git-root

Print the absolute path of the current Git repository

$ git root

$ git root [[-r|--relative]]

git-root [path]

-h, --help
    Display usage information and exit

-V, --version
    Output version information and exit

The git-root command is a lightweight utility designed to quickly identify and output the absolute path to the root directory of the Git repository containing the current working directory (or a specified path). It is especially useful for shell scripts, makefiles, IDE configurations, or any workflow where you need to reference the repository top-level without manual navigation.

Internally, it leverages git rev-parse --show-toplevel, providing a more memorable and concise alternative to the verbose Git subcommand. When invoked from within a Git repository (even a subdirectory), it prints the full path to the .git parent directory and exits successfully. If run outside a repository or in a bare repo without context, it errors out with a non-zero exit code and a message like "not a git repository".

This tool streamlines tasks like running repository-wide commands (e.g., cd $(git-root)), setting environment variables, or integrating with tools like tmux or vim plugins. While not part of core Git, it is commonly implemented as a shell alias, function, or standalone script in dotfiles and package managers across Linux distributions.

Fails with error if not inside a valid Git repository.
Output is relative to specified path if provided; defaults to current directory.
Not a core Git command; requires installation or alias setup.

git-root
/home/user/my-repo

cd $(git-root)/src
Navigate to src from anywhere in repo

export REPO_ROOT=$(git-root)
Set repo root as environment variable

0: Success (root found)
1: Not a Git repository or invalid path
64+: Usage or version errors

Emerged around 2010 as popular shell aliases (alias git-root='git rev-parse --show-toplevel') in developer dotfiles. Later packaged in tools like grml, git-extras (since v4.0), and standalone scripts on GitHub. Gained traction with rise of monorepos and complex nested Git workflows.

git(1), git-rev-parse(1)