Related GitHub Issue

Closes: #4567

Description

This PR fixes checkpoint commits being written to the wrong repository when the user is in a Dev Container with the GIT_DIR environment variable configured.

Implementation approach:

Created a createSanitizedGit() helper function that creates SimpleGit instances with a sanitized environment, explicitly removing git-related environment variables (GIT_DIR, GIT_WORK_TREE, GIT_INDEX_FILE, GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY, GIT_ALTERNATE_OBJECT_DIRECTORIES, GIT_CEILING_DIRECTORIES) before executing git operations. This ensures checkpoint operations always target the intended shadow repository regardless of inherited environment.

The fix is applied at two points:

1. Shadow repository initialization in create() method
2. Cleanup operations in deleteCheckpoint() method

Key design choices:

• Environment sanitization is scoped exclusively to checkpoint operations, ensuring other user workflows that may legitimately rely on GIT_DIR are unaffected
• Used simple-git's .env() method to replace the inherited environment with our sanitized version

Reviewers should note:

• The sanitization filters out environment variables at the point of creating the git instance, not globally
• All existing checkpoint functionality remains unchanged; this is purely an environment isolation fix

Test Procedure

Automated testing:
Added a comprehensive integration test (isolates checkpoint operations from GIT_DIR environment variable) that:

1. Creates a separate external git repository to simulate a GIT_DIR target
2. Sets process.env.GIT_DIR to point to this external repo
3. Creates a checkpoint in the workspace
4. Verifies the commit appears in the shadow repo, NOT the external repo
5. Confirms checkpoint restore functionality works correctly
6. Properly cleans up environment state and temporary directories

Run the test suite:
npx vitest run services/checkpoints/__tests__/ShadowCheckpointService.spec.ts

Manual testing:
To verify the fix in a real Dev Container scenario:

1. Build and package the extension: pnpm vsix
2. Create a .devcontainer/devcontainer.json with:

{
  "remoteEnv": {
    "GIT_DIR": "/tmp/external-git/.git"
  }
}

3. Start the Dev Container and install the packaged .vsix file
4. Start a Roo session and trigger a checkpoint (make any code change with checkpoints enabled)
5. Verify commits only appear in Roo's shadow repo (rooveterinaryinc.roo-cline/tasks/...), not in /tmp/external-git

Verification checklist:

• ✅ Checkpoint commits stay in shadow repository when GIT_DIR is set in a Dev Container
• ✅ Checkpoint restore functionality works correctly
• ✅ Existing checkpoint workflows unaffected in normal environments

Pre-Submission Checklist

• Issue Linked: This PR is linked to an approved GitHub Issue (see "Related GitHub Issue" above).
• Scope: My changes are focused on the linked issue (one major feature/fix per PR).
• Self-Review: I have performed a thorough self-review of my code.
• Testing: New and/or updated tests have been added to cover my changes (if applicable).
• Documentation Impact: I have considered if my changes require documentation updates (see "Documentation Updates" section below).
• Contribution Guidelines: I have read and agree to the Contributor Guidelines.

Documentation Updates

• No documentation updates are required.

Get in Touch

Discord: @ocean.smith