git-bash.txt

git-bash(1)
===========

NAME
----
git-bash - A Windows-specific wrapper to open a Git Bash window

SYNOPSIS
--------
[verse]
git-bash [--cd-to-home] [--cd=<directory>] [--minimal-search-path]
    [--command=<path>] [--app-id=<id>] [<args>...]

DESCRIPTION
-----------

This command opens a window with an interactive Git Bash. It is specific to the
Git for Windows project.

By default, this will open a MinTTY window, but it can be configured in Git for
Windows' installer to use Windows' default Console window instead.

Before starting the interactive Bash session, the environment is adjusted a
bit. For example, the `PATH` is adjusted to find the `git` executable, and
`git-bash` will ensure that `HOME` is set (because it is expected to be present
by Git, and to point to the current user's home directory). See the
<<ENVIRONMENT-VARIABLES>> section below for more information.


OPTIONS
-------

--cd-to-home::
--no-cd::
--cd=<directory>::
	By default, Git Bash will not change the current directory; To allow
	e.g. for Windows Explorer integration ("Git Bash Here"), the
	`--cd=<directory>` option can be used to change the current directory
	before running the interactive Bash.
+
The `--cd-to-home` option can be used to change the current directory to the
user's home directory (as determined by the environment variable `HOME`). The
`--no-cd` option can be used to override `--cd` options that precede it.

--minimal-search-path::
--no-minimal-search-path::
	By default, Git Bash will adjust the `PATH` not only to include the
	`git` executable, but also all of the Unix-y tools (such as `sed`,
	`awk`, etc). With `--minimal-search-path`, it will be adjusted so that
	*only* the `git`, `git-gui` and `gitk` executables are found, as well
	as the scripts `start-ssh-agent.cmd` and `start-ssh-pageant.cmd`.

--command=<command>::
	Allows the user to ask for a different command to be specified.
	Defaults to `usr\\bin\\mintty.exe`. If the specified command is not an
	absolute path, it is interpreted relative to `git-bash.exe`.

--app-id=<command>::
	Allows the user to override the ID used e.g. in Windows' Task Bar.
	Defaults to `GitForWindows.Bash`.

--needs-console::
--no-needs-console::
--hide::
--no-hide::
--append-quote::
--no-append-quote::
	These options do not make sense in the context of `git-bash`; They are
	merely inherited from the Git Wrapper (see the <<GIT-WRAPPER>> section
	below).

[[ENVIRONMENT-VARIABLES]]
ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Upon startup, `git-bash` will ensure that a couple of environment variables are
set/adjusted.

The most important variable to adjust is `PATH`: Git Bash does want to make
sure that the `git` executable is in the search path.

If `HOME` is unset, `git-bash` will first look whether `%HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%`
points to a valid directory and if it does, use it as value for `HOME`. If
either `HOMEDRIVE` or `HOMEPATH` are unset, or if they do not point to a valid
directory, `%USERPROFILE%` is used instead.

[[GIT-WRAPPER]]
GIT WRAPPER
~~~~~~~~~~~

In the Git for Windows project, the source code of `git-bash` is called the
"Git Wrapper", as it merely parses the command-line parameters, sets up a few
environment variables, then spawns the actual command, and waits for the
spawned command to exit. The Git Wrapper is not only used for `git-bash` but
also for `git-cmd` and for certain placeholders internal to Git (the so-called
"built-ins").


Authors
-------
The "Git Wrapper" was written by Johannes Schindelin and other Git for Windows
contributors.

GIT
---
Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite