[Bug] Custom git-dir directory shouldn't be listed as “untracked”

Nicolas Cuillery· Sep 19, 2016, 14:26 UTC · lore

Hi, I want to create a local repository with a custom dir name instead of ".git", I used the env vars GIT_DIR and WORK_TREE:

>export GIT_DIR=".customgitdir"
>export GIT_WORK_TREE="."

Then I created a repo in an empty directory:

>$ git init
>Initialized empty Git repository in XXXXXXXXX/.customgitdir/

Then I ran git status:

Show 11 quoted lines

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

The local repo directory listed as "untracked files" which is a problem when using "git add ." afterwards.

When using the default directory ".git", it logically doesn't appear in the "git status" command's output. Don't you think it should be the same when using a custom dir name ?

Git version 2.6.4 on MacOSX 10.11

Regards, Nicolas

Junio C Hamano· Sep 19, 2016, 17:45 UTC · re: Nicolas Cuillery · lore

Re: [Bug] Custom git-dir directory shouldn't be listed as “untracked”

Nicolas Cuillery <nicolas.cuillery@gmail.com> writes:

> When using the default directory ".git", it logically doesn't appear
> in the "git status" command's output. Don't you think it should be the
> same when using a custom dir name ?

Not really.

GIT_DIR=<there> mechanism was never meant to be used to name a directory that sitsinside your working tree (an exception is if it is actually ".git" at the top).