how to git a read only directory

how to git a read only directory

[bill lam]

I want to use git to keep track of files inside /etc but do not want
to do it as a super user. Is that possible to put GIT_DIR under my
home directory and add public-read files inside /etc? Or that it could
be done in some other ways.

Thanks.

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Re: how to git a read only directory

[Michael J Gruber]

bill lam venit, vidit, dixit 21.01.2009 09:33:
> I want to use git to keep track of files inside /etc but do not want
> to do it as a super user. Is that possible to put GIT_DIR under my
> home directory and add public-read files inside /etc? Or that it could
> be done in some other ways.
> 
> Thanks.
> 

You can use the core.worktree config variable in order to specify a
worktree (/etc) which is not directly above .git. For your git commands
to find the .git dir you would need to set GIT_DIR or use the --git-dir
parameter.

I have found, though, that several git commands require you to be within
the worktree or else they become confused. I use a shell function for
that, doing something like "gg ~/path/project log" which requires
~/path/project.git to have its core.worktree set. Also, having a git
alias like "git view" set up for gitk helps calling gitk in that way.
git-gui makes unfounded assumptions and is completely unhappy in a
situation like that.

I think the situation around GIT_DIR and and worktree is a bit in the
flux at the moment (panta rhei..) but it works for me.

Cheers,
Michael

Here's the "git go" bash function. I'm not proud of it, it makes several
assumptions and does no error checking. Use it like "gg path/project
command parameters" if the git-dir is "path/project.git" or "gg
path/project/" if the git-dir is "path/project/.git". Have your
core.worktree set in the former case, and also in the latter if the
worktree is not "path/project".

I'm sure it can be done much better using helper functions from git's
bash-completion, e.g.

gg ()
{
    local _gg="$1";
    shift;
    local _ggwt=`git --git-dir="${_gg}.git" config --get core.worktree`;
    if [ -z "${_ggwt}" ]; then
        _ggwt=$(cd ${_gg} 2> /dev/null && pwd -P);
    fi;
    local _gggd=$(cd ${_gg}.git 2> /dev/null && pwd -P);
    pushd ${_ggwt} > /dev/null;
    git --git-dir=${_gggd} "$@";
    popd > /dev/null
}

Re: how to git a read only directory

[Boaz Harrosh]

bill lam wrote:
> I want to use git to keep track of files inside /etc but do not want
> to do it as a super user. Is that possible to put GIT_DIR under my
> home directory and add public-read files inside /etc? Or that it could
> be done in some other ways.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
I did the really easy hack (on my /etc BTW) and it worked fine for me.

I created a master project folder under ~home, init a new git repo,
then symlink /etc/ onto an etc/ in the project dir, added all etc/
files. I like the extra a/etc/fstab in the patch files better then
a/fstab.

And it is a life saver, payed it's effortless in gold. Some shining
new distro should come up with a git based management system
and it will leave all the other distros in the dust.

Cheers
Boaz

Re: how to git a read only directory

[bill lam]

On Wed, 21 Jan 2009, Michael J Gruber wrote:
> You can use the core.worktree config variable in order to specify a
> worktree (/etc) which is not directly above .git. For your git commands
> to find the .git dir you would need to set GIT_DIR or use the --git-dir
> parameter.

Michael, thanks for pointing out worktree being the trick to use.

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Re: how to git a read only directory

[bill lam]

On Wed, 21 Jan 2009, Boaz Harrosh wrote:
> I created a master project folder under ~home, init a new git repo,
> then symlink /etc/ onto an etc/ in the project dir, added all etc/
> files. I like the extra a/etc/fstab in the patch files better then
> a/fstab.

I create a symlink in ~/gitrepo/etc to /etc and git init an empty repo
there. However it failed in symlink when I tried to add files.  Could
you give more detail how to do it?  Meanwhile I use worktree method as
suggested by Michael.

