Use 'g' as an Alias for 'git' without Losing Autocompletion 1

Posted by Joe Yates Sun, 29 Aug 2010 13:19:00 GMT

I've just started using a new kind of abbreviation system for Git:

  • I use 'g' instead of 'git',
  • I've set up bash autocompletion for 'g', just like 'git'.

Previously, I used the following in my ~/.bashrc:

...
alias gts='git status'
alias gtd='git diff'
...
The problem is that, by doing this, you lose autocompletion.

Setup

Set Up 'g' as an alias for 'git'

In ~/.bashrc:

...
alias g='git'
...

2. Locate the Bash Completion File for Git

Locate your bash_completion.d directory:

  • On Linux, /etc/bash_completion.d
  • I'm using OS X with Mac Ports, so mine is at /opt/local/etc/bash_completion.d.
Ensure the directory contains git-completion.bash

3. Add Completion for 'g'

Add the following to the end of git-completion.bash: 

complete -o bashdefault -o default -o nospace -F _git g 2>/dev/null \
        || complete -o default -o nospace -F _git g
Now, if you type:
$ g |<TAB>
you should see autocompletion: 
$ g |
add                 commit              init                request-pull 
am                  config              instaweb            reset 
annotate            describe            log                 revert
...

Show your Git Branch Name in your GNU Screen Status Line

Posted by Joe Yates Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:57:00 GMT

I think my shell prompt is already cluttered enough, so I decided to show my current git branch in my GNU Screen status line instead.

Shared Git Repositories

Posted by Joe Yates Sun, 21 Feb 2010 22:06:00 GMT

When you want to have a central shared git repository to push commits to, there are two common configurations: 1. Everybody uses the same user for commits - easy to set up, but very messy, 2. Create a system user for each committer, create a system group for each project and add users to relevant groups. The post explains how to set up and manage configuration the second option.