Git, Windows, difftool

[johnkors]

Hi,

I'm trying to use bcomp as a diff tool on windows with git. My global git config is set to

[diff]
tool = bc3
[difftool "bc3"]
path = c:/program files (x86)/beyond compare 3/bcomp.exe

When I use it by calling "git difftool" in my repo, it opens Bcomp in merge mode, and not in diff mode. What gives?

Git version 1.8.0
(installed with GitHub for Windows)

/John

[Aaron]

Hello,

That configuration looks correct (as implemented following our guide here):
http://www.scootersoftware.com/suppo...vcs#gitwindows

What information is in the Text Merge session type? Are three files passed as input (no output)? Or Are there two input panes and a declared output file?

To see the command that Git is calling BC3 with, you can use a program like Process Explorer:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s.../bb896653.aspx

Have Git launch the diff, then look at Process Explorer and find the entry for Bcompare.exe and note the command line that was used to launch bcompare.exe. Would you be able to post it here or email it to [email protected]? If you email, please include a link to this forum thread.

[johnkors]

Hi Aaron,

this is what Process Explorer gives me when I do a git difftool and opens 3-way merge instead of text diff

"c:\program files (x86)\beyond compare 3\bcomp.exe" C:/Users/myusername/AppData/Local/Temp/GwYvMa_MyFileHere.txt FullPath/MyFilehere.txt FullPath/MyFilehere.txt FullPath/MyFilehere.txt /BCompWnd=$00040BFA

[johnkors]

The title says "Text Merge", and 3 files are showing in the Beyond Compare UI like what I'm used to from a 3-way merge.

[Aaron]

I notice that the latest stable release of Git is currently 1.8.2.2. Is updating Git an option? We have seen odd Git behavior in the past, and updating usually helps.

I notice you edited the command line. Did it have the exact same path to the exact same file 4 times?

BC3 is opening in the Text Merge session because it has been passed 4 file parameters. A diff would normally only pass 2. We would only receive 4 during a Merge (Yours,Theirs,Ancestor, and Output).

[johnkors]

Yeah, you are probably right. Tried with these two versions, since I had both installed on another computer.

Cmd prompt : git version 1.7.11.msysgit.1 => opens text compare correctly
Git Shell (GitHub for Windows) : git version 1.8.0.msysgit.0 => opens text merge

Will try to update git. Thanks!

[geekgirl]

I'm dredging this thread up as I've run into the same problem with git version 1.9.5.github.0 in Windows 8.1. I was able to get it to work by editing my C:\users\<username>\.gitconfig file so it now looks like the following. Now the git difftool <filename> command works like it should.

[diff]
tool = bc3
[difftool "bc3"]
cmd = 'C:/Program Files (x86)/Beyond Compare 3/BComp.exe' \"$LOCAL\" \"$REMOTE\"

[Aaron]

Hello,

That is pretty close to our current recommended configuration:
http://www.scootersoftware.com/suppo...vcs#gitwindows

And the GitHub directions we have here:
http://www.scootersoftware.com/suppo...#githubwindows

Glad that configuration was able to work with your current setup.