Windows git error repository not owned

[shannonpileggi]

Hi! I am just sharing some new-to-me behavior on Windows in case it happens for other users.

I recently executed usethis::pr_init("xxx") and got the error

Error in libgit2::git_repository_open_ext :
   repository path '...' is not owned by current user

I then tried to check out a branch in the terminal and got a similar message:

❯ git checkout -b xxx
fatal: detected dubious ownership in repository at '...'
'...' is owned by:
        BUILTIN/Administrators (S-1-5-32-544)
but the current user is:
        MSKCC/myusername (S-1-12-1-3242423613-1154181413-1569470360-77695576)
To add an exception for this directory, call:

        git config --global --add safe.directory ...

The ... here suggested a specific project directory to add, which does work on a project by project basis. However, I followed this stack overflow post and added

[safe]
    directory = *

to my global .gitconfig

and now the problem has resolved and I am able to use {usethis} again for my PR workflows.

Feel free to close if this is not useful information.

[jennybc]

I think this sounds like a rare enough issue (it's the first I've ever heard of it) that I don't see a clear call to action for usethis itself. Glad it is worked out!