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How would I run git commands on a repo when I have not cd'd into that directory?

I.e. I want to run git branch /repos/myrepo.git

Olivia Stork
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Mike007
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  • Possible duplicate of [git pull while not in a git directory](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5083224/git-pull-while-not-in-a-git-directory) – Trevor Boyd Smith Mar 22 '17 at 18:08

2 Answers2

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Starting with git 1.8.5, use the -C option.

git -C "/Users/michael/Development/Projects/opensource/dvsc-backup" status

Otherwise, you have to specify --work-tree as well as --git-dir

git --work-tree="/Users/michael/Development/Projects/opensource/dvsc-backup" --git-dir="/Users/michael/Development/Projects/opensource/dvsc-backup/.git" status
Christian Long
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--git-dir=<path>

Set the path to the repository. This can also be controlled by setting the GIT_DIR environment variable. It can be an absolute path or relative path to current working directory.

http://www.kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/git.html

Note that <path> above means the path to the actual git directory (project_dir/.git) not just the project directory (project_dir).

Tyler
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  • I have tried this and it does not work for me. 
      git --git-dir=/Users/michael/Development/Projects/opensource/dvsc-backup/
    – Mike007 Aug 14 '11 at 23:32
  • Not a git repository. It is one and everything works normally when I cd into the dir and run git commands on it. – Mike007 Aug 14 '11 at 23:38
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    Maybe `git --git-dir=/Users/michael/Development/Projects/opensource/dvsc-backup/.git`? – Tyler Aug 14 '11 at 23:41
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    You must add the .git folder to the end of the --git-dir= for this to work. Does not work: git --git-dir=/Users/michael/Development/Projects/opensource/dvsc-backup/ Works: git --git-dir=/Users/michael/Development/Projects/opensource/dvsc-backup/.git/ branch – Mike007 Aug 14 '11 at 23:44
  • If it's a bare repository you can just use the folder that you've cloned into (there is no .git folder anyway) – KayEss Oct 08 '13 at 06:51