eyaltoledano/claude-task-master · error

NOT_GIT_REPOSITORY

NOT_GIT_REPOSITORY

Error message

Not in a git repository. Cannot create tag from branch.

What it means

This error is returned by the create-tag-from-branch MCP direct function when the provided projectRoot is not inside a git working tree. Creating a tag from the current branch requires git metadata (current branch, commits), so the function pre-checks with isGitRepository() and refuses to run. It is a structured {success:false,error:{code:'NOT_GIT_REPOSITORY'}} response, not a thrown exception.

Source

Thrown at mcp-server/src/core/direct-functions/create-tag-from-branch.js:85

			log.error('createTagFromBranchDirect called without projectRoot');
			disableSilentMode();
			return {
				success: false,
				error: {
					code: 'MISSING_ARGUMENT',
					message: 'projectRoot is required'
				}
			};
		}

		// Check if we're in a git repository
		if (!(await isGitRepository(projectRoot))) {
			log.error('Not in a git repository');
			disableSilentMode();
			return {
				success: false,
				error: {
					code: 'NOT_GIT_REPOSITORY',
					message: 'Not in a git repository. Cannot create tag from branch.'
				}
			};
		}

		// Determine branch name
		let targetBranch = branchName;
		if (!targetBranch) {
			targetBranch = await getCurrentBranch(projectRoot);
			if (!targetBranch) {
				log.error('Could not determine current git branch');
				disableSilentMode();
				return {
					success: false,
					error: {
						code: 'NO_CURRENT_BRANCH',
						message: 'Could not determine current git branch'
					}

View on GitHub (pinned to c0c98d367c)

Solutions

1. Initialize a git repository in projectRoot: run 'git init' (and an initial commit).
2. Verify projectRoot points at the directory containing .git; correct the projectRoot argument passed to the MCP tool.
3. Run 'git -C <projectRoot> rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree' to confirm git recognizes the path.
4. If running in Docker/CI, mount the full repository including the .git directory instead of an exported copy.

Example fix

// before
await createTagFromBranchDirect({ projectRoot: '/tmp/workspace' });
// after
// ensure /tmp/workspace is a repo:
//   cd /tmp/workspace && git init && git add . && git commit -m init
await createTagFromBranchDirect({ projectRoot: '/tmp/my-git-repo' });

const { execSync } = require('child_process');
function isGitRepo(root) {
  try {
    execSync('git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree', { cwd: root, stdio: 'ignore' });
    return true;
  } catch { return false; }
}
if (!isGitRepo(projectRoot)) throw new Error(`${projectRoot} is not a git repository`);

function isGitRepoResult(r) {
  return r !== null && typeof r === 'object' && r.success === true;
}

const res = await createTagFromBranchDirect(args);
if (!res.success && res.error?.code === 'NOT_GIT_REPOSITORY') {
  // surface guidance: run `git init` or fix projectRoot
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling the create_tag_from_branch MCP tool with a projectRoot that is a plain directory, a path outside any .git tree, or a path where git init was never run. Also occurs when projectRoot points to a subdirectory resolved incorrectly or a container path lacking the mounted .git directory.

Common situations: Running the MCP server with a default working directory that is not the repo; passing an absolute path that was gitignored or volume-mounted without .git; pointing projectRoot at the parent folder above the repository; freshly cloned projects where .git was removed by an archive download (ZIP instead of git clone).

Related errors

• Failed to fetch tasks from any tag. First error: ${failedTag
• ${authCheck.error}
• Project path is required
• Project path must be an absolute path
• not a git repository: ${this.projectPath}

AI-assisted analysis of eyaltoledano/claude-task-master@c0c98d367c (2026-08-29). Data as JSON: /api/errors/cbc1445fe9929d6b. Report an issue: GitHub.