From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
From: "Shawn O. Pearce" <spearce@spearce.org>
Subject: Re: executing git from a non git directory
Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2007 03:07:34 -0400
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To: Patrick Aljord <patcito@gmail.com>
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Patrick Aljord <patcito@gmail.com> wrote:
> I would like to check it from another direcory, I tried the following 
> command:
> 
> $ git --git-dir=/path/to/my_git_dir status
> 
> and
> 
> $ GIT_DIR='/path/to/my_git_dir' && git status

These are actually the same two commands.  The --git-dir option
just means "set GIT_DIR before calling the real command".

However, there are two problems here...
 
> but in both cases I get this error:
> fatal: Not a git repository: '/path/to/my_git_dir'

Right.  That's problem number 1.  /path/to/my_git_dir is probably
not actually your Git repository.  The git repository is actually in
".git", so you really need to use:

  $ git --git-dir=/path/to/my_git_dir/.git status

However, problem number 2 is that status requires a working
directory.  Setting GIT_DIR explicitly like this tells git that
you don't have a working directory present.  So status won't work.

> yet when I do "$ cd /path/to/my_git_dir && git status" I do get the results.

That's what you have to do if you want to run git-status.  Or use
a subshell as that won't change your current working directory:

  $ (cd /path/to/my_git_dir && git status)

-- 
Shawn.