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Git for Windows wants to add `git.exe` to the users' `PATH`, without cluttering the latter with unnecessary executables such as `wish.exe`. To that end, it invented the concept of its "Git wrapper", i.e. a tiny executable located in `C:\Program Files\Git\cmd\git.exe` (originally a CMD script) whose sole purpose is to set up a couple of environment variables and then spawn the _actual_ `git.exe` (which nowadays lives in `C:\Program Files\Git\mingw64\bin\git.exe` for 64-bit, and the obvious equivalent for 32-bit installations). Currently, the following environment variables are set unless already initialized: - `MSYSTEM`, to make sure that the MSYS2 Bash and the MSYS2 Perl interpreter behave as expected, and - `PLINK_PROTOCOL`, to force PuTTY's `plink.exe` to use the SSH protocol instead of Telnet, - `PATH`, to make sure that the `bin` folder in the user's home directory, as well as the `/mingw64/bin` and the `/usr/bin` directories are included. The trick here is that the `/mingw64/bin/` and `/usr/bin/` directories are relative to the top-level installation directory of Git for Windows (which the included Bash interprets as `/`, i.e. as the MSYS pseudo root directory). Using the absence of `MSYSTEM` as a tell-tale, we can detect in `git.exe` whether these environment variables have been initialized properly. Therefore we can call `C:\Program Files\Git\mingw64\bin\git` in-place after this change, without having to call Git through the Git wrapper. Obviously, above-mentioned directories must be _prepended_ to the `PATH` variable, otherwise we risk picking up executables from unrelated Git installations. We do that by constructing the new `PATH` value from scratch, appending `$HOME/bin` (if `HOME` is set), then the MSYS2 system directories, and then appending the original `PATH`. Side note: this modification of the `PATH` variable is independent of the modification necessary to reach the executables and scripts in `/mingw64/libexec/git-core/`, i.e. the `GIT_EXEC_PATH`. That modification is still performed by Git, elsewhere, long after making the changes described above. While we _still_ cannot simply hard-link `mingw64\bin\git.exe` to `cmd` (because the former depends on a couple of `.dll` files that are only in `mingw64\bin`, i.e. calling `...\cmd\git.exe` would fail to load due to missing dependencies), at least we can now avoid that extra process of running the Git wrapper (which then has to wait for the spawned `git.exe` to finish) by calling `...\mingw64\bin\git.exe` directly, via its absolute path. Testing this is in Git's test suite tricky: we set up a "new" MSYS pseudo-root and copy the `git.exe` file into the appropriate location, then verify that `MSYSTEM` is set properly, and also that the `PATH` is modified so that scripts can be found in `$HOME/bin`, `/mingw64/bin/` and `/usr/bin/`. This addresses https://github.com/git-for-windows/git/issues/2283 Signed-off-by: Johannes Schindelin <johannes.schindelin@gmx.de>
Git - fast, scalable, distributed revision control system
Git is a fast, scalable, distributed revision control system with an unusually rich command set that provides both high-level operations and full access to internals.
Git is an Open Source project covered by the GNU General Public License version 2 (some parts of it are under different licenses, compatible with the GPLv2). It was originally written by Linus Torvalds with help of a group of hackers around the net.
Please read the file INSTALL for installation instructions.
Many Git online resources are accessible from https://git-scm.com/ including full documentation and Git related tools.
See Documentation/gittutorial.adoc to get started, then see
Documentation/giteveryday.adoc for a useful minimum set of commands, and
Documentation/git-<commandname>.adoc for documentation of each command.
If git has been correctly installed, then the tutorial can also be
read with man gittutorial or git help tutorial, and the
documentation of each command with man git-<commandname> or git help <commandname>.
CVS users may also want to read Documentation/gitcvs-migration.adoc
(man gitcvs-migration or git help cvs-migration if git is
installed).
The user discussion and development of Git take place on the Git mailing list -- everyone is welcome to post bug reports, feature requests, comments and patches to git@vger.kernel.org (read Documentation/SubmittingPatches for instructions on patch submission and Documentation/CodingGuidelines).
Those wishing to help with error message, usage and informational message
string translations (localization l10) should see po/README.md
(a po file is a Portable Object file that holds the translations).
To subscribe to the list, send an email to git+subscribe@vger.kernel.org (see https://subspace.kernel.org/subscribing.html for details). The mailing list archives are available at https://lore.kernel.org/git/, https://marc.info/?l=git and other archival sites.
Issues which are security relevant should be disclosed privately to the Git Security mailing list git-security@googlegroups.com.
The maintainer frequently sends the "What's cooking" reports that list the current status of various development topics to the mailing list. The discussion following them give a good reference for project status, development direction and remaining tasks.
The name "git" was given by Linus Torvalds when he wrote the very first version. He described the tool as "the stupid content tracker" and the name as (depending on your mood):
- random three-letter combination that is pronounceable, and not actually used by any common UNIX command. The fact that it is a mispronunciation of "get" may or may not be relevant.
- stupid. contemptible and despicable. simple. Take your pick from the dictionary of slang.
- "global information tracker": you're in a good mood, and it actually works for you. Angels sing, and a light suddenly fills the room.
- "goddamn idiotic truckload of sh*t": when it breaks