Problem with fast-import (Couldn't process command)

[icalvo]

I am getting an error when executing cm fast-import. This is the output:

Couldn't process command [??r e s e t   r e f s / h e a d s / m a s t e r
]
Error: Couldn't process command [??r e s e t   r e f s / h e a d s / m a s t e r
]

The spaces in between the command letters are really NUL characters. I have attached a file with the command output.

git fast-export generates a file encoded with UCS-2 Little Endian. Maybe cm fast-import is not using that encoding?

[manu]

Hi Ignacio,

I think git fast-export creates the the package in UTF-8, you can check it on the fast-export man page.

Can you tell us how you did the fast-export operation? did you modify manually the package or did you do something "strange" with it?

We have fast-imported more than 1000 git repositories and we have never seen this error before.

Anyway we have a program to remove zeroed chars that can be useful to finally import your package.

Manu.

[icalvo]

I will add that my system is Win7 64bits + msysgit, and that my git repo is converted from Subversion.

After some Google search, it seems that msysgit may be causing encoding problems with git svn. I am trying with cygwin, I will update with results.

[manu]

Hello Ignacio!

Ok, keep us informed about it!

[icalvo]

Done! I have found the little problem of ending up with a "main" and a "master" branch, but it is easily solved with some commands. Here is the whole script, it can be run entirely inside cygwin's Bash:

project=MYPROJECT
plasticserver=PLASTICSERVER:PORT
svnrepo=https://SVNSERVER/svn/REPO/$project

git svn clone $svnrepo/$project --stdlayout
cd $project
git fast-export --all -C --tag-of-filtered-object=drop --signed-tags=strip > repo.fe
cm mkrep $project@$plasticserver
cm rnbr /main@$project@$plasticserver master
cm fi $project@$plasticserver repo.fe
cm rnbr /master@$project@$plasticserver main
cd ..

[manu]

Hi Ignacio!

cool! useful script!

The encoding problem was solved using cygwin?

Regards,

Manu

[icalvo]

The script works so yes, the problem is solved; but I don't know exactly where is the problem.

Probably cygwin encodes things differently. I have learnt that fast-export is more or less a binary dump (no encoding involved), so my main suspect for the encoding problem is git svn.

By the way, I have enhanced the script to migrate all the projects of a standard SVN repo to Plastic (one repo per project). You must install subversion in cygwin (not installed by default).

svnrepo=https://SVNSERVER/svn/REPO
plasticserver=PLASTICSERVER:PORT
for project in `svn ls $svnrepo`; do
project=${project%/} # strip final slash
echo Processing project $project...
echo ---------------------------------------------------
# check if repo already exists at Plastic server
grepcount=`cm lrep | grep -c $project`;
if [ "$grepcount" == "0" ]; then
	git svn clone $svnrepo/$project --stdlayout
	cd $project
	git fast-export --all -C --tag-of-filtered-object=drop --signed-tags=strip > repo.fe
	cm mkrep $project@$plasticserver
	cm rnbr /main@$project@$plasticserver master
	cm fi $project@$plasticserver repo.fe
	cm rnbr /master@$project@$plasticserver main
	cd ..
else
	echo Project already exists at Plastic SCM server
fi
done

[manu]

Hello Ignacio!

Thank you so much for sharing the script!

I know that it will be useful for many people.

[dsuarez]

Hi Manu, 

 

I found this old topic. I can consistently reproduce it with repos imported from svn. Here are the steps: 

 

git svn init http://jitterphysics.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/

git svn fetch

git fast-export --all -M --signed-tags=strip --tag-of-filtered-object=drop > repo.fe

cm mkrep newrep

cm fast-import newrep repo.fe

 ]uldn't process command [??r e s e t   r e f s / h e a d s / m a s t e r

 ]ror: Couldn't process command [??r e s e t   r e f s / h e a d s / m a s t e r

 

Looks like the text strings in the export file are encoded with unicode 16.

 

plastic version  in 5.0.44.557

git version 1.8.4.msysgit.0

 

Thought it may help you fixing it. 

 

Cheers!

[manu]

Hi David!!

 

you are using a pretty old release.. get upgraded!!

 

Works for me with the latest 5.4 release.

 

Best regards,

Manu.

[manu]

I know you like evidences

...Processing changeset 104. Processed 104 csets. Elapsed 00:00:02.2620000
repo.fe correctly parsed. 104 commits. 2340 ms
         master
1 branches
0 modified files found refering to an SHA instead of a mark
800 modified files
30,2 Mb in blobs. 754 blobs

[dsuarez]

Great, will upgrade. 

 

Cheers!