git-gui cannot start

[bbolli]

Launching git gui, either from git-bash or gitk, gives this error message:

couldn't execute "C:\Tools\Git\mingw32\libexec\git-core\git-update-index.exe": invalid argument
couldn't execute "C:\Tools\Git\mingw32\libexec\git-core\git-update-index.exe": invalid argument
    while executing
"error $err"
    (procedure "_open_stdout_stderr" line 16)
    invoked from within
"_open_stdout_stderr [concat $opt $cmdp $args]"
    (procedure "git_read" line 26)
    invoked from within
"git_read update-index  -q  --unmerged  --ignore-missing  --refresh  "
    (procedure "rescan" line 40)
    invoked from within
"rescan ui_ready"
    (procedure "do_rescan" line 2)
    invoked from within
"do_rescan"
    ("after" script)

Starting git update-index -q --unmerged --ignore-missing --refresh from the shell works fine, so I wonder if it has to do with the DOS path that is used to start git-update-index.exe.

[bbolli]

Oh, and FWIW, this worked in the old Git for Windows (1.9.5).

[nalla]

Can not reproduce with git version 2.4.6.windows.1. launching git gui in a repository seems to work just fine. Maybe you could provide a MCVE?

[bbolli]

So, here's the "MCVE":

1. Start git-bash.exe version 2.4.6.windows.1 under Windows 10 Pro Build 10240
2. cdinto any Git repository (I've tried two different ones)
3. git gui
4. See the Application Error reported above
5. The Git GUI is displayed, but the "Rescan", "Stage Changed" and "Commit" buttons are disabled
   I'm afraid it doesn't get much more minimal than this :-(

Edit:
If I start the exact command from the error

C:/Tools/Git/mingw32/libexec/git-core/git-update-index.exe -q --unmerged --ignore-missing --refresh

in the shell, I get this error:

bash: C:/Tools/Git/mingw32/libexec/git-core/git-update-index.exe: Permission denied

though the file is clearly executable:

$ ls -l C:/Tools/Git/mingw32/libexec/git-core/git-update-index
-rwxr-xr-x 112 bboll bboll 1855742 Jul 18 08:37 C:/Tools/Git/mingw32/libexec/git-core/git-update-index*

[dscho]

If you use 64-bit Git for Windows, does it work?

[bbolli]

I have only a 32-bit Windows, so I can't verify this.

[russellwinstead]

I was having the same issue with git gui in the 32-bit Git for Windows. The 64-bit Git for Windows seems to work fine though.

[borekb]

Confirming the issue on 32-big Git for Windows.

[dscho]

I have only a 32-bit Windows,

It would have been really important to mention this, as per our bug reporting guidelines.

As it is, I cannot reproduce this error at all. To illustrate as an example of what I encourage you to do when reporting issues like this one, here is the account of what I did:

1. on Windows Server 2012 R2 running in 64-bit mode, I installed the 32-bit portable Git from here into C:\issue-258, executing the downloaded file as .exe.
2. Then I called C:\issue-258\git-bash.exe from the Start menu.
3. I then switched to a tiny Git repository I had checked out from here before.
4. Then I called git gui.

The Git GUI started without problems.

bash: C:/Tools/Git/mingw32/libexec/git-core/git-update-index.exe: Permission denied

Have you investigated further on this end? This really looks wrong, and it should have looked wrong to you, too. Does that file exist at all? Does it have executable permissions? Can you open it from the explorer? Etc etc etc

If you provide me with an MCVE that actually reproduces the problem here, I can see whether I can find the time to investigate on my end. In the alternative that investigation is for you to undertake, or for the others who claim to be able to reproduce the error on their machines.

[bbolli]

So, I have found a workaround for this issue: simply delete /mingw32/libexec/git-core/git-update-index.exe. The update-index subcommand is built-in to git.exe:

$ GIT_TRACE=1 git update-index.exe -q --unmerged --ignore-missing --refresh
22:38:49.260793 git.c:348               trace: built-in: git 'update-index' '-q' '--unmerged' '--ignore-missing' '--refresh'

so the external version is not needed. git-gui adapts automatically.

See the next comment for the underlying reason for the Permission denied error.

[bbolli]

Checking /mingw/libexec/git-core in Windows Explorer, I noticed that each binary whose name contains the word update has an icon with the "Admins only" shield:

Double-clicking one of these files results in the Windows UAC dialog. Running git-update-index.exe from the Bash prompt immediately results in the Permission denied error.

Is this some hare-brained protection attempt by Windows, trying not to let users run installers or updaters?

/baffled in Switzerland

[bbolli]

There's this thing called Windows Installer Detection Technology that can be turned off by adding an AssemblyManifest.xml file.

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/20096706/how-does-windows-decide-whether-to-display-the-uac-prompt

[dscho]

There's this thing called Windows Installer Detection Technology that can be turned off by adding an AssemblyManifest.xml file.

git/git.rc

Line 24 in 41980ef

1 RT_MANIFEST "compat/win32/git.manifest"

and

https://github.com/git-for-windows/git/blob/41980ef55d99e02468fe33cd8beebba3d7cb3be3/compat/win32/git.manifest

are intended to provide just that.

Please investigate why your Windows thinks it is allowed to ignore this manifest.

[bbolli]

It's not ignoring the manifest, the manifest just isn't there in my version -rc5 from July 18. These two commits are from July 28.