From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2013 22:43:52 GMT
Subject: Re: [git-users] Problem using detached worktrees with commands implemented in scripts
Message-ID: <xmqqy55qurmf.fsf@gitster.dls.corp.google.com>
In-Reply-To: <201310182225.r9IMP4i3002659@freeze.ariadne.com>

worley@alum.mit.edu (Dale R. Worley) writes:

>> From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
>
>> 	Side note: without GIT_WORK_TREE environment (or
>> 	core.worktree), there is no way to tell where the top level
>> 	is, so you were limited to always be at the top level of
>> 	your working tree if you used GIT_DIR to refer to a
>> 	repository that is not embedded in your working tree.  There
>> 	were some changes in this area, but I do not recall the
>> 	details offhand.
>
> That's not true.  The core.worktree config variable tells the top of
> the worktree, so once you've located the repository, you know where
> the worktree is.

Read the second line again, perhaps?

> ... it's not clear why GIT_WORK_TREE exists, ...

The configuration item came _way_ later than the environment, and we
need to keep users and scripts from old world working, that is why.