Execute git cmd via node.js on windows fails with err

Question

git is installed on windows and works from any directory (it is in System path)

var child_process = require('child_process');
child_process.exec('git --version', function(err, stdout, stderr) {
  // stdout is correct - git version 1.7.11.msysgit.1
  // but err is not null
  // err is [Error: Command failed: ] killed: false, code: 1, signal: null }      
}

What can cause this?

Answer 1

I had this issue using Windows 7 with msysgit. Two things seem to solve the issue.

First, verify that your Path system variable includes a path to the Git bin directory, and not the cmd directory:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Git\bin

Next, verify you have a recent version of msysgit. I've verified the issue as solved with version 1.8.4-preview:

https://code.google.com/p/msysgit/downloads/list

Restart your shell and try again.

Answer 2

As a workaround you can pass {env:{PATH:"C:\path to\node"}} as the options argument to process.exec(cmd, opts, callback) as described in docs. I am surprised that the Windows path doesn't carry over but have no explanation why.