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Git Worktrees Guide

docs/reference/worktrees.md

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Beads works from normal Git worktrees without a separate sync branch. Current beads stores issue data in Dolt under refs/dolt/data, so issue sync is separate from Git branch commits.

Current Model

All worktrees in the same repository use the same beads workspace unless you override discovery with BEADS_DIR.

project/
├── .git/                 # Shared Git directory
├── .beads/               # Shared beads config and local Dolt data
├── main-worktree/
└── feature-worktree/

Key points:

  • bd discovers the repository's .beads directory from linked worktrees.
  • Issue changes are stored in Dolt, not committed to the current Git branch.
  • Cross-clone sync uses bd dolt pull and bd dolt push.
  • No sync.branch or beads-managed Git worktree is required.

Basic Usage

Initialize beads once in the repository:

bash
cd project
bd init

Create linked worktrees normally:

bash
git worktree add ../project-feature feature-branch
cd ../project-feature
bd ready
bd create "Implement feature X" -t feature -p 1

Sync issue data through the configured Dolt remote:

bash
bd dolt pull
bd dolt push

External Beads Workspace

If you want a separate issue-tracker repository shared by many code worktrees, point BEADS_DIR at that workspace:

bash
export BEADS_DIR=~/project-beads/.beads

cd ~/project/main       && bd list
cd ~/project/feature-1  && bd list
cd ~/project/feature-2  && bd list

With an external BEADS_DIR, bd dolt push and bd dolt pull target the external beads workspace, not the code repository.

Hooks

Git hooks installed by beads are worktree-aware. If hooks are stale or mention removed legacy sync commands, refresh them:

bash
bd hooks install

Legacy Cleanup

Older beads versions had an experimental sync.branch workflow that created hidden worktrees such as .git/beads-worktrees/<branch>/. That workflow has been removed.

If a legacy checkout cannot switch branches because a beads-created worktree still holds the branch, remove the stale worktree records:

bash
rm -rf .git/beads-worktrees
rm -rf .git/worktrees/beads-*
git worktree prune

If old config still contains a sync branch, clear it:

bash
bd config set sync.branch ""

Troubleshooting

Database Not Found In A Worktree

Check that the main repository has a .beads directory and that the worktree belongs to that repository:

bash
git worktree list
cd /path/to/main/repo
ls -la .beads

If the repository has no beads workspace yet, run bd init from the main repository.

Multiple .beads Directories

If a worktree has its own accidental .beads directory, remove or archive the extra copy after confirming it does not contain unique issue data. By default, worktrees should share the repository workspace.

Concurrent Writers

For ordinary single-user worktree use, run commands directly. For true multi-writer workflows across machines or agents, sync frequently with bd dolt pull and bd dolt push, and coordinate through the tracker to avoid working the same issue concurrently.

See Also