nikivdev/code · error

git config --global {} failed

Error message

git config --global {} failed

What it means

`git_config_global_set` runs `git config --global <key> <value>` and checks the exit status; when git exits non-zero it bails with this message. The `with_context` above catches spawn failures, so this error specifically means git ran but the config write was rejected.

Source

Thrown at src/push_hook.rs:194

        .context("failed to read global core.hooksPath")?;
    if !output.status.success() {
        return Ok(None);
    }

    let value = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout).trim().to_string();
    if value.is_empty() {
        return Ok(None);
    }
    Ok(Some(config::expand_path(&value)))
}

fn git_config_global_set(key: &str, value: &Path) -> Result<()> {
    let status = Command::new("git")
        .args(["config", "--global", key, &value.to_string_lossy()])
        .status()
        .with_context(|| format!("failed to set git config {key}"))?;
    if !status.success() {
        bail!("git config --global {} failed", key);
    }
    Ok(())
}

fn git_config_global_unset(key: &str) -> Result<()> {
    let status = Command::new("git")
        .args(["config", "--global", "--unset", key])
        .status()
        .with_context(|| format!("failed to unset git config {key}"))?;
    if !status.success() {
        bail!("git config --global --unset {} failed", key);
    }
    Ok(())
}

fn resolve_repo_root() -> Result<PathBuf> {
    let output = Command::new("git")
        .args(["rev-parse", "--show-toplevel"])

View on GitHub (pinned to a747e741ae)

Solutions

1. Verify `git config --global core.hooksPath /tmp/x` works manually to see git's real error
2. Ensure $HOME is set and writable (`echo $HOME`, `touch ~/.gitconfig`)
3. Fix or remove a corrupt/unreadable global config file (~/.gitconfig or ~/.config/git/config)
4. Check permissions: `ls -l ~/.gitconfig`; chown/chmod if it is root-owned
5. If HOME is unset (CI/systemd), set HOME or use `git config --file` explicitly

Example fix

// before: CI step with no HOME
cargo run -- push hooks install   # git config --global core.hooksPath failed
// after
env:
  HOME: /home/ci
cargo run -- push hooks install

// preflight: ensure global git config is writable
let home = std::env::var("HOME").map(std::path::PathBuf::from)?;
let cfg = home.join(".gitconfig");
if let Some(dir) = cfg.parent() {
    assert!(dir.exists(), "HOME dir missing: {}", dir.display());
}
let probe = std::process::Command::new("git")
    .args(["config", "--global", "--list"])
    .status()?;
assert!(probe.success(), "git global config unreadable/broken");

match install_hooks() {
    Ok(()) => {},
    Err(e) if e.to_string().contains("git config --global") => {
        eprintln!("fix global git config (HOME writable, no corrupt [include]) and retry: {e}");
    }
    Err(e) => return Err(e),
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling `install_hooks` (via `git_config_global_set("core.hooksPath", ...)`) when the global git config is unwritable or git rejects the operation: no HOME set, $HOME/.gitconfig or ~/.config/git/config unreadable/corrupt, permission denied on the config file, or invalid config include paths.

Common situations: CI containers running as a different user with no writable $HOME; read-only home directories; a locked or root-owned .gitconfig; malformed [include] directives in the global config causing git to fail.

Related errors

• git config --global --unset {} failed
• Lin.app is not running
• resolver {} failed for {}: {}
• failed to stash working tree: {}
• git status failed with {}

AI-assisted analysis of nikivdev/code@a747e741ae (2026-09-01). Data as JSON: /api/errors/35c2bb55a0769f6e. Report an issue: GitHub.