"First-Time Git Setup" docs about .gitconfig are incorrect as of Git For Windows v2.24

[Gollum999]

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This report is about the ProGit book, version 2, English language.

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Source files

Describe the bug:

On this page, there is the following paragraph (emphasis mine):

On Windows systems, Git looks for the .gitconfig file in the $HOME directory (C:\Users\$USER for most people). It also still looks for [path]/etc/gitconfig, although it’s relative to the MSys root, which is wherever you decide to install Git on your Windows system when you run the installer. If you are using version 2.x or later of Git for Windows, there is also a system-level config file at C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Git\config on Windows XP, and in C:\ProgramData\Git\config on Windows Vista and newer. This config file can only be changed by git config -f <file> as an admin.

As of git-for-windows/git#2358, this is incorrect. As described in the release notes:

Note! As a consequence of making git config --system work as expected, the location of the system config is now C:\Program Files\Git\etc\gitconfig (no longer split between C:\Program Files\Git\mingw64\etc\gitconfig and C:\ProgramData\Git\config), and likewise the location of the system gitattributes is now C:\Program Files\Git\etc\gitattributes (no longer C:\Program Files\Git\mingw64\etc\gitattributes). Any manual modifications to C:\ProgramData\Git\config need to be ported manually.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Go to https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Getting-Started-First-Time-Git-Setup
2. Read text :)

Expected behavior:

I think we could change this to say something like:

On Windows systems, Git looks for the global .gitconfig file in the %USERPROFILE% directory (C:\Users\%USERNAME% for most people). It also looks for the system config file at [path]/etc/gitconfig, where [path] is wherever Git was installed on your system. If you are using Git for Windows version between v2.0.0 and v2.23.0, there is also a secondary system-level config file at %PROGRAMDATA%\Git\config (C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Git\config on Windows XP, or C:\ProgramData\Git\config on Windows Vista and newer). This config file can only be changed by git config -f <file> as an admin.

Or we could simply ignore versions of GFW that are 2+ years old:

On Windows systems, Git looks for the global .gitconfig file in the %USERPROFILE% directory (C:\Users\%USERNAME% for most people). It also looks for the system config file at [path]/etc/gitconfig, where [path] is wherever Git was installed on your system.

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[HonkingGoose]

Or we could simply ignore versions of GFW that are 2+ years old:

On Windows systems, Git looks for the global .gitconfig file in the %USERPROFILE% directory (C:\Users\%USERNAME% for most people). It also looks for the system config file at [path]/etc/gitconfig, where [path] is wherever Git was installed on your system.

I'd say ignore the really old stuff. 😉 People should not be using a version of Git for Windows that old anyway. 👻

What do you think @ben?

[ben]

That sounds right to me.

On Thu, Dec 2, 2021 at 2:02 AM HonkingGoose ***@***.***> wrote: Or we could simply ignore versions of GFW that are 2+ years old: On Windows systems, Git looks for the global .gitconfig file in the %USERPROFILE% directory (C:\Users\%USERNAME% for most people). It also looks for the system config file at [path]/etc/gitconfig, where [path] is wherever Git was installed on your system. I'd say ignore the really old stuff. 😉 People should not be using a version of Git for Windows that old anyway. 👻 What do you think @ben <https://github.com/ben>? — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#1717 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAAJXXT2JHWD4MNXOJ2DUPDUO4737ANCNFSM5JE5IYBA> .

-- – Ben

[Sturmey66]

2023-10-27 So I tried following Chapter 1 of the current version, and followed along trying to use the latest information to get set up, and I have to say that something is missing. I have no clue how to use GIT, and this didn't help me get set up using GIT for Windows and trying to connect to my GIT account. Please consider getting someone who doesn't know GIT to use your instructions without your help, then fix them so that people who are new to all this can actually figure it out.

BTW, I'm on 2.42.0.Windows.2

[haagensen]

Or we could simply ignore versions of GFW that are 2+ years old:

Hey, now it's 5 years old! <g>

On Windows systems, Git looks for the global .gitconfig file in the %USERPROFILE% directory (C:\Users\%USERNAME% for most people). It also looks for the system config file at [path]/etc/gitconfig, where [path] is wherever Git was installed on your system.

Citing "C:\Users%USERNAME%" is a bit dangerous since, as stated, it's for "most people" but not "all people". For example, my Windows setup at the office has a local user "christian" and my AD user "christian" also, so "%USERNAME%" points to "christian" but %USERPROFILE% points to "c:\users\christian.MYDOMAIN". Since %USERPROFILE% already points to the right location anyway, I'd rephrase this simply as

On Windows systems, Git looks for the global .gitconfig file in the %USERPROFILE% directory. It also looks for the system config file at [path]/etc/gitconfig, where [path] is wherever Git was installed on your system.