# Inconsistency in --work-tree behaviors

1 messages from 2012-06-19 to 2012-06-19. Participants: Nicholas Kirchner.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/30845

## Nicholas Kirchner, 2012-06-19 23:26

Subject: Inconsistency in --work-tree behaviors
Message-ID: <AAB7D0C4-2A3E-4CCF-8D3E-A2C689B2826D@umn.edu>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/AAB7D0C4-2A3E-4CCF-8D3E-A2C689B2826D%40umn.edu

```
There appears to be an inconsistency in how ls-files handles --work-tree compared to how status handles --work-tree.

Context: I have a directory dotfiles.git with core.worktree = /Users/nick (my home directory; I'm on OS X Lion with MacPorts git version 1.7.10.4).

Below are the outputs of git ls-files and git status for the following options of --work-tree:
1) none (equivalent to --work-tree=/Users/nick because of core.worktree setting, right?)
2) --work-tree=~
3) --work-tree=/Users/nick
4) --work-tree=/Users/nick. (note the period at the end)

Note that ls-files works properly with "/Users/nick." and "~", while status works properly with "/Users/nick" and none.  No output is produced for "git ls-files" or "git --work-tree=/Users/nick".

$ git status
# On branch master
# Untracked files:
#   (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
#
#	../.hiya
nothing added to commit but untracked files present (use "git add" to track)

$ git ls-files

$ git --work-tree=~ ls-files
.bash_profile
.bashrc
.gemrc
.profile
.rvmrc
.screenrc

$ git --work-tree=~ status
fatal: This operation must be run in a work tree

$ git --work-tree=/Users/nick status
# On branch master
# Untracked files:
#   (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
#
#	../.hiya
nothing added to commit but untracked files present (use "git add" to track)

$ git --work-tree=/Users/nick ls-files

$ git --work-tree=/Users/nick. ls-files
.bash_profile
.bashrc
.gemrc
.profile
.rvmrc
.screenrc

$ git --work-tree=/Users/nick. status
fatal: This operation must be run in a work tree
```