Why is git using different diff tools in different repositories?

Question

I am trying to set up opendiff as my graphical git difftool. In other words, I want opendiff to open a graphical window and show my file changes when I type git difftool on the command line. I've added the following configuration to my ~/.gitconfig:

[diff]
    tool = opendiff
[difftool]
    prompt = false
[difftool "opendiff"]
    cmd = opendiff \"$LOCAL\" \"$REMOTE\"

When I run git difftool in most repositories, it opens opendiff as I desire, but in one particular repo, it always just shows me a text diff in the terminal.

I've run git config --list in both repositories and the only differences are those you'd expect - origin and branch names, and such - all the diff settings are identical.

So - what else could be causing git to work differently in these two repositories?

EDIT:

Contents of the badly behaving repo's .git/config, slightly redacted:

[core]
    repositoryformatversion = 0
    filemode = true
    bare = false
    logallrefupdates = true
    ignorecase = true
    precomposeunicode = true
[remote "origin"]
    url = git@<ORIGIN_URL>
    fetch = +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*
[branch "develop"]
    remote = origin
    merge = refs/heads/develop
[branch "feature/FEATURE1"]
    remote = origin
    merge = refs/heads/FEATURE1
[branch "feature/FEATURE2"]
    remote = origin
    merge = refs/heads/FEATURE2

EDIT2:

This is the diff between git config --list in both repos, slightly redacted:

40c40
< remote.origin.url=git@<GOOD_REPO_URL>
---
> remote.origin.url=git@<BAD_REPO_URL>
42,43c42,47
< branch.master.remote=origin
< branch.master.merge=refs/heads/master
---
> branch.develop.remote=origin
> branch.develop.merge=refs/heads/develop
> branch.feature/FEATURE1.remote=origin
> branch.feature/FEATURE1.merge=refs/heads/feature/FEATURE1
> branch.feature/FEATURE2.remote=origin
> branch.feature/FEATURE2.merge=refs/heads/feature/FEATURE2

EDIT3:

Well, this is embarrassing... I can no longer reproduce the issue! Now it is working in both repos just as I expected. I swear I didn't change anything, guys... Just running from home instead of work. Gremlins?

And `$LOCAL` and `$REMOTE` is defined correctly in that repo? — 0andriy, Jul 27 '18 at 22:11
can you paste the content of `.git/config` from that odd behaving repo? — Timothy Truckle, Jul 28 '18 at 09:47
@0andriy - $LOCAL and $REMOTE are populated by git when run difftool - so not sure what you mean by "defined correctly in that repo" — John L, Jul 28 '18 at 12:48

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Jul 28 '18 at 10:33

0

This difference you see could be the result of different settings in local and global configs.

Try to compare outputs of the following :

git config --global -l

and

git config --local -l

Then, to change the behaviour of the specific repo you described as calling a different tool, I'd try to get into that repo and reset config with --unset, along the lines of

git config --local --unset difftool

or maybe

git config --local --unset diff.tool

answered Jul 28 '18 at 10:33

Romain Valeri

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I added the diff between configs in both repos. As I stated originally, the only differences are those you'd expect just from working in different repos. – John L Jul 28 '18 at 13:22
BTW, running your exact commands, there is no difference between the global configs in the two repos. The differences in the local configs seem to be exactly the differences I showed in EDIT2 using just `git config --list`. – John L Jul 28 '18 at 13:26
@JohnL Check the difference between the the _global_ and _local_ settings, not global-global and local-local. – pishpish Jul 28 '18 at 13:33

Why is git using different diff tools in different repositories?

1 Answers1