How to update git version from GitHub Desktop on Windows

Question

I want to use the new worktree functionality introduced in git 2.5. However, I don't know how to update to the most recent version of GitHub Desktop (not git itself).

I install GitHub for desktop and hoped it ships with the most recent version, however git --version returns git version 1.9.5.github.0. But if I understand correctly, we're already at version 2.6.x! So how can I update to this version on my Windows machine, where the only version of git I installed was with the GH Desktop?

Answer 1

Update Nov. 25th, 2015.
For what it is worth, GitHub Desktop (finally) uses a more recent git version: 2.5. See Brendan Foster tweet.

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Original answer (early Nov 2015)

First, the latest git for windows release is available here on GitHub.
I always use the archive portable form (unzipped anywhere I want, and added to the PATH).

But if you have chosen the exe setup, that means it has been installed in C:\Program Files\Git.

However, as I mentioned here, git is also included in GitHub Desktop own installation path (%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\GitHub\PORTAB~1\bin)

You could, in theory, replace the exact value of the folder PORTAB~1 by a directory JUNCTION:

cd %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\GitHub
dir # take note of the exact name of PORTABLEGIT folder: <PORTAB...>
move <PORTAB...> old_PORTABLEGIT
mklink /J <PORTAB...> "C:\Program Files\Git"

In my latest GitHub Desktop 3.0.7.1 3397ae4, I see:

C:\Users\vonc\AppData\Local\GitHub\PortableGit_c2ba306e536fdf878271f7fe636a147ff37326ad\bin

However, that would not work: when starting GitHub Desktop again, it would detect the change and restore its own embedded Git version (1.9.5)

So you can't force easily GitHub Desktop to use another git version.

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Even if you were able somehow to force GitHub for Desktop to use another version of Git, you would have to carefully report its own internal git system configuration:

 C:\Users\vonc\AppData\Local\GitHub\PortableGit_c2b...\etc\gitconfig

This file points to GitHub Desktop specific settings:

[http]
        sslcainfo = /bin/curl-ca-bundle-ghfw.crt
[credential]
        helper = !github --credentials

[filter "ghcleansmudge"]
        clean = cat
        smudge = cat

THose settings are not present in a non-GitHub embedded version of Git, and would need to be restored.