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Git - Using Bash Shell for Windows

[Last Updated: Nov 20, 2018]

For windows system, Git provides a BASH emulation to run Git from the command line.

We can start it by double clicking on <git-installation-directory>/git-bash.exe

What is Git Bash emulation?

Above screenshot shows the title MINGW64. It is short for Minimalist GNU for Windows 64 bits. It provides open source programming tool set for windows system. It can be thought as an alternative to Cygwin. MINGW64 also includes MSYS2 which provides a bash shell. Above shells actually runs in a Mintty terminal window. In window right click > Options > About...

Opening from Windows explorer

Opening within cmd

We can invoke either sh.exe or bash.exe which reside in <git-installation-directory>/bin/ directory:

I prefer to use Mintty window (git-bash.exe) as it's easier to copy/paste/search via right click menu there.

Autocompletion for git

Git bash by default provides autocompletion for git commands:

Joe@jpc MINGW64 /d/example-project (master)
$ git staTabTab
stage    stash    status

Joe@jpc MINGW64 /d/example-project (master)
$ git sta_

If you don't have the autocompletion support, get the source code of git-completion.bash from here, save that in your home directory and add this to your .bashrc (home directory or your custom location):

source ~/git-completion.bash

Autocompletion also works with command's options:

Joe@jpc MINGW64 /d/example-project (master)
$ git --TabTab
--bare                 --html-path            --no-replace-objects
--exec-path            --info-path            --paginate
--exec-path=           --man-path             --version
--git-dir=             --namespace=           --work-tree=
--help                 --no-pager

Joe@jpc MINGW64 /d/example-project (master)
$ git --_
Joe@jpc MINGW64 /d/example-project (master)
$ git init --TabTab
--bare               --quiet              --template=
--no-...             --separate-git-dir=
--no-template        --shared

Joe@jpc MINGW64 /d/example-project (master)
$ git init --_
Joe@jpc MINGW64 /d/example-project (master)
$ git init --sTabTab
--separate-git-dir=  --shared

Joe@jpc MINGW64 /d/example-project (master)
$ git init --s_

Other features

Git bash for windows also informs us if we are in a working branch by showing the branch name in parentheses. The last screenshots above show (master) in cyan color.

If you are in git repository folder then it shows (GIT_DIR!):

Joe@jpc MINGW64 /d/example-project (master)
$ cd .git

Joe@jpc MINGW64 /d/example-project/.git (GIT_DIR!)
$_

See Also