gastownhall/beads · error

failed to init git in planning repo: %w

Error message

failed to init git in planning repo: %w

What it means

Wraps an error from running `git init` (exec.Command) inside the freshly created ~/.beads-planning directory. Thrown only on a newly created planning repo; it means the planning repository could not be initialized as a git repo, so beads cannot keep planning issues version-controlled there.

Source

Thrown at cmd/bd/init_contributor.go:320

		}
	}

	homeDir, err := os.UserHomeDir()
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get home directory: %w", err)
	}
	planningPath := filepath.Join(homeDir, ".beads-planning")

	createdPlanning := false
	if _, err := os.Stat(planningPath); os.IsNotExist(err) {
		createdPlanning = true
		if err := os.MkdirAll(planningPath, 0750); err != nil {
			return fmt.Errorf("failed to create planning repo: %w", err)
		}
		gitInit := exec.Command("git", "init")
		gitInit.Dir = planningPath
		if err := gitInit.Run(); err != nil {
			return fmt.Errorf("failed to init git in planning repo: %w", err)
		}
		planningBeadsDir := filepath.Join(planningPath, ".beads")
		if err := os.MkdirAll(planningBeadsDir, 0750); err != nil {
			return fmt.Errorf("failed to create .beads in planning repo: %w", err)
		}
		// Initialize the planning Dolt schema so commands like bd migrate-personal
		// can open the store immediately without hitting an uninitialized DB.
		// Non-fatal: no-CGO and server-mode builds skip this silently; the schema
		// initializes on first use once a Dolt server is running for that path.
		if planningStore, storeErr := newDoltStoreFromConfig(ctx, planningBeadsDir); storeErr == nil {
			_ = planningStore.Close()
		}
	}

	if err := store.SetConfig(ctx, "routing.mode", "auto"); err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("failed to set routing.mode: %w", err)
	}
	if err := store.SetConfig(ctx, "routing.contributor", planningPath); err != nil {

View on GitHub (pinned to 71377f2769)

Solutions

1. Install git (apt-get install -y git / brew install git) and confirm `git --version` works
2. Verify git is on PATH for the user running bd (echo $PATH; which git)
3. Ensure ~/.beads-planning is writable and re-run bd init --contributor
4. Check git's global config for errors that make any git invocation fail

// Verify git is available before fork setup
if _, err := exec.LookPath("git"); err != nil {
	return fmt.Errorf("git must be installed and on PATH: %w", err)
}

if err := autoConfigureForkContributor(ctx, store, ...); err != nil {
	if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "failed to init git in planning repo") {
		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "Install git and ensure it is on PATH, then retry")
	}
	return err
}

When it happens

Trigger: exec.Command("git", "init").Run() fails with Dir=planningPath — typically the git binary is not installed or not on PATH, or the newly created directory is unwritable.

Common situations: Minimal containers/images without git installed; PATH missing /usr/bin in service contexts; git broken by a bad global config; security policies blocking exec.

Related errors

• dolt version probe failed
• failed to untrack redirect file: %w
• failed to untrack last-touched file: %w
• failed to untrack files: %w %s
• failed to set routing mode: %w

AI-assisted analysis of gastownhall/beads@71377f2769 (2026-08-30). Data as JSON: /api/errors/e2bf0a68e66ebcc1. Report an issue: GitHub.