Strangely hosed git install

My main laptop (and part-time dev box) has a partially hosed git
installation. This is an ubuntu intrepid machine where I have been
building git from src for a while. Perhaps there's a way to diagnose
this before I take more drastic measures :-)

So far gc, repack and stash show errors. No dataloss AFAICS (though
the git stash errors scared me initially).

gc and repack error out thus:

$ git gc
usage: git-pack-objects [{ -q | --progress | --all-progress }]
        [--max-pack-size=N] [--local] [--incremental]
        [--window=N] [--window-memory=N] [--depth=N]
        [--no-reuse-delta] [--no-reuse-object] [--delta-base-offset]
        [--threads=N] [--non-empty] [--revs [--unpacked | --all]*] [--reflog]
        [--stdout | base-name] [--keep-unreachable] [<ref-list | <object-list]
error: failed to run repack
$ echo $?
255

And stash...

$ git stash
usage: git-diff-index [-m] [--cached] [<common diff options>]
<tree-ish> [<path>...]
common diff options:
(...)

usage: git-diff-index [-m] [--cached] [<common diff options>]
<tree-ish> [<path>...]
common diff options:
(...)
Saved working directory and index state "WIP on master: 1eac877... WIP
olpc-update-query: if the lease is due soon avoid
randomly_do_nothing()"
HEAD is now at 1eac877... WIP olpc-update-query: if the lease is due
soon avoid randomly_do_nothing()
(To restore them type "git stash apply")
$ echo $?
0
$ git stash show
 olpc-update-query |    5 +++++
 1 files changed, 5 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
$ git stash apply # does the right thing

Some background diagnostics info

 - $ git --version
   git version 1.6.3.1.26.gf5b223

 - $ which git
   /home/martin/bin/git
  # there is no other git install anywhere on the box

 - the git-core package was once installed temporarily (to try out a
package that depends on git-core)

 - some oldstyle "dashed" commands trigger a helper bash extension, thus
   $ git-diff
   The program 'git-diff' is currently not installed.  You can install
it by typing:
   sudo apt-get install git-core
   bash: git-diff: command not found


I can't figure out what is wrong with the install. I have bisected a
few bugs in the past, but that had never left any traces behind.

It's not a serious problem -- I just wonder whether it'd affect other
people developing / tracking git.

cheers,



m
--
 martin.langhoff@gmail.com
 martin@laptop.org -- School Server Architect
 - ask interesting questions
 - don't get distracted with shiny stuff  - working code first
 - http://wiki.laptop.org/go/User:Martinlanghoff