"Fatal: bad object" error using git subtree push

Question

This is a noob question but I'm under the gun to resolve this. I've inherited an odd problem with a git subtree that appears to be repo corruption.

Here's the scenario : a subtree of a git-based project A is being used in project B. Part of the deploy script use pushes the subtree out to project B's repo:

git subtree push -P sub/path/name --squash git@github.com:MyCo/project_b.git projectb_branch

it starts pushing the commits and fails with

"fatal: bad object {sha}"

I've searched for the SHA in the source repo's git log. It shows up in a commit:

git-subtree-dir: app/assets/ui
git-subtree-split: {sha}

The target repo (project_b) does indeed have a commit with that SHA but the source repo does not. I walked through the subtree shell script I can see that it's failing when it tries to look up that object with git log (in the toptree_for_commit function calling git log -l --pretty=format:'%T' {sha}).

At this point I am in way over my head but eager to try to find a solution. I've researched this as far as my limited knowledge permits, so I welcome any tips, tricks or RTFMs that can get me a little closer to a solution.

my sincere thanks!

Does your local `git reflog` contains that `{sha}`? – VonC Sep 19 '12 at 06:28 — VonC, Sep 19 '12 at 06:28
nope. unfortunately not. – Kodez Monkey Oct 01 '12 at 19:06 — Kodez Monkey, Oct 01 '12 at 19:06

score 23 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 08 '13 at 04:59

23

I just ran into this issue and was able to resolve by:

git remote add shared $url
git fetch shared
git subtree push -P $prefix shared $branch

Might not help for all but saved me from having to hack on the repo structures.

answered Jan 08 '13 at 04:59

Kevin Decker

2,235
1
17
17

3

Just to clarify, for the noobs like me $url, $prefix, and $branch need to be filled in with your own proper url, prefix, and branch. – lnhubbell Feb 26 '15 at 18:11

score 4 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 27 '14 at 04:02

I came across similar issue: git subtree push ... used to work on the computer, where I did git subtree add ..., but wouldn't work on second computer:

$ git subtree push --prefix lib git@github.com:lib/lib.git master
...
...
fatal: bad object {sha}

Fix was to pull changes from the repository first (even though there were no changes):

git subtree pull --prefix lib git@github.com:lib/lib.git master

and even though it didn't pull anything, push worked fine then:

git subtree push --prefix lib git@github.com:lib/lib.git master

score 3 · Answer 3 · edited Oct 04 '12 at 05:41

I have figured this out; I found the reference of the errant sha in the commit information.

The easiest way to fix this is to:

stop using the subtree split that'd been created,
move the content to a different subdirectory and then
resplit the subtree.

Kind of messy but much less error prone than backing out commits to the problematic commit and then reapplying them (suggested in an answer to a somewhat similar question).

Not beautiful, but it got the job done.

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Jun 06 '14 at 18:31

0

git pull worked for me. If your current branch is not a remote one, make it a remote branch using

`git push -u origin <branchname>`

answered Jun 06 '14 at 18:31

saada

2,612
3
27
33

"Fatal: bad object" error using git subtree push

4 Answers4