Fixing Git LFS Integration in Obsidian’s Git Plugin on macOS

macos
obsidian
git
Published

May 9, 2025

If you’re using the Obsidian Git plugin with Git LFS (Large File Storage) on macOS, you may run into a frustrating issue: git-lfs works fine in your terminal, but Obsidian Git throws this error:

This repository is configured for Git LFS but ‘git-lfs’ was not found on your path.

Even after running git lfs install and configuring .gitattributes correctly, Git LFS fails — and so do pushes involving large files.

🧠 The Problem: GUI apps ignore your shell config

When you launch Obsidian from the Dock, Spotlight, or Finder:

  • It does not load your ~/.zprofile, ~/.bashrc, or config.fish.
  • It does not inherit the same $PATH you see in your terminal.
  • So anything installed in /usr/local/bin, like git-lfs, is invisible to Obsidian’s Git plugin.

✅ The Solution: A Custom .app Launcher With a Fixed $PATH

Instead of trying to patch macOS’s environment or launchctl quirks, the simplest and most reliable fix is:

🛠 Build a wrapper .app that launches Obsidian with the correct environment.

This gives you:

  • A real clickable macOS app
  • The ability to fix $PATH permanently
  • A proper app icon and dock integration

🚀 How to Build the App

1. Create the directory structure

mkdir -p ~/Applications/Obsidian\ With\ Git\ LFS.app/Contents/{MacOS,Resources}
  1. Add a wrapper script

Create the file: ~/Applications/Obsidian With Git LFS.app/Contents/MacOS/Obsidian With Git LFS

#!/bin/bash
export PATH="$HOME/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin"
/Applications/Obsidian.app/Contents/MacOS/Obsidian "$@"

Make it executable:

chmod +x ~/Applications/Obsidian\ With\ Git\ LFS.app/Contents/MacOS/Obsidian\ With\ Git\ LFS
  1. Add a valid Info.plist

Create Contents/Info.plist with this content:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
  <key>CFBundleName</key>
  <string>Obsidian With Git LFS</string>
  <key>CFBundleIdentifier</key>
  <string>com.example.obsidian-lfs-launcher</string>
  <key>CFBundleVersion</key>
  <string>1.0</string>
  <key>CFBundlePackageType</key>
  <string>APPL</string>
  <key>CFBundleExecutable</key>
  <string>Obsidian With Git LFS</string>
  <key>CFBundleIconFile</key>
  <string>icon.icns</string>
</dict>
</plist>
  1. Copy the Obsidian icon
cp /Applications/Obsidian.app/Contents/Resources/icon.icns \
   ~/Applications/Obsidian\ With\ Git\ LFS.app/Contents/Resources/icon.icns
  1. Refresh Finder and Dock
touch ~/Applications/Obsidian\ With\ Git\ LFS.app
killall Finder

You can now drag the app to your Dock and launch it like any normal app.

⸻

💡 Why This Works

macOS apps launched from the GUI don’t inherit your shell environment. By wrapping Obsidian in a script and explicitly setting PATH, you restore visibility to git-lfs (and anything else installed outside system paths).

No more pre-push hook errors. No more surprises when you push large files. And it looks and works like a native app.

⸻

🧭 TL;DR

Problem Fix
Git LFS not found in Obsidian Git Build a .app wrapper that sets a clean $PATH
No icon for Automator-style apps Add Info.plist and obsidian.icns
GUI apps don’t see shell environment Use a launch wrapper, not a shell config

⸻

This fix keeps your Git workflows smooth and protects you from GitHub’s 100MB limit surprises. Launch Obsidian like you always do — but now it Just Works™.