# "git add" and absolute paths 4 messages from 2008-01-28 to 2008-01-28. Participants: Wincent Colaiuta, Johannes Schindelin, Jakub Narebski, Jeff King. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/11770 ## Wincent Colaiuta, 2008-01-28 12:32 Subject: "git add" and absolute paths Message-ID: <916BAC14-A5E4-4666-A29E-2CDF114DCD87@wincent.com> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/916BAC14-A5E4-4666-A29E-2CDF114DCD87%40wincent.com ``` I was somewhat surprised the other day to see that you can't pass absolute paths to "git add": $ cd /tmp $ mkdir foo $ cd foo $ git init Initialized empty Git repository in .git/cuzco:foo $ echo "content" > file $ git add /tmp/foo/file fatal: unable to add /tmp/foo/file to index $ git add file I understand that you can't add arbitrary paths outside of your worktree, but if the absolute path specifies something _inside_ your worktree then it seems that this is either a bug or a "usability shortcoming" if you prefer to avoid the term "bug". I also understand that providing a relative path is by far the most common operation, but there are real use cases where it's easier to pass an absolute path. For example: you're working at the console inside the work tree but you also have a GUI file browser open alongside. Sometimes it is simpler to drag-and-drop the file from the GUI to the console window (thus inserting the absolute path to the file) rather than typing out the relative path, even with autocompletion. Out of curiosity I went back and looked at the last version of Git before "add" became a built-in (1.3.3). It also barfs for absolute paths: $ git add file Ignoring path /tmp/foo/file So I suspect it's always been this way. Do people agree that this issue is worth addressing? Cheers, Wincent ``` ## Johannes Schindelin, 2008-01-28 12:43 Subject: Re: "git add" and absolute paths Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/alpine.LSU.1.00.0801281241550.23907%40racer.site In-Reply-To: <916BAC14-A5E4-4666-A29E-2CDF114DCD87@wincent.com> ``` Hi, On Mon, 28 Jan 2008, Wincent Colaiuta wrote: > I was somewhat surprised the other day to see that you can't pass > absolute paths to "git add": I think this is in the same ballpark as the wish to normalise paths passed to git add. Not something for 1.5.4. Personally, I have to admit that this was never an itch of mine, so I'll probably not "fix" it. Ciao, Dscho ``` ## Jakub Narebski, 2008-01-28 13:08 Subject: Re: "git add" and absolute paths Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/m33asi9jxp.fsf%40localhost.localdomain In-Reply-To: <916BAC14-A5E4-4666-A29E-2CDF114DCD87@wincent.com> ``` Wincent Colaiuta writes: > I was somewhat surprised the other day to see that you can't pass > absolute paths to "git add": > [cut] > > I understand that you can't add arbitrary paths outside of your > worktree, but if the absolute path specifies something _inside_ your > worktree then it seems that this is either a bug or a "usability > shortcoming" if you prefer to avoid the term "bug". If I remember correctly this issue was discussed on git mailing list, and I guess there were even some patches implementing that, but I don't know what happened iwth them: freeze persiod, troubles with Cygwin (MS Windows), or what... -- Jakub Narebski Poland ShadeHawk on #git ``` ## Jeff King, 2008-01-28 18:32 Subject: Re: "git add" and absolute paths Message-ID: <20080128183223.GA31140@coredump.intra.peff.net> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/20080128183223.GA31140%40coredump.intra.peff.net In-Reply-To: ``` On Mon, Jan 28, 2008 at 05:08:44AM -0800, Jakub Narebski wrote: > > I understand that you can't add arbitrary paths outside of your > > worktree, but if the absolute path specifies something _inside_ your > > worktree then it seems that this is either a bug or a "usability > > shortcoming" if you prefer to avoid the term "bug". > > If I remember correctly this issue was discussed on git mailing list, > and I guess there were even some patches implementing that, but I > don't know what happened iwth them: freeze persiod, troubles with > Cygwin (MS Windows), or what... I think the thread just trailed off, and no replacement patch got submitted. See this thread: http://mid.gmane.org/200712032153.31322.robin.rosenberg.lists@dewire.com -Peff ```