fix: improve error messages when git executable not found or Husky path unconfigured

src/Husky/Services/Git.cs

@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ private async Task<string> GetHuskyPath()
       catch (Exception e)
       {
          e.Message.LogVerbose(ConsoleColor.DarkRed);
-         throw new CommandException("Could not find Husky path", innerException: e);
+         throw new CommandException("Could not find Husky path. Make sure Husky is installed (run: dotnet husky install)", innerException: e);
       }
    }
 

src/Husky/Services/HuskyCliWrap.cs

@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+using System.ComponentModel;
 using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
 using CliWrap;
 using CliWrap.Buffered;
@@ -19,9 +20,9 @@ public async Task<BufferedCommandResult> ExecBufferedAsync(string fileName, stri
              .ExecuteBufferedAsync();
          return result;
       }
-      catch (Exception)
+      catch (Exception e)
       {
-         $"failed to execute command '{fileName}'".LogErr();
+         LogCommandError(fileName, e);
          throw;
       }
    }
@@ -36,9 +37,9 @@ public async Task<BufferedCommandResult> ExecBufferedAsync(string fileName, IEnu
              .ExecuteBufferedAsync();
          return result;
       }
-      catch (Exception)
+      catch (Exception e)
       {
-         $"failed to execute command '{fileName}'".LogErr();
+         LogCommandError(fileName, e);
          throw;
       }
    }
@@ -149,4 +150,16 @@ private static void LogStandardError(string stdout, OutputTypes output)
             );
       }
    }
+
+   private static void LogCommandError(string fileName, Exception e)
+   {
+      const int errorFileNotFound = 2;
+      const int errorPathNotFound = 3;
+
+      if (e is Win32Exception { NativeErrorCode: errorFileNotFound or errorPathNotFound } ||
+          e.InnerException is Win32Exception { NativeErrorCode: errorFileNotFound or errorPathNotFound })
+         $"'{fileName}' executable not found. Make sure '{fileName}' is installed and available in your PATH.".LogErr();
+      else
+         $"failed to execute command '{fileName}'".LogErr();
+   }
 }

tests/HuskyIntegrationTests/GitErrorMessageTests.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+using FluentAssertions;
+
+namespace HuskyIntegrationTests;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Integration tests that verify the error messages shown when git is unavailable
+/// or when Husky has not been installed (dotnet husky install was not run).
+/// </summary>
+public class GitErrorMessageTests(ITestOutputHelper output)
+{
+   [Fact]
+   public async Task HuskyRun_WhenHuskyIsNotInstalled_ShouldShowInstallHintInErrorMessage()
+   {
+      // arrange: set up git and husky tool WITHOUT running dotnet husky install
+      await using var c = await DockerHelper.StartContainerAsync();
+      await c.BashAsync("dotnet new tool-manifest");
+      await c.BashAsync("dotnet tool install --no-cache --add-source /app/nupkg/ husky --version 99.1.1-test");
+      await c.BashAsync("dotnet tool restore");
+      await c.BashAsync("git init");
+      // Intentionally NOT running: dotnet husky install
+
+      // act
+      var result = await c.BashAsync(output, "dotnet husky run");
+
+      // assert
+      result.ExitCode.Should().NotBe(0);
+      result.Stderr.Should().Contain("dotnet husky install");
+   }
+
+   [Fact]
+   public async Task HuskyRun_WhenGitIsNotAvailable_ShouldShowHelpfulErrorMessage()
+   {
+      // arrange: fully install husky, then remove the git binary from PATH to simulate it being missing
+      await using var c = await DockerHelper.StartWithInstalledHusky();
+      await c.BashAsync("mv $(which git) /tmp/git_backup");
+
+      // act
+      var result = await c.BashAsync(output, "dotnet husky run");
+
+      // assert
+      result.ExitCode.Should().NotBe(0);
+      var allOutput = result.Stdout + result.Stderr;
+      allOutput.Should().Contain("not found");
+      allOutput.Should().Contain("PATH");
+   }
+}

tests/HuskyTest/Services/GitTests.cs

@@ -40,6 +40,24 @@ await act.Should()
             .WithMessage("Could not find the staged files");
       }
 
+      [Fact]
+      public async Task GetHuskyPath_WhenGitCommandFails_ThrowsCommandExceptionWithInstallHint()
+      {
+         // Arrange
+         var git = new Git(_cliWrap);
+         var now = DateTime.UtcNow;
+         _cliWrap.ExecBufferedAsync("git", "config --get core.hooksPath")
+            .Returns(Task.FromResult(new CliWrap.Buffered.BufferedCommandResult(1, now, now, string.Empty, string.Empty)));
+
+         // Act
+         Func<Task> act = async () => await git.GetHuskyPathAsync();
+
+         // Assert
+         await act.Should()
+            .ThrowAsync<CommandException>()
+            .WithMessage("*dotnet husky install*");
+      }
+
       [Fact]
       public async Task GetStagedFiles_Return_StagedFiles()
       {