Kdiff3 won't open with mergetool command

Question

I have conflicts, so I type:

git mergetool

I then get a message saying:

Hit return to start merge resolution tool

Normally when I do this, it open kdiff3 so I can merge the differences.

now when I do it, it just continues to the next file, and kdiff3 doesn't open at all.

I triple cheched my git config and my system path and all seems perfect. Config file is as follows:

 [merge]
    tool = kdiff3
 [mergetool "kdiff3"]
    path = c:/Program Files (x86)/KDiff3/kdiff3.exe
 [diff]
    guitool = kdiff3
 [difftool "kdiff3"]
    path = c:/Program Files (x86)/KDiff3/kdiff3.exe
 [core]
    editor = \"C:/Program Files (x86)/GitExtensions/GitExtensions.exe\" fileeditor   autocrlf = true
 [user]
    name = James Farrell
    email = [email protected]
 [github]
    user = whygosystems
    token = 87d00c2e613b3a7c8c1be817b75b8a33
 [diff]
    external = C:/Program Files (x86)/Git/cmd/git-diff-wrapper.sh

Anyone have any ideas what might be wrong?

I have a feeling (though I could be wrong, that this has been a problem, since I installed the new Github windows client)....

Lavoisier

I have had this issue time to time, and rebooting the machine has always helped. Have no clue as to why. – Blotch

@Blotch Thanks, I've rebooted and it hasn't helped. – Lavoisier

Had the same problem, for me this workaround helped. – Motorboat

Answer 1

I realize this is old, but for future googlers, KDiff3 also has an option where if the merge is trivial, it will resolve it silently and never even show a window.

I've had that happen to me in the past, so it might be what's happening for you. I think the option is called 'Auto save and quit on merge without conflicts'.

Glacier

This option is indeed the culprid, but it is always triggered because git calls kdiff3 with the --auto flag, so it doesn't help to disable the option in kdiff3. For a workaround see my answer to this similar question. – Motorboat

Answer 2

I haven't used git for this purpose on Windows in a while, but your config file shows some interesting differences re: program strings.

[core]
    editor = \"C:/Program Files (x86)/GitExtensions/GitExtensions.exe\" fileeditor   autocrlf = true

vs

[difftool "kdiff3"]
    path = c:/Program Files (x86)/KDiff3/kdiff3.exe

I suspect that there might be some issue with the spaces in the program name. Try setting your diff/mergetool executable paths to:

path = \"c:/Program Files (x86)/KDiff3/kdiff3.exe\"

Accord

Answer 3

Again, for future Googlers:

As of version 2.48.02 (29 November 2014), Git Extensions started distributing the 64-bit version of kdiff3. (See https://github.com/gitextensions/gitextensions/blob/master/GitUI/Resources/ChangeLog.md#version-24802-29-november-2014.)

So if you're running a 32-bit OS and had the Git Extensions installer install kdiff3, your kdiff3 won't even run by itself. The solution is to download the 32-bit version (http://sourceforge.net/projects/kdiff3/files/kdiff3/) and reinstall. I didn't even need to uninstall the 64-bit version first, as the installer simply overwrote the previous install.

Rudimentary

Answer 4

Git has --auto hard coded as a command-line option to KDiff3, which causes the GUI not to show up if all conflicts are auto-resolvable by KDiff3.

We can change this default behavior by setting:

git config --global mergetool.kdiff3NoAuto.cmd "/c/Program Files/KDiff3/kdiff3.exe --L1 \"\$MERGED (Base)\" --L2 \"\$MERGED (Local)\" --L3 \"\$MERGED (Remote)\" -o \"\$MERGED\" \"\$BASE\" \"\$LOCAL\" \"\$REMOTE\""

which result in the ~/.gitconfig file (or you can directly modify the file):

[merge]
        tool = kdiff3
[mergetool "kdiff3"]
        path = C:/Program Files/KDiff3/kdiff3.exe
        trustExitCode = false
        cmd = \"/c/Program Files/KDiff3/kdiff3.exe\" --L1 \"$MERGED (Base)\" --L2 \"$MERGED (Local)\" --L3 \"$MERGED (Remote)\" -o \"$MERGED\" \"$BASE\" \"$LOCAL\" \"$REMOTE\"
[diff]
        guitool = kdiff3
[difftool "kdiff3"]
        path = C:/Program Files/KDiff3/kdiff3.exe
        trustExitCode = false

In this way, the kdiff3 will alway open whether there is still unsolved conflicts left.

Ref: https://mcmap.net/q/437720/-how-could-i-force-mergetool-gui-kdiff3-to-be-always-shown

Buckie

Thanks for this. Solved the error while writing error I had been getting. – Adonic

Answer 5

Yet another answer for future Googlers:

Actually, no external merge tool will start. An issue was filed in August 2015: https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/SRCTREEWIN-3543

Glen