serious problem with `git format-patch' & `git am'

[both version 1.6.0.2 and git from 2009-01-24]

Folks,

I'm going to convert the FreeType CVS repository to git, using Keith Packard's `parsecvs'. It sometimes happens that there are git entries titled

  *** empty log message ***

I want to massage the git repository before publishing it, replacing those entries with something more meaningful.

The last time I tested this (using git 1.5.something, I no longer remember the exact version) I did the following:

  . git format-patch <start>..HEAD
    git reset --hard <start>

  . Edit the `Subject:' field in the created *.patch files where
    necessary.

  . git am --whitespace=nowarn *.patch

Unfortunately, this no longer works as before, and since I can't find a hint in the docs about this change I wonder whether it is a bug.

With git 1.5.something, if the first paragraph of the commit message (as output by parsecvs) looks like this

   foo foo foo foo
   bar bar bar bar
   baz baz baz baz

it is emitted exactly as-is (after `git format-patch' & `git am'); gitk shows `foo foo foo foo' as the first line. However, git version 1.6.0.2 and the current git both convert newlines to spaces in the first paragraph! I now get

  foo foo foo foo bar bar bar bar baz baz baz baz

as the beginning of the commit message which is VERY bad since CVS-style entries often have a long first paragraph, causing ugly-looking, overlong lines.

In case this is an intended change I ask you urgently to provide an option to get back the old behaviour of `git format-patch' & `git am'.

    Werner