Recognize a repo that has no work tree instead of bailing out

git makes `rev-parse --show-toplevel` fatal when there's no work tree,
so asking for it together with everything else meant we never got an
answer at all for a bare repo: GetRepoPaths returned an error, nobody
ever saw IsBareRepo() == true, and lazygit either died with a stack
trace or decided we weren't in a repository. That's what you got for
opening it in a directory holding a bare repo and a .git file pointing
at it, which is a normal way to keep a repo and its worktrees together.

Ask again without --show-toplevel when the first query fails: the other
queries work fine without a work tree, so if they now succeed we know
we're in a bare repo, and the existing prompt offering to open a recent
repo does its job. If they fail too we're not in a repo at all, and the
first error already says so.

--is-bare-repository is gone from the query: a work tree implies
core.bare is false, so it could only ever come back false there, and
what matters to us is whether there is a work tree to show, which is
what we now go by.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

pkg/app/errors.go

@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ type errorMapping struct {
 func knownError(tr *i18n.TranslationSet, err error) (string, bool) {
 	errorMessage := err.Error()
 
-	knownErrorMessages := []string{minGitVersionErrorMessage(tr)}
+	knownErrorMessages := []string{minGitVersionErrorMessage(tr), tr.BareRepoNotSupported}
 
 	if lo.Contains(knownErrorMessages, errorMessage) {
 		return errorMessage, true

pkg/commands/git.go

@@ -67,6 +67,13 @@ func NewGitCommand(
 		return nil, errors.Errorf("Error getting repo paths: %v", err)
 	}
 
+	// A bare repo has no worktree for us to work in. Callers that can offer the
+	// user something better (app.setupRepo) check for this first; getting here
+	// means nobody could, e.g. because --git-dir was pointed at a bare repo.
+	if repoPaths.IsBareRepo() {
+		return nil, errors.New(cmn.Tr.BareRepoNotSupported)
+	}
+
 	err = os.Chdir(repoPaths.WorktreePath())
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, utils.WrapError(err)

pkg/commands/git_commands/repo_paths.go

@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ type RepoPaths struct {
 }
 
 // Path to the current worktree. If we're in the main worktree, this will
-// be the same as RepoPath()
+// be the same as RepoPath(). It is empty for a bare repo, which has no
+// worktree at all.
 func (self *RepoPaths) WorktreePath() string {
 	return self.worktreePath
 }
@@ -53,6 +54,9 @@ func (self *RepoPaths) RepoName() string {
 	return self.repoName
 }
 
+// Whether the repo has no worktree, so that there is nothing for lazygit to
+// show. Note that this isn't quite git's core.bare: a repo that calls itself
+// non-bare but doesn't have a worktree either counts as bare for us.
 func (self *RepoPaths) IsBareRepo() bool {
 	return self.isBareRepo
 }
@@ -84,16 +88,18 @@ func GetRepoPathsForDir(
 	dir string,
 	cmd oscommands.ICmdObjBuilder,
 ) (*RepoPaths, error) {
-	gitDirOutput, err := callGitRevParseWithDir(cmd, dir, "--show-toplevel", "--absolute-git-dir", "--git-common-dir", "--is-bare-repository", "--show-superproject-working-tree")
+	gitDirOutput, err := callGitRevParseWithDir(cmd, dir, "--show-toplevel", "--absolute-git-dir", "--git-common-dir", "--show-superproject-working-tree")
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		// --show-toplevel is the only one of these that needs a work tree, and
+		// git makes it fatal when there isn't one. So this may just mean we're in
+		// a repo that has no work tree.
+		return getBareRepoPathsForDir(dir, cmd, err)
 	}
 
 	gitDirResults := strings.Split(utils.NormalizeLinefeeds(gitDirOutput), "\n")
 	worktreePath := gitDirResults[0]
 	worktreeGitDirPath := gitDirResults[1]
 	repoGitDirPath := gitDirResults[2]
-	isBareRepo := gitDirResults[3] == "true"
 
 	// A worktree that has the repo's common git dir to itself is the repo's main
 	// worktree, so it is the repoPath. That holds for a submodule as well: its
@@ -102,9 +108,9 @@ func GetRepoPathsForDir(
 	isMainWorktree := worktreeGitDirPath == repoGitDirPath
 
