Configure Visual Studio to use system-installed Git.exe

Question

Visual Studio 2017 ships with its own version of Git. Unfortunately, it doesn\'t have support for SSH and it doesn\'t include a root certificate for the issuer for SSL

Answer 1

The Visual Studio installed Git version was causing issues on my side too, so I've replaced the entire folder where Visual Studio deploys its own version:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\Common7\IDE\CommonExtensions\Microsoft\TeamFoundation\Team Explorer\Git\

With the last 32-bits version downloaded from here. And after restarting the IDE the issues has gone, an option to change this from Visual Studio settings would be welcome, but at least this workaround works.

Answer 2

I have used a symbolic link to the system installed git folder location. 32-bit or 64 bit works. This way I did not have to have multiple git installations. The Problem with this method is, when Visual Studio is updated, it will break the installed git with its version, so the link has to be removed.

Not a perfect answer, I agree that it would be nice to have a way to use the system installed version or configure the embedded version.

Answer 3

This may be a little bit late but just in case others come looking for this information and end up here, you can tell Visual Studio 2017/2019 to use the system installed version of Git by doing the following:

1. Open up Visual Studio, click on the Tools menu item at the top.
2. Select Options at the bottom of the list.
3. In the search box for Visual Studio options search for Git
4. Under the External Web Tools section, find the two entries that contain: $(DevEnDir)\CommonExtensions\Microsoft\TeamFoundation\Team Explorer\Git\cmd $(DevEnDir)\CommonExtensions\Microsoft\TeamFoundation\Team Explorer\Git\mingw32\bin

Please note this screenshot was found on google because I don't have my computer on me for actual screenshots. So it may appear a bit different.

5. Replace these with the location of your system installed version of git.

   Example of step five would be something like:

   C:\Program Files\Git\bin

   C:\Program Files\Git\mingw64\bin

6. Finally, you will need to completely close down Visual Studio. I would recommend an actual restart just to play it safe because sometimes it doesn't see those changes even after re-opening Visual Studio.

Answer 4

I have not found an answer to your direct question in bold, but I am having similar SSL certificate issues, which I have solved with help from the following link:

Git in VS2017 with self-signed SSL

In short: Find the location of the certs folder that Visual Studio is using. It will be something like this:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\Common7\IDE\CommonExtensions\Microsoft\TeamFoundation\Team Explorer\Git\mingw32\ssl\certs

I found this by going down to the /2017 directory and just searching from there.

Next: Open ca-bundle.crt and copy your full base64 encoded cert (including begin and end tags) in that file, and save.

Test with a fetch, or some such.

Hoping this solves at least half of your problem!