repoworktree

Create isolated workspaces for Google repo-managed multi-repository projects using git worktree + symlink. Supports a continuous spectrum from all-symlink (zero overhead, read-only) to all-worktree (fully isolated).

中文文档

All symlink (read-only)                              All worktree (fully isolated)
│  rwt create /tmp/ws              rwt create /tmp/ws --all  │
│         ◄── rwt promote / demote dynamically ──►           │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Install

Python 3.10+, no third-party dependencies.

pip install repoworktree

Quick Start

# Create workspace, specify repos to modify
rwt create /tmp/ws-agent1 -w nuttx,apps -n "fix-serial-driver"

# Develop in the workspace
cd /tmp/ws-agent1
source envsetup.sh && lunch && m   # build works normally

# Need to modify more repos during development
rwt promote frameworks/system/core

# Done with a repo, demote back to symlink
rwt demote frameworks/system/core

# Destroy workspace
rwt destroy /tmp/ws-agent1

Command Reference

rwt create — Create workspace

rwt create <path> [options]

Option	Description
<path>	Workspace target path
-n, --name	Workspace name (default: directory name)
-w, --worktree	Comma-separated sub-repo paths to create as git worktrees
--all	Create git worktrees for all sub-repos
-s, --source	Main repo checkout path (default: auto-detect .repo/)
--checkout	Check out this branch or tag for all worktrees (default: source HEAD)
--pin	Pin version, format repo=version[,repo=version,...]
-b, --branch	Create named branch instead of detached HEAD

Examples:

# All symlink read-only (extreme A)
rwt create /tmp/ws-readonly

# Typical: modify a few repos
rwt create /tmp/ws-agent1 -w nuttx,apps -n "fix-serial-driver"

# Modify nested sub-repo
rwt create /tmp/ws-bt -w nuttx,apps/system/adb

# Parent and child repos both writable
rwt create /tmp/ws-dev -w apps,apps/system/adb

# All worktree fully isolated (extreme B)
rwt create /tmp/ws-full --all

# Pin version + named branch
rwt create /tmp/ws-stable -w nuttx --pin nuttx=v12.0.0 -b feature/new-driver

# Check out a specific branch/tag for all worktrees (without pinning — sync still works)
rwt create /tmp/ws-release --all --checkout release/v2.0

rwt destroy — Destroy workspace

rwt destroy <path|name> [-s source] [-f]

Option	Description
<path|name>	Workspace path or name
-s, --source	Source repo checkout path (for name lookup, default: auto-detect)
-f, --force	Force destroy even with uncommitted changes or local commits

rwt destroy /tmp/ws-agent1
rwt destroy fix-serial-driver     # by name
rwt destroy /tmp/ws-dirty -f      # discard uncommitted changes

rwt promote — Promote sub-repo to writable worktree

Run inside a workspace to dynamically promote a symlinked sub-repo to a git worktree.

rwt promote <repo_path> [options]

Option	Description
<repo_path>	Sub-repo path (e.g. nuttx, frameworks/system/core)
--pin	Checkout specific version
-b, --branch	Create named branch

cd /tmp/ws-agent1
rwt promote vendor/xiaomi/miwear
rwt promote frameworks/system/core --pin abc1234
rwt promote nuttx -b fix/uart-bug

Promote handles nesting automatically:

• Top-level symlink → directly replaced with worktree
• Deep nested (e.g. frameworks/system/core) → parent symlinks split into real dir + symlink mix
• Parent repo already has child worktrees → temporarily removes children, creates parent worktree, restores children

rwt demote — Demote worktree to read-only symlink

rwt demote <repo_path> [-f]

Option	Description
<repo_path>	Sub-repo path
-f, --force	Force demote, discard uncommitted changes

rwt demote apps
rwt demote apps -f    # discard changes

Demote handles nesting automatically:

• With child worktrees → preserves children, rebuilds parent as real dir + symlink structure
• Without child worktrees → the repo itself becomes a symlink; parent directories remain as real dirs

rwt list — List all workspaces

rwt list [-s <source>] [--json]

rwt status — Show workspace details

rwt status [<path|name>] [-s source] [--json]

rwt sync — Sync workspace

rwt sync [-W workspace] [--rebase]

After repo sync on the main checkout, symlinks follow automatically. Worktrees need manual sync:

Worktree state	Default	--rebase
symlink	auto follows	same
worktree, pinned	skip	skip
worktree, uncommitted changes	skip, report	skip, report
worktree, local commits	skip, report	rebase onto latest
worktree, clean	update to source HEAD	same

rwt pin / rwt unpin — Version pinning

rwt pin <repo_path> [<version>]
rwt unpin <repo_path>

rwt export — Export changes

rwt export [--format patch|bundle] [-o <dir>]

Use Cases

Parallel multi-agent development

# Two agents modify nuttx simultaneously, fully isolated
rwt create /tmp/ws-agent1 -w nuttx -n "agent1-serial-fix"
rwt create /tmp/ws-agent2 -w nuttx -n "agent2-spi-driver"

Dynamic adjustment during development

# Start with only nuttx
rwt create /tmp/ws-dev -w nuttx

cd /tmp/ws-dev

# Need to modify apps/system/adb
rwt promote apps/system/adb

# Also need to modify apps itself
rwt promote apps

# Done with apps, demote back
rwt demote apps

Push changes to Gerrit

cd /tmp/ws-agent1/nuttx
git push origin HEAD:refs/for/main

Workspace Structure

/tmp/ws-agent1/
├── .workspace.json     # workspace metadata
├── nuttx/              # git worktree (writable)
├── apps/               # real directory (has worktree descendants)
│   ├── system/
│   │   ├── adb/        # git worktree (writable)
│   │   └── core/       # symlink → source (read-only)
│   └── benchmarks/     # symlink → source (read-only)
├── build/              # symlink → source (read-only)
├── frameworks/         # symlink → source (read-only)
├── build.sh            # symlink (preserves original relative link)
└── CLAUDE.md           # symlink → source

How It Works

• Symlinked repos: Zero overhead, point directly to the main checkout directory. Read-only — modifications affect the main checkout.
• Worktree repos: Created via git worktree add with their own HEAD, index, and working tree. Fully isolated.
• Nested repos: repo-managed projects have parent-child repos (e.g. apps/ and apps/system/adb/ are independent git repos). When a child needs a worktree, parent symlinks are split into real directories with symlinked siblings — real directories are only created along the path to the worktree.
• Metadata: .workspace.json stores per-workspace config. .workspaces.json in the source root indexes all workspaces.

License

MIT