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when I try to config Git I receive the following error:

$ git config --global user.name "John Smith" error: could not lock config file /Users/John/.gitconfig: No such file or directory

My root directory is completely missing a .gitconfig file. When I try to make a new one I receive this error:

$ touch ~/.gitconfig touch: /Users/John/.gitconfig: No such file or directory

My git's location: 

$ which git /usr/local/git/bin/git

I've tried reinstalling Git several times (running OSX Yosemite) and I'm still having the same issue. I also cannot locate any .gitconfig.lock files, as mentioned in some posts regarding this issue.

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  • 2
    If touch ~/.gitconfig fails, your problem has nothing to do with git. Is there any file there? Do other filenames work? Commented Jan 25, 2015 at 23:59
  • There is a file .gitconfig@ at my root directory - what does the @ mean? I cannot view this file Commented Jan 26, 2015 at 0:04
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    The @ suffix is something various programs add to indicate that this is a symbolic link. Apparently it's a symlink to a non-existent file. Find out where it was linked, and what happened to wherever-that-was, if you want to get the previous contents back. Commented Jan 26, 2015 at 0:06
  • Is there a way I can just have Git create the file from scratch again? Commented Jan 26, 2015 at 0:13
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    If you don't care what it might have been pointed at before then just delete the broken/dangling symlink and try the git config command again. Commented Jan 26, 2015 at 2:19

3 Answers 3

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So I ended up solving this issue by reading the Customizing Git section of the documentation.

While I could not touch a new .gitconfig file in my root directory as stated above, I read that the first place Git looks for configuration values is in etc/gitconfig (note the lack of a . in the name).

So I created a file called gitconfig inside of the etc directory and filled it in with a sample gitconfig I found online, and added my user information to the top like so: 

[user] name = John Smith email = [email protected]

I was then able to commit as my usual self, however I still don't have a .gitconfig in my root, so I am unable to config Git using git config --global, and must do the configurations manually in etc/gitconfig.

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Were you ever able to solve this? I am running into the same problem and have yet to find a solution.
On windows, my gitconfig file was present at C:\Program Files\Git\etc\gitconfig
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For me the .gitconfig file was missing.I tried reinstalling Git several times, however it din't help me. I resolved the issue by performing the below steps.

  1. create a folder structure c:/dev/home if already not present.
  2. Open the Windows command prompt. (Run as administrator)
  3. From the Windows command prompt, run the command "git init"
  4. Run the following command: git config --global user.name "Example"
  5. Run the following command: git config --global user.email "[email protected]"

The above steps will create the .gitconfig file in the path c:/dev/home and you will be able to set your desired username and email id.

On Windows systems, Git looks for the .gitconfig file in the $HOME directory (C:\Users\$USER for most people). So copy the file created in the above step to your Home directory by providing the required permission.

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I solved that. By adding .gitconfig file to the Home directory. Now it works fine.

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