The 'fatal: Paths with -a does not make sense' error occurs when you combine Git's -a (all) commit flag with explicit file paths. The -a flag already stages all tracked modified files, making additional path arguments contradictory. Remove either the -a flag or the file paths from your command.
The "fatal: Paths with -a does not make sense" error in Git occurs when you try to use the `-a` flag with `git commit` while also specifying file paths. This creates a logical contradiction that Git refuses to execute. The `-a` flag tells Git to automatically stage all modified and deleted tracked files before committing. When you also specify file paths, you're essentially saying "commit all tracked files, but only these specific files" - which is contradictory. This error commonly appears when: - Using aliases or shell functions that incorrectly combine flags and arguments - Copy-pasting commands without understanding the flags - Using single quotes on Windows where double quotes are required (causing the message to be parsed as file paths) - Shell variable expansion issues in scripts where unquoted variables split into multiple arguments Git version 2.22 and later provides improved error messages that show which specific path caused the conflict.
The -a flag stages all tracked modified files automatically. Don't specify file paths with it:
# Wrong - combining -a with file paths
git commit -a -m "message" file.txt
git commit -am "message" .
# Correct - use -a without paths
git commit -a -m "message"
git commit -am "message"The -a flag only stages tracked files that have been modified or deleted. New untracked files must still be added with git add first.
If you want to commit only specific files, don't use the -a flag:
# Stage and commit specific files
git add file1.txt file2.txt
git commit -m "message"
# Or commit already-staged files
git commit -m "message" file1.txt file2.txtThis approach gives you fine-grained control over exactly which changes are committed.
Windows Command Prompt doesn't recognize single quotes. Use double quotes for commit messages:
# Wrong on Windows - single quotes not recognized
git commit -am 'Initial commit'
# Correct on Windows - use double quotes
git commit -am "Initial commit"The single quotes are treated as literal characters, causing your message to be parsed as file path arguments.
When using variables in shell scripts, always quote them to prevent word splitting:
# Wrong - variable may expand to multiple arguments
git commit -am $MESSAGE
# Correct - quote the variable
git commit -am "$MESSAGE"
# Example in a function
gcommit() {
git commit -am "$1"
}Without quotes, a message like "fix bug in parser" becomes four separate arguments.
If you're using Oh-My-Zsh or similar frameworks, check for conflicting aliases:
# Check what an alias expands to
alias gca
type gca
which gca
# List all git-related aliases
alias | grep git
# If there's a conflict, unalias it in ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc
unalias gca
# Then define your own
alias gca='git commit -am'Oh-My-Zsh's git plugin defines gca as git commit -v -a, which may conflict with your usage.
If building git commands dynamically, use set -x to debug:
#!/bin/bash
set -x # Print commands as they execute
# See exactly what command is being run
MESSAGE="my commit message"
git commit -am "$MESSAGE"
set +x # Turn off debuggingThis shows the exact command being executed, helping identify where extra arguments come from.
### Understanding the -a Flag
The -a (or --all) flag to git commit automatically stages:
- Modified files that are already tracked
- Deleted files that were tracked
It does not stage:
- New untracked files
- Files matching .gitignore patterns
# These are equivalent
git add -u && git commit -m "message"
git commit -a -m "message"### Git 2.22+ Improved Error Messages
Starting with Git 2.22 (Q2 2019), the error message includes the problematic path:
fatal: Paths with -a does not make sense.
path: 'somefile.txt'This makes debugging much easier when the path comes from variable expansion.
### Safe Shell Function Pattern
For shell functions that accept a commit message:
# Safe pattern - handles messages with spaces correctly
gc() {
if [ -z "$1" ]; then
echo "Usage: gc <message>"
return 1
fi
git commit -am "$*" # $* joins all args with spaces
}
# Even safer - prompts if no message given
gc() {
if [ -z "$1" ]; then
git commit -a # Opens editor for message
else
git commit -am "$*"
fi
}### Escaping in Different Shells
Different shells handle quoting differently:
| Shell | Commit Command |
|-------|---------------|
| Bash/Zsh | git commit -am "message" or git commit -am 'message' |
| Windows CMD | git commit -am "message" (single quotes don't work) |
| PowerShell | git commit -am "message" or git commit -am 'message' |
| Git Bash | git commit -am "message" or git commit -am 'message' |
### Combining Flags Correctly
# Valid combinations
git commit -a # Stage all, open editor
git commit -am "message" # Stage all with inline message
git commit -a --amend # Stage all and amend last commit
git commit -av # Stage all, verbose (show diff)
# Invalid - don't mix -a with paths
git commit -a file.txt # Error!
git commit -am "msg" file.txt # Error!
git commit -a . # Error!warning: BOM detected in file, this may cause issues
UTF-8 Byte Order Mark (BOM) detected in file
fatal: Server does not support --shallow-exclude
Server does not support --shallow-exclude
warning: filtering out blobs larger than limit
Git partial clone filtering large blobs warning
fatal: Server does not support --shallow-since
Server does not support --shallow-since in Git
kex_exchange_identification: Connection closed by remote host
Connection closed by remote host when connecting to Git server