Re: Problem with filename containing '?'

From: Jeff King <peff@peff.net>
Date: Mar 29, 2019, 13:33 UTC
Message-ID: <20190329133349.GA21802@sigill.intra.peff.net>
In-Reply-To: <1c1c5d858d8b431fb96b1d48044c00b7@bs-ag.com>

On Fri, Mar 29, 2019 at 01:10:19PM +0000, Kurt Ablinger wrote:

Show 11 quoted lines

> in Linux the git-client accepts (add, commit, push) files with '?' (questionmark)  in its name.
> 
> When cloning such a repository into Eclipse (eGit/jGit) the
> repository-clone is rejected with an 'Invalid Path'-message with the
> ?-filename.
> 
> Under Linux it is possible to create a clone (the same git-binary used
> to checkin the ?-file) without any message.
> But the directory containing the ?-file is silently discarded whatever
> you checkout (master/HEAD, first or any other commit containing this
> file).

It seems to work fine for me with a few simple exercises:

  git init repo
  cd repo
  mkdir subdir
  echo foo >'subdir/bar?'
  git add .
  git commit -m 'file with question mark in name'

  git clone --no-local . child
  cd child
  ls -l
  echo changes >'subdir/bar?'
  git commit -am 'changes'
  git show

It also seems to clone fine with jgit:

  jgit clone $PWD/repo jgit-clone

Can you show us more exactly what you're running, and what doesn't work?

Also, one other question: are you sure it's actually a question mark in the name? If there are non-ascii garbage characters, "ls" will typically show a question mark when output is going to the terminal. E.g.:

  $ echo foo >"$(printf 'funny\1char')"
  $ ls
  funny?char
  $ ls | cat -A
  funny^Achar$
  $ ls | xxd
  00000000: 6675 6e6e 7901 6368 6172 0a              funny.char.

If it's some more exotic character, then that may be why jgit rejects it.

-Peff