I have two .git directories for one project/folder, how do I rename a file in working tree?

Question

For some reason, I followed https://stackoverflow.com/a/17313342/4336225 to get .gitone and .gittwo. Now I need to rename a file in my working directory. Classically, I would use

git mv application.py newApplication.py

But how do I do it now with two .git? I want both of them to track the name change properly.

Answer 1

As shown in the linked answer, you should use the --git-dir option.

git --git-dir=.gitone mv application.py newApplication.py

---

Edit

Here is a complete walkthrough

$ # Create multiple git directories
$ git init .
Initialized empty Git repository in /tmp/so_git/.git/

$ mv .git .gitone

$ git init .
Initialized empty Git repository in /tmp/so_git/.git/

$ mv .git .gittwo

$ # Add a file to both directories
$ touch foo

$ git --git-dir=.gitone add foo

$ git --git-dir=.gitone commit -m "add foo"
[master (root-commit) 0db71dc] add foo
 1 file changed, 0 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 foo

$ git --git-dir=.gittwo add foo

$ git --git-dir=.gittwo commit -m "add foo"
[master (root-commit) 10205ba] add foo
 1 file changed, 0 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 foo

$ # Move file in first git repo
$ git --git-dir=.gitone mv foo bar

$ git --git-dir=.gitone commit -m "foo -> bar"
[master 20276ee] foo -> bar
 1 file changed, 0 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
 rename foo => bar (100%)

$ # File is marked as deleted in second repo while "bar" is untracked
$ git --git-dir=.gittwo status
On branch master
Changes not staged for commit:
  (use "git add/rm <file>..." to update what will be committed)
  (use "git restore <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)
    deleted:    foo

Untracked files:
  (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
    .gitone/
    .gittwo/
    bar

no changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a")

$ # Add "bar" to the tracked files
$ git --git-dir=.gittwo add bar

$ git --git-dir=.gittwo status
On branch master
Changes to be committed:
  (use "git restore --staged <file>..." to unstage)
    new file:   bar

Changes not staged for commit:
  (use "git add/rm <file>..." to update what will be committed)
  (use "git restore <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)
    deleted:    foo

Untracked files:
  (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
    .gitone/
    .gittwo/

$ # Explicitly delete foo
$ git --git-dir=.gittwo rm foo
rm 'foo'

$ # Now git discovered the rename
$ git --git-dir=.gittwo status
On branch master
Changes to be committed:
  (use "git restore --staged <file>..." to unstage)
    renamed:    foo -> bar

Untracked files:
  (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
    .gitone/
    .gittwo/

Another solution if you want to use git mv instead of git [add|rm], is to checkout back you foo file and force move it to bar.

$ git --git-dir=.gitone commit -m "foo -> bar"
[master 20276ee] foo -> bar
 1 file changed, 0 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
 rename foo => bar (100%)

$ git --git-dir=.gittwo checkout -- foo

$ git --git-dir=.gittwo mv -f foo bar

$ git --git-dir=.gittwo status
On branch master
Changes to be committed:
  (use "git restore --staged <file>..." to unstage)
    renamed:    foo -> bar

Untracked files:
  (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
    .gitone/
    .gittwo/