Git GUI: Selecting Target Directory via "Browse" causes "Location <name> already exists."

[andrewd18]

Ran into this issue when trying to teach a new Git user how to clone a repository. The user tried to select an existing, empty folder for the Target Directory, and Git GUI complained. While technically the UI isn't wrong, the process is unintuitive.

Setup

• git 1.9.5.msysgit.1
• git-gui 0.19.GITGUI
• Windows 7 Enterprise, SP1, 64-bit
• Default install options.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Create a new folder called "Git Repositories".
2. Start Git GUI.
3. Select Clone Existing Repository.
4. Set the source location to a working, accessible git repository.
5. For Target Directory, click Browse, navigate to and select "Git Repositories", then click OK.
6. Click Clone.

Expected:

• A new folder would be created in "Git Repositories" that matched the name of the Source Location repository.

Actual:

• Error window appears with the message "Location already exists."

Failed Workaround:

The user attempted the following workaround, which failed with the same error:

1. For Target Directory, click Browse, navigate to and select "Git Repositories".
2. Click New Folder.
3. Give the new folder a name.
4. Click OK.
5. Click Clone.

Workaround:

1. For Target Directory, click Browse, navigate to and select "Git Repositories", then click OK.
2. In Target Directory, append "/repository_name", where "repository_name" is the folder you want to create.
3. Click Clone.

Recommended Solution

If the path supplied in Target Directory exists and is a folder, then Git GUI should either:

• Check if it's an empty folder, and if so, clone there
• Clone to a subfolder using the source location name (my preference)

[dscho]

This is not a Windows-specific issue. Please take it to the Git mailing list (send plain-text messages, HTML messages are dropped silently).

While at it, you may want to upgrade from a Git version with quite a few known critical bugs.

[HaoSun1]

Why was this closed??? this is still a problem

p.s how do I navigate to and select "Git Repositories" when I click browse I just see a folder