"git x --help" not working [Solved]

[gvanem]

Hello group; first time here.

A long time ago when I did e.g. git init --help, I would get the git-init.html help-page launched in my default browser.
This is not working even after a fresh uninstall and reinstall of Git-2.31.0-64-bit.exe.

Instead, Windows' Explorer starts wanting me to select the .html-file apparently. How do I enable the
file f:\ProgramFiler\Git-2\mingw64\share\doc\git-doc\git-init.html (and others) to be launched directly?
Some Registry setting I'm missing?

[PhilipOakley]

It sounds like your installation is slightly non-standard. Completing the issue template would help. In particular it looks like your Git is not at a typical location, and the help files have not been copied to the matching directory.

For me I have:

$ git version
git version 2.31.0.windows.1

phili@Philip-Win10 MINGW64 ~
$ git init --help

which opens file:///C:/Program%20Files/Git/mingw64/share/doc/git-doc/git-init.html nicely laid out

checking my root (/) location

phili@Philip-Win10 MINGW64 ~
$ cd /

phili@Philip-Win10 MINGW64 /
$ pwd -W
C:/Program Files/Git

phili@Philip-Win10 MINGW64 /
$ which git
/mingw64/bin/git

How was Git installed on your machine (is it a personal machine or was it installed by corporate IT, hence why f:\ProgramFiler\Git-2\) ?

[gvanem]

git version 2.31.0.windows.1

Same as I have.

How was Git installed on your machine

Download from gitforwindows.org, ran the Git-2.31.0-64-bit.exe installer as before. A personal machine. I used f:\ProgramFiler since my c:\ drive if 60% full. Does it really matter for this installer?

I do have f:\ProgramFiler\Git-2\mingw64\share\doc\git-doc\git-init.html which is the same relative location you have.

[gvanem]

I think I found the problem; I had an INFOPATH env-var variable (unrelated to git).

Removing that or extending it with ;f:\ProgramFiler\Git-2\mingw64\share\doc, a git init --help works!
But yikes. What does .info-files have to do with the .html-files?

[PhilipOakley]

That does sound like a slightly 'buggy' feature. Most of the Git env variable are prefixed with GIT.. but some env variables are used more generally, so...

Which app is using/providing the INFOPATH env-var variable?

Would you be able to help with looking it this? It's open source after all 😃

The installer is part of the https://github.com/git-for-windows/build-extra/tree/main/installer repo.

[gvanem]

Which app is using

Some old GNU-info program. Can't remember. But lots of hits for INFOPATH
here: https://github.com/git-for-windows/git-sdk-64/search?q=INFOPATH