 	// If we're in a submodule, --show-superproject-working-tree will return a
-	// value, meaning gitDirResults will be length 5. That only tells us anything
+	// value, meaning gitDirResults will be length 4. That only tells us anything
 	// new for a linked worktree of a submodule, which isMainWorktree misses.
-	isSubmodule := len(gitDirResults) == 5
+	isSubmodule := len(gitDirResults) == 4
 
 	// Otherwise we're in a linked worktree, and the repoPath is the repo's main
 	// worktree. git won't tell us where that is: `git worktree list` reports it
@@ -131,7 +137,42 @@ func GetRepoPathsForDir(
 		repoPath:           repoPath,
 		repoGitDirPath:     repoGitDirPath,
 		repoName:           repoName,
-		isBareRepo:         isBareRepo,
+		isBareRepo:         false,
+	}, nil
+}
+
+// getBareRepoPathsForDir is the fallback for when we couldn't ask git for the
+// work tree. Everything but --show-toplevel works fine without one, so if the
+// remaining queries succeed we are in a bare repo, and we return what we know
+// about it with an empty worktreePath. If they fail too we simply aren't in a
+// repo, and the caller's original error says so better than ours would.
+func getBareRepoPathsForDir(
+	dir string,
+	cmd oscommands.ICmdObjBuilder,
+	errWithWorktree error,
+) (*RepoPaths, error) {
+	output, err := callGitRevParseWithDir(cmd, dir, "--absolute-git-dir", "--git-common-dir")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errWithWorktree
+	}
+
+	results := strings.Split(utils.NormalizeLinefeeds(output), "\n")
+	repoGitDirPath := results[1]
+	// A bare repo has no worktree, and so no repo path in the sense the caller
+	// with a worktree means. It doesn't matter much what we say here, because
+	// nobody reads it: whoever is handed a bare repo either offers to open a
+	// recent one instead (app.setupRepo) or is turned away by NewGitCommand. The
+	// directory holding the git dir is the nearest thing there is to a repo
+	// path.
+	repoPath := filepath.Dir(repoGitDirPath)
+
+	return &RepoPaths{
+		worktreePath:       "",
+		worktreeGitDirPath: results[0],
+		repoPath:           repoPath,
+		repoGitDirPath:     repoGitDirPath,
+		repoName:           filepath.Base(repoPath),
+		isBareRepo:         true,
 	}, nil
 }
 

