git2

Ever wanted to handle multiple git repositories in one single directory? For example, if you deploy a software with git, you may not want to add the configuration into that repository.

Our idea: Just initialise a second git repository in the same directory and call it .git2.

Usage

Use git2 just like git.

For example, init a new repository:

git2 init .

Use git2 add, git2 commit and all other commands you known.

The .gitignore and .gitattribute files for the second git repository are named .gitignore_git2 and .gitiattributes_git2. When the git2 command is running, these files are renamed to their original names (without _git2). So to add .gitignore_git2 just run git add .gitignore.

You can clone an repository as git2-repository in an existing (and non empty) directory:

git2 clone REPO .

Addional commands

Option	Description
git2	Get current git2 base dir information.
git2 setup-exclude	Add an exclude file in the first git repository (.git/info/exclude) with the files of the second git repository.
git2 swap-git2	Swap .git and .git2 repositories.
git2 help	Help dialog with git2 commands.

These sub commands are individuell script files named git2-SUBCOMMAND.

Options

• Environment variable GITTWO_DIRNAME:
  Directory name and acronym for the current (second) git repository. Default: .git2.
  See file git3 for an example.

How it works

First, git2 tries to locate the git2 .git2 repository. Following the script exchanges the .gitignore and .gitattribute files. After that it executes the real git command (with a custom GIT_DIR and GIT_WORK_TREE environment configuration). Finally, it reexchanges the dot git files.

To ignore files from the first git repository, all it's files are added to the .git2/info/exclude file.