensible defaults that work for the vast majority of users.

Ciao, Johannes