Cuts 0.74.0. Minor bump: `cargo semver-checks` reports two breaking
library changes from #3808 (`GitError::WorktreePathNotOurs` gained a
field, `WorkingTree::ensure_belongs_to_repo` was renamed), and patch is
disallowed pre-1.0 with semver breakage.
Alongside the release, one fix the release's data-loss review turned up.
## The fix
`wt step promote` stages a worktree's gitignored files through
`<git-common-dir>/wt/staging/promote` and moves them back after the
branch exchange. When a worktree and the git dir sit on different
filesystems, `fs::rename` fails with EXDEV and `copy_and_remove` copies
then unconditionally deletes the source.
#3744 made the copy tolerate a source that vanishes mid-walk — correct
for `wt step copy-ignored`, which never deletes a source, and wrong
here: an incomplete copy reported `Ok` immediately before the delete, so
a gitignored file a concurrent build removed and rewrote was destroyed
rather than moved. Before #3744 the copy errored and the source
survived, so this was a regression introduced in this release window and
caught before it shipped.
`copy_dir_recursive` now returns how many of the entries the walk
collected to copy were not copied. `copy_and_remove` refuses on a
non-zero count and leaves the source in place; `copy-ignored` names the
count and drops it, with `#[must_use]` so a future third caller decides
rather than inheriting the old bug.
A non-regular file is dropped at classification rather than counted, per
@worktrunk-bot's review: a socket carries no content the destination can
be short of, and refusing over one lands worst where it is least
recoverable — `distribute_staged` runs *after* `exchange_branches`, so a
socket that reached staging by same-filesystem rename would kill the
promote with the branches already swapped and the staged files behind a
`check_leftover_staging` refusal whose remedy deletes them. Both
directions are pinned by tests.
## Release gates
- Local `wt hook pre-merge --yes`: 4649 tests, lints, doctests, rustdoc
under `-Dwarnings`.
- `nightly.yaml` green twice on this branch (full 3-OS matrix,
feature-powerset, release-target, nix-flake, minimal-versions), and
green on the cut-from tip 92dfb686b.
- Data-loss surface review over `v0.73.0..HEAD` with four independent
finders (behavioral, blast-radius, shipped-automation, keyword).
Thirteen candidates: one real, fixed here; twelve adjudicated acceptable
and signed off.
- Every changelog entry verified against its diff, with attributions and
links checked.
## Known-red check
`codecov/patch` fails on the three `skipped += 1;` counters in
`src/copy.rs`. Each sits inside a pre-existing `ErrorKind::NotFound` arm
that was already uncovered at the base commit — the concurrent-rewrite
races (`read_dir` vanished, `entry.file_type()` vanished,
`set_permissions` vanished), none with a deterministic trigger.
`codecov/project` passes. Merging over it is approved.
> _This was written by Claude Code on behalf of max-sixty_
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Worktrunk
August 2026: Worktrunk was released at the start of the year, and has quickly become the most popular git worktree manager. It's built with love (there's no slop!). Please let me know any frictions at all; I'm intensely focused on continuing to make Worktrunk excellent, and the biggest help is folks posting problems they perceive.
Worktrunk is a CLI for git worktree management, designed for running AI agents in parallel.
Worktrunk's three core commands make worktrees as easy as branches. Plus, Worktrunk has a bunch of quality-of-life features to simplify working with many parallel changes, including hooks to automate local workflows.
A quick demo:
📚 Full documentation at worktrunk.dev 📚
Context: git worktrees
AI agents like Claude Code and Codex can handle longer tasks without supervision, such that it's possible to manage 5-10+ in parallel. Git's native worktree feature give each agent its own working directory, so they don't step on each other's changes.
But the git worktree UX is clunky. Even a task as small as starting a new
worktree requires typing the branch name three times: git worktree add -b feat ../repo.feat, then cd ../repo.feat.
Worktrunk makes git worktrees as easy as branches
Worktrees are addressed by branch name; paths are computed from a configurable template. Commands that take a branch also accept the path of the worktree it is checked out in.
