git-1.5.5.5-alt1

Stpid messages are printed when working in bare repos (they would make sense inside a working dir): 

[imz@localhost repo.git]$ git reset HEAD^ 
f: needs update
[imz@localhost repo.git]$ 

How to reproduce: 

[imz@localhost git-bare-msgs]$ mkdir repo
[imz@localhost git-bare-msgs]$ cd repo/
[imz@localhost repo]$ git init
Initialized empty Git repository in .git/
[imz@localhost repo]$ echo a > f
[imz@localhost repo]$ git add f
[imz@localhost repo]$ git commit -m a.
Created initial commit a6437c2: a.
 1 files changed, 1 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 f
[imz@localhost repo]$ echo b > f
[imz@localhost repo]$ git commit -m b. -a
Created commit 59bec0a: b.
 1 files changed, 1 insertions(+), 1 deletions(-)
[imz@localhost repo]$ git clone --bare ./ ../repo.git
Initialized empty Git repository in /home/imz/SAVED-for-me-and-everyone/bugreports/git-bare-msgs/repo.git/
[imz@localhost repo]$ cd ../repo.git
[imz@localhost repo.git]$ git reset HEAD^ --hard
fatal: hard reset makes no sense in a bare repository
[imz@localhost repo.git]$ git reset HEAD^ 
f: needs update
[imz@localhost repo.git]$ git status
fatal: This operation must be run in a work tree
[imz@localhost repo.git]$ ls
branches  config  description  HEAD  hooks  index  info  objects  ORIG_HEAD  refs
[imz@localhost repo.git]$ git --no-pager log
commit a6437c2fa63c06a550b3e3061671c9504f10a318
Author: Ivan Zakharyaschev <imz@altlinux.org>
Date:   Sat May 16 18:06:56 2009 +0000

    a.
[imz@localhost repo.git]$ 

So, the command "git reset HEAD^" took effect (as can be seen from the log), but it printed confusing messages.