Re: [idea] separate .git dir and the working tree

[Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com>]

redstun wrote:

> what I wanted is, I may have multiple git working tree in my $HOME, like:
> $HOME/proj1
> $HOME/proj2,
> 
> I then wanted their .git directories respectively located at
> /safe/disk/.git_proj1
> /safe/disk/.git_proj2
> 
> How can I get this? I tried to read the doc but didn't have much luck.

By making .git in $HOME/proj1 a symlink to /safe/disk/.git_proj1 and
making $HOME/proj2/.git a symlink to /safe/disk/.git_proj2.
GIT_DIR should be left unset for this to work.

The GIT_DIR variable is for more complicated use cases in which you
do not want a .git directory, file, or symlink in the worktree at all.

One uses it as follows:

	GIT_DIR=/somewhere/else/.git git <command> ...

The top level of the work tree is inferred to be the current working
directory and git metadata is taken from somewhere else.

Sometimes a person does not only want to work in the top level of the
working tree.  To tell git where the top level is, use the
GIT_WORK_TREE variable:

	(
		GIT_DIR=/somewhere/else/.git; export GIT_DIR
		GIT_WORK_TREE=$(pwd); export GIT_WORK_TREE

		cd sub/directory
		git <command>...

		cd ../other/directory
		git <other command>...
	)

These are not variables for your .profile, since as you mentioned, a
person typically will work with one git repo and worktree sometimes,
another git repo and work tree another time.

Hope that helps,
Jonathan

Side note: I don't think you mentioned wanting it, but for reference,
there is a nice tool for sharing objects between multiple worktrees in
contrib/worktree.  It comes with some sharp edges, as described in [1].

[1] http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git/150559