Start with the core commands
Core commands:
| Task | Worktrunk | Plain git |
|---|---|---|
| Switch worktrees | wt switch feat |
cd ../repo.feat |
| Create + start Claude | wt switch -c -x claude feat |
git worktree add -b feat ../repo.feat && \ cd ../repo.feat && \ claude |
| Clean up | wt remove |
cd ../repo && \ git worktree remove ../repo.feat && \ git branch -d feat |
| List with status | wt list |
git worktree list(paths only) |
Expand into the more advanced commands as needed
Workflow automation:
- Hooks — run commands on create, pre-merge, post-merge, etc
- LLM commit messages — generate commit messages from diffs
- Merge workflow — squash, rebase, merge, clean up in one command
- Interactive picker — browse worktrees with live diff and log previews
- Copy build caches — skip cold starts by sharing
target/,node_modules/, etc between worktrees wt list --full— CI status and AI-generated summaries per branch- PR checkout —
wt switch pr:123to jump straight to a PR's branch - Dev server per worktree —
hash_porttemplate filter gives each worktree a unique port - Aliases & per-branch variables — custom
wt <name>commands and branch-scoped state for hook templates - ...and lots more
Multiple parallel agents, same simple commands:
Install
Homebrew (macOS & Linux):
brew install worktrunk && wt config shell install
Shell integration allows commands to change directories.
Cargo:
cargo install worktrunk && wt config shell install
Windows & other
Windows. wt defaults to Windows Terminal's command, so Winget additionally installs Worktrunk as git-wt to avoid the conflict:
winget install max-sixty.worktrunk
git-wt config shell install
Alternatively, disable Windows Terminal's alias (Settings → Apps → Advanced app settings → App execution aliases → "Terminal"/"Terminal Preview") to use wt directly.
Free code signing provided by SignPath.io, certificate by SignPath Foundation — policy.
Arch Linux:
sudo pacman -S worktrunk && wt config shell install
Conda / Pixi (community-maintained feedstock):
conda install -c conda-forge worktrunk && wt config shell install
Or with Pixi: pixi global install worktrunk && wt config shell install.
Quick start
Create a worktree for a new feature:
$ wt switch --create feature-auth
✓ Created branch feature-auth from main and worktree @ ~/repo.feature-auth
This creates a new branch and worktree, then switches to it. Do your work, then check all worktrees with wt list:
$ wt list
Branch Status HEAD± main↕ main…± Remote⇅ Commit Age Message
@ feature-auth + ↑ +27 -8 ↑1 +31 4bc72dc 2h Add authenticati…
^ main ^⇡ ⇡1 0e631ad 1d Initial commit
○ Showing 2 worktrees, 1 with changes, 1 ahead, 1 column hidden
The @ marks the current worktree. + means staged changes, ↑1 means 1 commit ahead of main, ⇡ means unpushed commits.
When done, either:
PR workflow — commit, push, open a PR, merge via GitHub/GitLab, then clean up:
wt step commit # commit staged changes
gh pr create # or glab mr create
wt remove # after PR is merged
Local merge — squash, rebase onto main, fast-forward merge, clean up:
$ wt merge main
◎ Generating commit message and committing changes... (2 files, +53, no squashing needed)
Add authentication module
✓ Committed changes @ a1b2c3d
◎ Merging 1 commit to main @ a1b2c3d (no rebase needed)
* a1b2c3d Add authentication module
auth.rs | 51 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
lib.rs | 2 ++
2 files changed, 53 insertions(+)
✓ Merged to main (1 commit, 2 files, +53)
◎ Removing feature-auth worktree & branch in background (same commit as main, _)
○ Switched to worktree for main @ ~/repo
For parallel agents, create multiple worktrees and launch an agent in each:
wt switch -x claude -c feature-a -- 'Add user authentication'
wt switch -x claude -c feature-b -- 'Fix the pagination bug'
wt switch -x claude -c feature-c -- 'Write tests for the API'
The -x flag runs a command after switching; arguments after -- are passed to it. Configure post-start hooks to automate setup (install deps, start dev servers).
Next steps
- Learn the core commands:
wt switch,wt list,wt merge,wt remove - Set up hooks for automated setup
- Explore LLM commit messages, interactive picker, Claude Code integration, CI status & PR links
- Browse tips & patterns for recipes: aliases, dev servers, databases, agent handoffs, and more
- Extending Worktrunk — customize workflows with hooks & aliases
- Run
wt --helporwt <command> --helpfor quick CLI reference
Further reading
- Claude Code: Best practices for agentic coding — Anthropic's official guide, including the worktree pattern
- Shipping faster with Claude Code and Git Worktrees — incident.io's workflow for parallel agents
- Git worktree pattern discussion — Community discussion in the Claude Code repo
- @DevOpsToolbox's video on Worktrunk
- git-worktree documentation — Official git reference
Contributing
- ⭐ Star the repo
- Tell a friend about Worktrunk
- Open an issue — feedback, feature requests, even a small friction or imperfect user message, or a worktree pain not yet solved
- Share: X · Reddit · LinkedIn
📚 Full documentation at worktrunk.dev 📚

