plandex-ai/plandex · error

error committing files to git repository for dir: %s, err: %

Error message

error committing files to git repository for dir: %s, err: %v, output: %s

What it means

GitCommit runs `git -C <repoDir> commit -m <msg> --allow-empty [paths...]`. This error is returned when the commit command exits non-zero; the message includes the Go error and git's combined output. Note --allow-empty is used, so 'nothing to commit' is not the cause.

Source

Thrown at app/cli/lib/git.go:87

	return nil
}

func GitCommit(repoDir, commitMsg string, paths []string, lockMutex bool) error {
	if lockMutex {
		gitMutex.Lock()
		defer gitMutex.Unlock()
	}

	args := []string{"-C", repoDir, "commit", "-m", commitMsg, "--allow-empty"}

	if len(paths) > 0 {
		args = append(args, paths...)
	}

	res, err := exec.Command("git", args...).CombinedOutput()
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("error committing files to git repository for dir: %s, err: %v, output: %s", repoDir, err, string(res))
	}

	return nil
}

func CheckUncommittedChanges() (bool, error) {
	gitMutex.Lock()
	defer gitMutex.Unlock()

	// Check if there are any changes
	res, err := exec.Command("git", "status", "--porcelain").CombinedOutput()
	if err != nil {
		return false, fmt.Errorf("error checking for uncommitted changes: %v, output: %s", err, string(res))
	}

	// If there's output, there are uncommitted changes
	return strings.TrimSpace(string(res)) != "", nil
}

View on GitHub (pinned to e2d772072e)

Solutions

1. Read the wrapped output in the message for git's exact error (identity missing, pathspec mismatch, unmerged files, hook failure).
2. Configure identity: `git -C <dir> config user.name ...` and `user.email ...` if the message says 'Please tell me who you are'.
3. Resolve unmerged paths (`git status`) and complete/abort any in-progress merge before committing.
4. Ensure every path in `paths` was staged (via GitAdd) and exists in the repo.
5. If a pre-commit hook fails, fix the hook or commit with the hook issue addressed; remove stale .git/index.lock.

Example fix

// before: commit with paths that were never added
lib.GitCommit(dir, "msg", []string{"new.txt"}, true)
// after
lib.GitAdd(dir, "new.txt", true)
lib.GitCommit(dir, "msg", []string{"new.txt"}, true)

// Go: pre-flight identity and merge-state check
email, _ := exec.Command("git", "-C", repoDir, "config", "user.email").Output()
if len(strings.TrimSpace(string(email))) == 0 {
    exec.Command("git", "-C", repoDir, "config", "user.email", "bot@example.com").Run()
    exec.Command("git", "-C", repoDir, "config", "user.name", "bot").Run()
}
if out, err := exec.Command("git", "-C", repoDir, "status", "--porcelain").Output(); err == nil && strings.Contains(string(out), "UU") {
    // unmerged paths present — resolve before committing
}

func isGitCommitError(err error) bool {
    return err != nil && strings.Contains(err.Error(), "error committing files to git repository for dir") && strings.Contains(err.Error(), "output:")
}

if err := lib.GitCommit(dir, msg, paths, true); err != nil {
    if isGitCommitError(err) {
        // parse output: identity missing → set config; unmerged → resolve; hook → inspect hook
        log.Printf("commit failed: %v", err)
    }
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling GitCommit (directly or via GitAddAndCommit/GitAddAndCommitPaths) with no git identity configured, repoDir not a repository, a pathspec that matches no staged files, merge/rebase in progress with unresolved conflicts, a corrupt or locked index, or pre-commit hooks failing.

Common situations: Fresh CI containers without user.name/user.email; committing explicit paths where the path arguments were never staged or don't exist; a conflicted merge state from an earlier failed operation; .git/hooks/pre-commit rejecting the commit.

Related errors

• failed to commit changes: %s
• error committing files to git repository for dir: %s, err: %
• error adding files to git repository for dir: %s, err: %v, o
• error checking for uncommitted changes: %v, output: %s
• error creating git stash: %v, output: %s

AI-assisted analysis of plandex-ai/plandex@e2d772072e (2026-09-05). Data as JSON: /api/errors/93c746e1c22614b6. Report an issue: GitHub.