pkg/commands/git_commands/repo_paths_test.go

@@ -38,8 +38,6 @@ func TestGetRepoPaths(t *testing.T) {
 					`C:\path\to\repo\.git`,
 					// --git-common-dir
 					`C:\path\to\repo\.git`,
-					// --is-bare-repository
-					"false",
 					// --show-superproject-working-tree
 				}, []string{
 					// --show-toplevel
@@ -48,12 +46,10 @@ func TestGetRepoPaths(t *testing.T) {
 					"/path/to/repo/.git",
 					// --git-common-dir
 					"/path/to/repo/.git",
-					// --is-bare-repository
-					"false",
 					// --show-superproject-working-tree
 				})
 				runner.ExpectGitArgs(
-					append(getRevParseArgs(), "--show-toplevel", "--absolute-git-dir", "--git-common-dir", "--is-bare-repository", "--show-superproject-working-tree"),
+					append(getRevParseArgs(), "--show-toplevel", "--absolute-git-dir", "--git-common-dir", "--show-superproject-working-tree"),
 					strings.Join(mockOutput, "\n"),
 					nil)
 			},
@@ -76,49 +72,45 @@ func TestGetRepoPaths(t *testing.T) {
 			Err: nil,
 		},
 		{
+			// git refuses to answer --show-toplevel when there's no work tree, so
+			// we have to ask a second time without it.
 			Name: "bare repo",
 			BeforeFunc: func(runner *oscommands.FakeCmdObjRunner, getRevParseArgs argFn) {
-				// setup for main worktree
+				runner.ExpectGitArgs(
+					append(getRevParseArgs(), "--show-toplevel", "--absolute-git-dir", "--git-common-dir", "--show-superproject-working-tree"),
+					"",
+					errors.New("fatal: this operation must be run in a work tree"))
+
 				mockOutput := lo.Ternary(runtime.GOOS == "windows", []string{
-					// --show-toplevel
-					`C:\path\to\repo`,
 					// --git-dir
-					`C:\path\to\bare_repo\bare.git`,
+					`C:\path\to\project\bare.git`,
 					// --git-common-dir
-					`C:\path\to\bare_repo\bare.git`,
-					// --is-bare-repository
-					`true`,
-					// --show-superproject-working-tree
+					`C:\path\to\project\bare.git`,
 				}, []string{
-					// --show-toplevel
-					"/path/to/repo",
 					// --git-dir
-					"/path/to/bare_repo/bare.git",
+					"/path/to/project/bare.git",
 					// --git-common-dir
-					"/path/to/bare_repo/bare.git",
-					// --is-bare-repository
-					"true",
-					// --show-superproject-working-tree
+					"/path/to/project/bare.git",
 				})
 				runner.ExpectGitArgs(
-					append(getRevParseArgs(), "--show-toplevel", "--absolute-git-dir", "--git-common-dir", "--is-bare-repository", "--show-superproject-working-tree"),
+					append(getRevParseArgs(), "--absolute-git-dir", "--git-common-dir"),
 					strings.Join(mockOutput, "\n"),
 					nil)
 			},
-			Path: "/path/to/repo",
+			Path: "/path/to/project",
 			Expected: lo.Ternary(runtime.GOOS == "windows", &RepoPaths{
-				worktreePath:       `C:\path\to\repo`,
-				worktreeGitDirPath: `C:\path\to\bare_repo\bare.git`,
-				repoPath:           `C:\path\to\repo`,
-				repoGitDirPath:     `C:\path\to\bare_repo\bare.git`,
-				repoName:           `repo`,
+				worktreePath:       "",
+				worktreeGitDirPath: `C:\path\to\project\bare.git`,
+				repoPath:           `C:\path\to\project`,
+				repoGitDirPath:     `C:\path\to\project\bare.git`,
+				repoName:           `project`,
 				isBareRepo:         true,
 			}, &RepoPaths{
-				worktreePath:       "/path/to/repo",
-				worktreeGitDirPath: "/path/to/bare_repo/bare.git",
-				repoPath:           "/path/to/repo",
-				repoGitDirPath:     "/path/to/bare_repo/bare.git",
-				repoName:           "repo",
+				worktreePath:       "",
+				worktreeGitDirPath: "/path/to/project/bare.git",
+				repoPath:           "/path/to/project",
+				repoGitDirPath:     "/path/to/project/bare.git",
+				repoName:           "project",
 				isBareRepo:         true,
 			}),
 			Err: nil,
@@ -136,8 +128,6 @@ func TestGetRepoPaths(t *testing.T) {
 					`C:\path\to\repo\.git`,
 					// --git-common-dir
 					`C:\path\to\repo\.git`,
-					// --is-bare-repository
-					"false",
 					// --show-superproject-working-tree
 				}, []string{
 					// --show-toplevel
@@ -146,12 +136,10 @@ func TestGetRepoPaths(t *testing.T) {
 					"/path/to/repo/.git",
 					// --git-common-dir
 					"/path/to/repo/.git",
-					// --is-bare-repository
-					"false",
 					// --show-superproject-working-tree
 				})
 				runner.ExpectGitArgs(
-					append(getRevParseArgs(), "--show-toplevel", "--absolute-git-dir", "--git-common-dir", "--is-bare-repository", "--show-superproject-working-tree"),
+					append(getRevParseArgs(), "--show-toplevel", "--absolute-git-dir", "--git-common-dir", "--show-superproject-working-tree"),
 					strings.Join(mockOutput, "\n"),
 					nil)
 			},
@@ -183,8 +171,6 @@ func TestGetRepoPaths(t *testing.T) {
 					`C:\path\to\repo\.git\modules\submodule1`,
 					// --git-common-dir
 					`C:\path\to\repo\.git\modules\submodule1`,
-					// --is-bare-repository
-					`false`,
 					// --show-superproject-working-tree
 					`C:\path\to\repo`,
 				}, []string{
@@ -194,13 +180,11 @@ func TestGetRepoPaths(t *testing.T) {
 					"/path/to/repo/.git/modules/submodule1",
 					// --git-common-dir
 					"/path/to/repo/.git/modules/submodule1",
-					// --is-bare-repository
-					"false",
 					// --show-superproject-working-tree
 					"/path/to/repo",
 				})
 				runner.ExpectGitArgs(
-					append(getRevParseArgs(), "--show-toplevel", "--absolute-git-dir", "--git-common-dir", "--is-bare-repository", "--show-superproject-working-tree"),
+					append(getRevParseArgs(), "--show-toplevel", "--absolute-git-dir", "--git-common-dir", "--show-superproject-working-tree"),
 					strings.Join(mockOutput, "\n"),
 					nil)
 			},
@@ -226,7 +210,12 @@ func TestGetRepoPaths(t *testing.T) {
 			Name: "git rev-parse returns an error",
 			BeforeFunc: func(runner *oscommands.FakeCmdObjRunner, getRevParseArgs argFn) {
 				runner.ExpectGitArgs(
-					append(getRevParseArgs(), "--show-toplevel", "--absolute-git-dir", "--git-common-dir", "--is-bare-repository", "--show-superproject-working-tree"),
+					append(getRevParseArgs(), "--show-toplevel", "--absolute-git-dir", "--git-common-dir", "--show-superproject-working-tree"),
+					"",
+					errors.New("fatal: invalid gitfile format: /path/to/repo/worktree2/.git"))
+				// we're not in a repo at all, so asking about a bare one fails too
+				runner.ExpectGitArgs(
+					append(getRevParseArgs(), "--absolute-git-dir", "--git-common-dir"),
 					"",
 					errors.New("fatal: invalid gitfile format: /path/to/repo/worktree2/.git"))
 			},
@@ -234,7 +223,7 @@ func TestGetRepoPaths(t *testing.T) {
 			Expected: nil,
 			Err: func(getRevParseArgs argFn) error {
 				args := strings.Join(getRevParseArgs(), " ")
-				return fmt.Errorf("'git %v --show-toplevel --absolute-git-dir --git-common-dir --is-bare-repository --show-superproject-working-tree' failed: fatal: invalid gitfile format: /path/to/repo/worktree2/.git", args)
+				return fmt.Errorf("'git %v --show-toplevel --absolute-git-dir --git-common-dir --show-superproject-working-tree' failed: fatal: invalid gitfile format: /path/to/repo/worktree2/.git", args)
 			},
 		},
 	}

