Kevin Buckley wrote: > Everything within the .git directory "belongs", in my way of thinking, > to the "repository", that is, the directory that gets created when git > is (init)ialised. > > For me, the 'objects", the 'ref/heads', the "staging area' and the like, > also lie within the repository. Does it? Suppose you have three directories, each with exactly the same contents in their corresponding .git directory, the only difference is the .git/index file: a) No .git/index file at all b) The .git/index file doesn't have anything staged c) The .git/index file contains some staged changes Do you really consider them three different repositories? In my mind the staging area is where you put stuff in preparation for the commit. The commit is part of the repository, the staging area isn't. -- Felipe Contreras