How to Configure Line Endings in Git for Cross-Platform Consistency

To configure line endings in Git, use the core.autocrlf setting to control automatic conversion between Windows (CRLF) and Unix (LF) styles. Alternatively, use a .gitattributes file to specify line ending rules per file type for consistent behavior across platforms.

Syntax

The main ways to configure line endings in Git are:

• core.autocrlf: Controls automatic line ending conversion on commit and checkout.
• .gitattributes: Defines line ending rules per file or pattern.

Values for core.autocrlf:

• true: Convert LF to CRLF on checkout, CRLF to LF on commit (Windows recommended).
• input: Convert CRLF to LF on commit, no conversion on checkout (Unix recommended).
• false: No conversion (use if you want to manage line endings yourself).

bash

git config --global core.autocrlf <true|input|false>

# Example .gitattributes content:
*.sh text eol=lf
*.bat text eol=crlf
*.txt text

Example

This example sets Git to convert line endings automatically on Windows and uses a .gitattributes file to enforce LF endings for shell scripts and CRLF for batch files.

bash

git config --global core.autocrlf true

echo "*.sh text eol=lf" > .gitattributes
echo "*.bat text eol=crlf" >> .gitattributes
echo "*.txt text" >> .gitattributes

# Check the config
 git config --global core.autocrlf

Output

true

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when configuring line endings in Git include:

• Setting core.autocrlf incorrectly for your OS, causing unwanted line ending changes.
• Not committing a .gitattributes file, leading to inconsistent line endings across team members.
• Mixing manual line ending changes with Git's automatic conversion, causing conflicts.

Always choose one method and apply it consistently.

bash

git config --global core.autocrlf false  # Wrong on Windows if you want automatic conversion

# Correct for Windows:
git config --global core.autocrlf true

Quick Reference

Setting	Description	Recommended Use
core.autocrlf=true	Convert LF to CRLF on checkout, CRLF to LF on commit	Windows systems
core.autocrlf=input	Convert CRLF to LF on commit, no conversion on checkout	Unix/Linux/macOS systems
core.autocrlf=false	No automatic conversion	If you manage line endings manually
.gitattributes	Define line endings per file type	Cross-platform projects needing precise control

Key Takeaways

Use core.autocrlf=true on Windows to handle line endings automatically.

Use core.autocrlf=input on Unix-like systems to keep LF endings.

Add a .gitattributes file to enforce consistent line endings per file type.

Avoid mixing manual line ending changes with Git's automatic conversion.

Commit your line ending settings to share them with your team.