How to fix fatal: unable to read config file in Git

The error message includes the path Git tried to access. Common locations are:

System level: /etc/gitconfig (Linux/macOS) or C:\ProgramData\Git\config (Windows)

Global level: ~/.gitconfig or ~/.config/git/config

Local level: .git/config (inside repository)

To see all config files and their locations:

git config --list --show-origin

This shows every configuration setting along with its source file.

Verify the file exists and check its permissions:

# For global config
ls -la ~/.gitconfig

# For local config (run from repo root)
ls -la .git/config

If the file exists but has wrong permissions, fix them:

# Make config file readable and writable by owner
chmod 644 ~/.gitconfig

# For local repository config
chmod 644 .git/config

If the file is owned by root, change ownership:

sudo chown $USER:$USER ~/.gitconfig

If the config file doesn't exist, Git can create it when you set a configuration value:

# Create global config with your identity
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "[email protected]"

For local repository config:

# Initialize or reinitialize the repository
git init

This creates the .git directory and config file if they don't exist.

On Windows, Git uses the HOME environment variable to locate ~/.gitconfig. If this variable is missing or incorrect:

Temporary fix (current session):

SET HOME=%USERPROFILE%

Permanent fix:

1. Open System Properties > Advanced > Environment Variables
2. Under User variables, click "New"
3. Variable name: HOME
4. Variable value: %USERPROFILE% or your actual home path (e.g., C:\Users\YourUsername)
5. Click OK and restart your terminal

PowerShell permanent fix:

[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("HOME", $env:USERPROFILE, "User")

If ~/.gitconfig is a symbolic link, verify its target exists:

# Check if it's a symlink and where it points
ls -la ~/.gitconfig
readlink ~/.gitconfig

If the target doesn't exist, either:

Option A: Create the target directory and file:

# If symlink points to ~/dotfiles/.gitconfig
mkdir -p ~/dotfiles
touch ~/dotfiles/.gitconfig

Option B: Remove the broken symlink and create a regular file:

rm ~/.gitconfig
git config --global user.name "Your Name"

If Git is configured to look for config on a network drive that's not always available:

Check your Git configuration path:

git config --list --show-origin 2>&1 | head -5

If you see a network path (like H:\ or \\server\share):

1. Ensure you're connected to the network/VPN
2. Or redirect HOME to a local path:

SET HOME=C:\Users\%USERNAME%

Check Git installation config:

Look at <git-install-path>/etc/profile to see how HOME is being set. You may need to modify this or set HOME before Git reads it.

If you see "Permission denied" or "File exists" along with the config error, there may be a stale lock file:

# Check for lock files
ls -la ~/.gitconfig.lock
ls -la .git/config.lock

If lock files exist, delete them:

rm -f ~/.gitconfig.lock
rm -f .git/config.lock

Lock files are created during config writes and should be automatically removed. Their presence usually indicates a previous Git operation was interrupted.

After applying fixes, verify Git can read its configuration:

# List all configuration
git config --list

# Test a specific config level
git config --global --list
git config --local --list

# Show config files and their locations
git config --list --show-origin

If no errors appear and you see your configuration values, the issue is resolved.