getting git.exe for Android Studio on Windows

getting git.exe for Android Studio on Windows

[Somogyi Henrik]

Hello Community,

I have just learnt, that I can dowload an Android app example from 
GitHub into my Android Studio.

But I do not have git.exe installed on my PC yet.

What shall I install on my PC to have this git.exe?

I wish to install only the bare minimum needed for downloading the 
example. I would like to avoid the install of a fully fledged Git with 
all the whistles and bells to have an own "github" on my PC.

I do not find this info on [Git - Downloads 
(git-scm.com)](https://git-scm.com/download)

Thanks,

Henrik Somogyi

Re: getting git.exe for Android Studio on Windows

[brian m. carlson]

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On 2021-05-20 at 05:22:33, Somogyi Henrik wrote:
> Hello Community,
> 
> I have just learnt, that I can dowload an Android app example from GitHub
> into my Android Studio.
> 
> But I do not have git.exe installed on my PC yet.
> 
> What shall I install on my PC to have this git.exe?
> 
> I wish to install only the bare minimum needed for downloading the example.
> I would like to avoid the install of a fully fledged Git with all the
> whistles and bells to have an own "github" on my PC.
> 
> I do not find this info on [Git - Downloads
> (git-scm.com)](https://git-scm.com/download)

Most people using Git on Windows use the standard Git for Windows
edition.  If you'd like a smaller one, the Git for Windows Portable
option is also available, which can be run off a thumbdrive if you like.

Because Windows lacks a standard POSIX shell and POSIX utilities which
Git requires to run, you need more than a single binary.  Git invokes
the shell when you spawn an editor and run certain types of aliases,
among other activities, so a POSIX shell is absolutely required for Git
to have normal functionality.

Even on Unix, a reasonably functional Git installation requires
additional binaries, such as the HTTP helper, so having only the single
binary would result in substantially reduced functionality, and I'm not
aware of anyone shipping such a configuration.
-- 
brian m. carlson (he/him or they/them)
Houston, Texas, US

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Re: getting git.exe for Android Studio on Windows

[brian m. carlson]

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On 2021-06-02 at 05:53:55, Somogyi Henrik wrote:
> Hello Brian,

Hi,

Please keep the list in CC so that everyone can see the discussion.  I'm
not that familiar with Windows and may be offline for a few days soon,
so if you CC the list you may find someone who is better able to answer
your questions.

> I have installed "Git for Windows v2.31.1".
> 
> I only need the git.exe so that Android Studio can use it for dowloading a
> sample Android app from GitHub.
> 
> But now I got 4 git.exe programs:
> 
> F:\programs\Git
> 	\bin\git.exe
> 	\cmd\git.exe
> 	\mingw64\bin\git.exe
> 	\mingw64\libexec\git-core\git.exe
> 
> Which should I specify in Android Studio as the needed git.exe?

I believe you can go to a command prompt and type "where git" and that
should print the proper location.  If you've installed the portable
version, I believe the one in the top-level bin directory is correct.
-- 
brian m. carlson (he/him or they/them)
Houston, Texas, US

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Re: getting git.exe for Android Studio on Windows

[Johannes Schindelin]

Hi,

On Wed, 2 Jun 2021, brian m. carlson wrote:

> On 2021-06-02 at 05:53:55, Somogyi Henrik wrote:
>
> Please keep the list in CC so that everyone can see the discussion.  I'm
> not that familiar with Windows and may be offline for a few days soon,
> so if you CC the list you may find someone who is better able to answer
> your questions.
>
> > I have installed "Git for Windows v2.31.1".
> >
> > I only need the git.exe so that Android Studio can use it for dowloading a
> > sample Android app from GitHub.
> >
> > But now I got 4 git.exe programs:
> >
> > F:\programs\Git
> > 	\bin\git.exe
> > 	\cmd\git.exe
> > 	\mingw64\bin\git.exe
> > 	\mingw64\libexec\git-core\git.exe
> >
> > Which should I specify in Android Studio as the needed git.exe?
>
> I believe you can go to a command prompt and type "where git" and that
> should print the proper location.  If you've installed the portable
> version, I believe the one in the top-level bin directory is correct.

The one that is guaranteed to work is the one added to the `PATH` when you
choose to add Git to the `PATH` via the Git for Windows installer, which
currently would be `C:\Program Files\cmd\git.exe`.

For backwards-compatibility, I reintroduced `C:\Program
Files\bin\git.exe`.

Do note that both of those are simply redirectors. The actual binaries are
in `\mingw64\bin\` (and the keen eye will not have missed that
`libexec\git-core` contains a mere hardlinked version of the `bin` one),
but there are too many binaries there, therefore it is not recommended to
add those to the `PATH`.

If in doubt, stick with what the Git for Windows installer recommends. I
do put in an effort trying to choose sensible defaults that work for the
vast majority of users.

Ciao,
Johannes