what should be in the git description file?
GitGit Problem Overview
After initialising a new local repo there is a description file present.
What is it used for and how should I format it? Or is it simply a local helper file.
This thread Accessing git's `description' file suggests one style, but no man page or other reference to why it should be the way it is.
Git Solutions
Solution 1 - Git
description file is only used by the GitWeb program ( to display the description of the repo on the GitWeb page)
https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-Internals-Plumbing-and-Porcelain
Otherwise, how you use it is left to you and I don't see a point in a "style" for it.
Solution 2 - Git
The description file can also be read by hook scripts or other scripts pertaining to the repository. For example, one popular hook script, post-receive-email, sends an email to all members when a commit is made to the repository, and uses the contents of the description file as the name of the repository in the email subject.
Solution 3 - Git
description is just a text file that is shown as project description in web frontend.
Just write there something that explains what the repository is about.
Solution 4 - Git
The content of this file is also used by gitolite with the "desc -ld" command.
you can modify this file, but it doesn't seem to me that it's taken into account to be commited.