gastownhall/beads · error

not a git repository

Error message

not a git repository

What it means

GitHooks installs bd's git hooks via the `bd hooks install` subprocess, but first verifies the target path is a git repository by running `git rev-parse --git-dir` with cmd.Dir set to path. If that command fails (non-zero exit / git not resolvable), the plain error "not a git repository" is returned and no hooks are installed.

Source

Thrown at cmd/bd/doctor/fix/hooks.go:606

	}
	return strings.Join(names, ", ")
}

// GitHooks fixes missing or broken git hooks by calling bd hooks install.
// If external hook managers are detected (lefthook, husky, etc.), it uses
// --chain to preserve existing hooks instead of overwriting them.
func GitHooks(path string) error {
	// Validate workspace
	if err := validateBeadsWorkspace(path); err != nil {
		return err
	}

	// Check if we're in a git repository using git rev-parse
	// This handles worktrees where .git is a file, not a directory
	checkCmd := exec.Command("git", "rev-parse", "--git-dir")
	checkCmd.Dir = path
	if err := checkCmd.Run(); err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("not a git repository")
	}

	// Detect external hook managers
	externalManagers := DetectExternalHookManagers(path)

	// Get bd binary path
	bdBinary, err := getBdBinary()
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}

	// Build command arguments
	// Use --force to cleanly replace outdated hooks without creating backups (GH#1466)
	args := []string{"hooks", "install", "--force"}

	// If external hook managers detected, use --chain to preserve them
	if len(externalManagers) > 0 {
		args = append(args, "--chain")

View on GitHub (pinned to 71377f2769)

Solutions

1. Run the command from inside a valid git repository (cd to the repo root or a tracked subdirectory)
2. Verify with `git rev-parse --git-dir` yourself in the target path
3. If it's a worktree, repair the .git file link (git worktree repair); ensure git is installed and on PATH

Example fix

// before
err := fix.G-hooks(path) // not a git repository
// after: guard before calling
if err := exec.Command("git", "-C", path, "rev-parse", "--git-dir").Run(); err != nil {
	return fmt.Errorf("skipping hooks: %s is not a git repo", path)
}

cmd := exec.Command("git", "-C", path, "rev-parse", "--git-dir")
if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
	return fmt.Errorf("%s is not a git repository, skipping hooks install", path)
}

if err := fix.GitHooks(path, bdBinary); err != nil {
	if err.Error() == "not a git repository" {
		log.Printf("skipping hooks: %s has no git work tree", path)
		return nil // non-fatal for doctor runs outside repos
	}
	return err
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling GitHooks (via bd doctor hook fixes) on a directory that is not inside a git work tree: a plain folder, a bare repo without a work tree at that path, a deleted/invalid .git, or git not on PATH so exec fails.

Common situations: Running `bd doctor` in a subdirectory outside any repo; CI checkouts using shallow/submodule setups with broken .git; worktrees whose .git file points at a missing branch dir; PATH missing git in containers.

Related errors

• failed to install hooks: %w
• unable to determine home directory: %w
• bd binary not found in PATH: %w
• git config --unset core.hooksPath failed: %w (output: %s)
• reading git log: %w

AI-assisted analysis of gastownhall/beads@71377f2769 (2026-08-30). Data as JSON: /api/errors/ec08fd6b9d62f114. Report an issue: GitHub.