Support repository layouts where the git dir is customized

Describe the bug

After moving the .git folder out of the working tree GitHub Desktop always reports “Never fetched” even after fetch occurs. Everything still works fine, just always see “Never fetched” message in GitHub Desktop.

Version & OS

OS: Windows 10 GitHub Desktop: 2.3.1

Steps to reproduce the behavior

1. Open GitHub Desktop.
2. Open GitHub command line (Ctrl+`).
3. Type a command similar to the following example, depending on where you want to move the .git folder.

git init --separate-git-dir c:\git\example.git

1. Git should give a reinitialized existing Git repository message. Once complete, exit the command line.
2. In GitHub Desktop click the Fetch button. Fetch occurs but now always shows “Never fetched.”

Expected behavior

Should show last Fetch time.

Actual behavior

Always shows “Never fetched.”

Additional context

I’ve also tried adding a core.worktree value into the config and get the same problem.

[sgbaird]

I get a similar issue - submodule in GitHub Desktop reports “never fetched”, but everything seems to work normally otherwise. I don’t use --separate-git-dir; at least I’ve never specified that option.

[Computerhope]

@steveward Yes this is still happening. All my repositories are handled this way, but for testing purposes I did clone another existing repository without separating the dir and it does show a last fetched.

The issue for me only seems to only seems to happen on repositories that have a separate git dir, which right now is three different repositories I work in daily. Everything else has been working fine since I made the original post, but it has always said “Never fetched.”

Above testing done with latest current version of GitHub Desktop: 2.5.3.