threads / discuss / 55743

getting git.exe for Android Studio on Windows

Subject: getting git.exe for Android Studio on Windows

## tl;dr

4 messages between May 20, 2021 and Jun 2, 2021.

replies: 3people: 3as markdown or json

Somogyi Henrik· May 20, 2021, 05:22 UTC · lore

Hello Community,

I have just learnt, that I can dowload an Android app example from GitHub into my Android Studio.

But I do not have git.exe installed on my PC yet.

What shall I install on my PC to have this git.exe?

I wish to install only the bare minimum needed for downloading the example. I would like to avoid the install of a fully fledged Git with all the whistles and bells to have an own "github" on my PC.

I do not find this info on [Git - Downloads (git-scm.com)](https://git-scm.com/download)

Thanks,

Henrik Somogyi

brian m. carlson· May 21, 2021, 01:12 UTC · re: Somogyi Henrik · lore

Re: getting git.exe for Android Studio on Windows

On 2021-05-20 at 05:22:33, Somogyi Henrik wrote:

Show 15 quoted lines

> Hello Community,
> 
> I have just learnt, that I can dowload an Android app example from GitHub
> into my Android Studio.
> 
> But I do not have git.exe installed on my PC yet.
> 
> What shall I install on my PC to have this git.exe?
> 
> I wish to install only the bare minimum needed for downloading the example.
> I would like to avoid the install of a fully fledged Git with all the
> whistles and bells to have an own "github" on my PC.
> 
> I do not find this info on [Git - Downloads
> (git-scm.com)](https://git-scm.com/download)

Most people using Git on Windows use the standard Git for Windows edition. If you'd like a smaller one, the Git for Windows Portable option is also available, which can be run off a thumbdrive if you like.

Because Windows lacks a standard POSIX shell and POSIX utilities which Git requires to run, you need more than a single binary. Git invokes the shell when you spawn an editor and run certain types of aliases, among other activities, so a POSIX shell is absolutely required for Git to have normal functionality.

Even on Unix, a reasonably functional Git installation requires additional binaries, such as the HTTP helper, so having only the single binary would result in substantially reduced functionality, and I'm not aware of anyone shipping such a configuration.

-- 
brian m. carlson (he/him or they/them)
Houston, Texas, US

brian m. carlson· Jun 2, 2021, 10:44 UTC · lore

Re: getting git.exe for Android Studio on Windows

On 2021-06-02 at 05:53:55, Somogyi Henrik wrote:

> Hello Brian,

Hi,

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.

Show 14 quoted lines

> 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.

-- 
brian m. carlson (he/him or they/them)
Houston, Texas, US

Johannes Schindelin· Jun 2, 2021, 22:16 UTC · re: brian m. carlson · lore

Re: getting git.exe for Android Studio on Windows

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