Git: Support for gitdir

[deitry]

I use two git repositories within project folder - one is .git and second is .git_dev. First is for project and second is to track my local config files. I used to work with second via alias git dev which stands for git --git-dir=.git_dev, but for now I explore ways to list changes within both repos in git sideview.

What I did:

1. I create folder aside the main project folder(consider it project) and call it project_dev
2. Initialize new repo in new folder with git init --separate-git-dir ../project/.git_dev. It creates file project_dev/.git with related line.
3. Then create new file within project_dev folder and open it in Code. Now I'm able to view changes for both repos, but one called project_dev tracks the project_dev folder, not the project
4. So my next step is to add setting worktree=/path/to/project in .git_dev/cofig. Now git sideview perfectly represents current changes for project_dev aside to main project.

And here I run into two issues:

1. if I try to click on changed file in project_dev section of sideview, an error occurs with message: Unable to open 'filename (Working Tree)': Unable to read file (Error: File not found (/path/to/project_dev/filename)). like it doen't respect setting worktree at all.
2. If I reload Code, even if I open file from project_dev folder, second repo is not shown. If I remove worktree setting, project_dev repo is shown again and I have to add worktree setting again to get changes properly.

Example repo:
https://github.com/deitry/vscode-two-git-repos-issues

---

So, on the one hand I consider current behaviour as buggy. On the other hand, I make a request to add option to pass as many --git-dirs as I want by making it a list:

"git.gitdirs: [ ".git", ".git_dev"]

[deitry]

Oh, and I can't see any gutters for files tracked in project_dev, but ignored in project, so this is another issue to put in the box.

[joaomoreno]

Worktree support: #68038

[texastoland]

Workaround for anyone else arriving from #80946:

alias dotfiles='GIT_DIR=$DOTFILES_REPO GIT_WORK_TREE=~'
dotfiles git status
dotfiles code ~

[lamusique]

@lszomoru Look forward to your fix! 🤞🏻

[RyzeNGrind]

Workaround for anyone else arriving from #80946:

alias dotfiles="GIT_WORK_TREE=~ GIT_DIR=$DOTFILES_DIR"
dotfiles git status
dotfiles code ~

Does anybody know how to make this work for $SHELL=usr/bin/fish? @faho

Previously I had

alias -s dotfiles='/usr/bin/git --git-dir=$WORKSPACES/ClusterLab/dotfiles/ --work-tree=$HOME'

But I tried to modify it without specifying an application and it didn't work.

[ColCh]

Does anybody know how to make this work for $SHELL=usr/bin/fish? @faho

@RyzeNGrind

https://fishshell.com/docs/2.2/faq.html#faq-single-env

alias -s dotfiles='env GIT_WORK_TREE="$HOME" GIT_DIR="$WORKSPACES/ClusterLab/dotfiles/" git

[mattmc3]

Does anybody know how to make this work for $SHELL=usr/bin/fish? @faho

@RyzeNGrind - This is how you'd do the same in Fish:

function dotfiles --description "dotfiles commands with bare git repo"
    GIT_WORK_TREE=~ GIT_DIR=~/.dotfiles $argv
end

Then run dotfiles code ~.

[sparr]

What is the expected behavior when specifying two different gitdirs?

I arrived here looking for similar functionality, to specify a single non-standard git.gitdir in the vscode configuration.

Launching vscode from the command line with a different environment variable is not an effective solution when I need to have multiple projects open with different settings.

[mattmc3]

@sparr I you look at code --help you will find the --new-window or -n option. You can use that to open multiple instances of vscode from the terminal.

$ # regular dotfiles
$ GIT_WORK_TREE=~ GIT_DIR=~/.dotfiles code --new-window
$ # private dotfiles
$ GIT_WORK_TREE=~ GIT_DIR=~/.dotfiles.local code --new-window

Each running instance of VS Code will then have its own $GIT_DIR set.

If you find that VS Code is reusing a running instance, you may also find it helpful to check your new window settings.

[texastoland]

Ping @lszomoru if you have any insight about planning etc. 🛎️

[sparr]

Another problem with the $GIT_DIR approach is that it breaks workflows that interact with other git repositories. I need vscode's extensions and behavior to honor the gitdir associated with my workspace, but the terminal to behave normally so I can perform git operations in other repositories (such as submodules). I might be able to accomplish this by unsetting $GIT_DIR in each terminal I open, but that seems hack-y.

[texastoland]

@sparr Check out terminal profiles. You can either unset the variable or disable inheritance altogether.