pkg/i18n/english.go

@@ -461,6 +461,7 @@ type TranslationSet struct {
 	DisabledForGPG                        string
 	CreateRepo                            string
 	BareRepo                              string
+	BareRepoNotSupported                  string
 	InitialBranch                         string
 	NoRecentRepositories                  string
 	IncorrectNotARepository               string
@@ -1620,6 +1621,7 @@ func EnglishTranslationSet() *TranslationSet {
 		DisabledForGPG:                       "Feature not available for users using GPG.\n\nIf you are using a passphrase agent (e.g. gpg-agent) so that you don't have to type your passphrase when signing, you can enable this feature by adding\n\ngit:\n  overrideGpg: true\n\nto your lazygit config file.",
 		CreateRepo:                           "Not in a git repository. Create a new git repository? (y/N): ",
 		BareRepo:                             "You've attempted to open Lazygit in a bare repo but Lazygit does not support bare repos. Open most recent repo? (y/n) ",
+		BareRepoNotSupported:                 "Lazygit does not support bare repos.",
 		InitialBranch:                        "Branch name? (leave empty for git's default): ",
 		NoRecentRepositories:                 "Must open lazygit in a git repository. No valid recent repositories. Exiting.",
 		IncorrectNotARepository:              "The value of 'notARepository' is incorrect. It should be one of 'prompt', 'create', 'skip', or 'quit'.",