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====================================================
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Re: how to git a read only directory

[Boaz Harrosh]

bill lam wrote:
> On Wed, 21 Jan 2009, Boaz Harrosh wrote:
>> I created a master project folder under ~home, init a new git repo,
>> then symlink /etc/ onto an etc/ in the project dir, added all etc/
>> files. I like the extra a/etc/fstab in the patch files better then
>> a/fstab.
> 
> I create a symlink in ~/gitrepo/etc to /etc and git init an empty repo
> there. However it failed in symlink when I tried to add files.  Could
> you give more detail how to do it?  Meanwhile I use worktree method as
> suggested by Michael.
> 

What? I don't know this is what I did:

[~] $ mkdir gitrepo; cd gitrepo
[gitrepo] $ git-init
[gitrepo] $ ln -s /etc
[gitrepo] $ git-add /etc/fstab
[gitrepo] $ git-commit -s
  Edit commit message in editor
[gitrepo] $ git-show
commit fd6a4a72bf91526b56528f4036c525f6d6fd3dc0
Author: Boaz Harrosh <bharrosh@panasas.com>
Date:   Wed Jan 21 18:36:58 2009 +0200

    {REMOVEME} etc/fstab test

    Signed-off-by: Boaz Harrosh <bharrosh@panasas.com>

diff --git a/etc/fstab b/etc/fstab
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2e3f8d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/etc/fstab
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+LABEL=/fc7              /                       ext3    noatime         1 1
+LABEL=/usr0             /usr0                   ext3    noatime         1 2
+LABEL=/boot             /boot                   ext2    noatime         1 2
+LABEL=/fc10             /alt                    ext3    defaults        1 2
+tmpfs                   /dev/shm                tmpfs   defaults        0 0
+devpts                  /dev/pts                devpts  gid=5,mode=620  0 0
+sysfs                   /sys                    sysfs   defaults        0 0
+proc                    /proc                   proc    defaults        0 0
+LABEL=SWAP-sda7         swap                    swap    defaults        0 0
+panstor:/main          /mnt/panstor            nfs     soft,intr,rsize=65536,wsize=65536 0 0
  <... snip ...>

So in short I did nothing. I have git 1.6.0.1

Boaz

Re: how to git a read only directory

[bill lam]

On Wed, 21 Jan 2009, Boaz Harrosh wrote:
> [~] $ mkdir gitrepo; cd gitrepo
> [gitrepo] $ git-init
> [gitrepo] $ ln -s /etc
> [gitrepo] $ git-add /etc/fstab

(I use git ver. 1.6.1, git-xxx is already deprecated)
I followed your example, and failed in the git add,

gitrepo$  git add /etc/fstab
fatal: '/etc/fstab' is outside repository

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====================================================
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Re: how to git a read only directory

[Boaz Harrosh]

bill lam wrote:
> On Wed, 21 Jan 2009, Boaz Harrosh wrote:
>> [~] $ mkdir gitrepo; cd gitrepo
>> [gitrepo] $ git-init
>> [gitrepo] $ ln -s /etc
>> [gitrepo] $ git-add /etc/fstab
> 

Sorry My mistake, it should be:
[gitrepo] $ git-add etc/fstab

> (I use git ver. 1.6.1, git-xxx is already deprecated)
> I followed your example, and failed in the git add,
> 
> gitrepo$  git add /etc/fstab
> fatal: '/etc/fstab' is outside repository
> 

Sorry it's a typo, sure you must add files relative to
the base directory (one containing the .git/ dir)

Cheers
Boaz

Re: how to git a read only directory

[bill lam]

On Thu, 22 Jan 2009, Boaz Harrosh wrote:
> Sorry My mistake, it should be:
> [gitrepo] $ git-add etc/fstab
> 
> Sorry it's a typo, sure you must add files relative to
> the base directory (one containing the .git/ dir)

Hi Boaz,

I still could not add the file. This time it said symbolic link error.

gitrepo$ ll -A
total 4
lrwxrwxrwx 1 bill bill    4 2009-01-22 17:54 etc -> /etc
drwxr-xr-x 7 bill bill 4096 2009-01-22 18:23 .git
gitrepo$ pwd
/home/bill/gitrepo
gitrepo$ git add etc/fstab
fatal: 'etc/fstab' is beyond a symbolic link

-- 
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Re: how to git a read only directory

[Boaz Harrosh]

bill lam wrote:
> On Thu, 22 Jan 2009, Boaz Harrosh wrote:
>> Sorry My mistake, it should be:
>> [gitrepo] $ git-add etc/fstab
>>
>> Sorry it's a typo, sure you must add files relative to
>> the base directory (one containing the .git/ dir)
> 
> Hi Boaz,
> 
> I still could not add the file. This time it said symbolic link error.
> 

OK so it looks like it is something new. Good to know I will not
upgrade for now as I do use it a lot. Unless there is some config
nub that can be turned. I must say that it is most useful, I use
it everyday.

Someone please comment why are symlink not allowed. Is that because
it might be dangerous? but so is a gun I might shoot myself in the
leg, but they are still been sold.

Boaz