Git for Windows: .bashrc or equivalent configuration files for Git Bash shell

Question

I've just installed Git for Windows and am delighted to see that it installs Bash.

I want to customise the shell in the same way I can under Linux (e.g. set up aliases like ll for ls -l), but I can't seem to find .bashrc or equivalent configuration files.

What should I be editing?

Answer 1

Create a .bashrc file under ~/.bashrc and away you go. Similarly for ~/.gitconfig.

~ is usually your C:\Users\<your user name> folder. Typing echo ~ in the Git Bash terminal will tell you what that folder is.

If you can't create the file (e.g. running Windows), run the below command:

copy > ~/.bashrc 

The window will output an error message (command not found), but the file will be created and ready for you to edit.

Answer 2

In newer versions of Git for Windows, Bash is started with --login which causes Bash to not read .bashrc directly. Instead it reads .bash_profile.

If this file does not exist, create it with the following content:

if [ -f ~/.bashrc ]; then . ~/.bashrc; fi 

This will cause Bash to read the .bashrc file. From my understanding of this issue, Git for Windows should do this automatically. However, I just installed version 2.5.1, and it did not.