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vimgit-barevim-fugitive

How to use vim-fugitive with a git bare repository?

Environment

Setup

I use a git bare repository to version my config files. I can use same commands as if I were using a normal git repository just have to include some flags:

git --git-dir=/home/kunzaatko/.cfg/ --work-tree=/home/kunzaatko/ __command__

instead of

git __command__

Usage

I make use of vim-fugitive with normal git repositories mainly for making a big change and adding it in many different commits by staging partially (only a discrete set of hunks/changes) and committing them separately . I use :Gdiff for this for the nice and productive interface I can make use of.

Desire

I want to do this with my config git bare repository.

What I tried:

  1. Renaming the repository to .cfg.git. This didn't make any change. issue that suggests this should work

  2. I tried to change the b:git_dir internal variable of git-fugitive:

:let b:git_dir=/home/kunzaatko/.cfg/
  1. Changing the working directory to the git directory for fugitive to recognize that it is a git repo:
:chdir /home/kunzaatko/.cfg/

What would be worthy of trying if I knew how:

  1. I think that there may be a way to use the git submodule command to put the bare repo into scope. The problem with that is where to put the root of the git repository... issue that I base this possibility of of

Question

Is there a way to use a git bare repository with git-fugitive?

(or any other suggestion that would solve my use-case)

Solution

  • I agree with @okket, but there is a problem when I use that method.

    When in Gstatus window, I cannot get the status of changed files. And I find the reason is that fugitive gets the core.worktree attribute from the GIT_DIR repository.

    So for me, the viable way to do this is as follows:

    1. Same as @okket says, set GIT_DIR env variable when using vim/nvim command (GIT_WORK_TREE may be omitted):
    GIT_DIR=$HOME/.cfg GIT_WORK_TREE=$HOME [n]vim

    For users of fish shell (like me), should use env command:

    env GIT_DIR=$HOME/.cfg GIT_WORK_TREE=$HOME [n]vim
    1. Set core.worktree for your git repository:
    git --git-dir=$HOME/.cfg --work-tree=$HOME config --local core.worktree $HOME

    You can make sure you get it right with the following command:

    git --git-dir=$HOME/.cfg --work-tree=$HOME config --local core.worktree

    The output should be your HOME path.

    1. If you get the git repository by git clone --bare ..., you need to unset core.bare to avoid git status error warning: core.bare and core.worktree do not make sense:
    git --git-dir=$HOME/.cfg --work-tree=$HOME config --unset core.bare

    And there is one more thing to notice for this method. You cannot use fugitive outside of $HOME directory where you will get fugitive: working directory does not belong to a Git repository error.

    PS: I'd like to comment on @okket 's answer, but due to low reputation I can only post a new answer here.