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[PATCH v3 08/11] contrib: remove "git-resurrect.sh"

From
Patrick Steinhardt <ps@pks.im>
Date
May 12, 2025, 09:19 UTC
Message-ID
<20250512-pks-contrib-spring-cleanup-v3-8-32e151b0bfb0@pks.im>
In-Reply-To
<20250512-pks-contrib-spring-cleanup-v3-0-32e151b0bfb0@pks.im>

The "git-resurrect.sh" script can be used to find traces of a branch tip in the reflog and resurrect that branch. Despite a couple of global cleanups, the script hasn't seen any activity since it was introduced in e1ff064e1bf (contrib git-resurrect: find traces of a branch name and resurrect it, 2009-02-04).

Furthermore, the tool does not work with the "reftable" backend at all as it directly reads ".git/logs/HEAD". As reflogs are stored as part of the individual tables though that file wouldn't exist in a "reftable"- enabled repository.

Last but not least, the tool doesn't even work unless it is explicitly invoked via `git resurrect` as it sources "git-sh-setup". As none of our build systems know to install this script, users thus have to go out of their way to really make it work, which is highly unlikely.

Another source that indicates that this tool can be removed is a question for how to restore deleted branches on StackOverflow [1]. The top-voted answer uses git-reflog(1) directly and has received more than 3000 votes to date. While "git-resurrect.sh" is also mentioned, it only got 16 upvotes, and comments mention the above caveat that users have to do some manual setup to make it work.

It's thus rather clear that the tool doesn't have a lot or even any users. Remove it.

[1]: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3640764/can-i-recover-a-branch-after-its-deletion-in-git
Signed-off-by: Patrick Steinhardt <ps@pks.im>
---
 contrib/git-resurrect.sh | 181 -----------------------------------------------
 1 file changed, 181 deletions(-)
diff --git a/contrib/git-resurrect.sh b/contrib/git-resurrect.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index d843df3afd0..00000000000
--- a/contrib/git-resurrect.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,181 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-
-USAGE="[-a] [-r] [-m] [-t] [-n] [-b <newname>] <name>"
-LONG_USAGE="git-resurrect attempts to find traces of a branch tip
-called <name>, and tries to resurrect it.  Currently, the reflog is
-searched for checkout messages, and with -r also merge messages.  With
--m and -t, the history of all refs is scanned for Merge <name> into
-other/Merge <other> into <name> (respectively) commit subjects, which
-is rather slow but allows you to resurrect other people's topic
-branches."
-
-OPTIONS_KEEPDASHDASH=
-OPTIONS_STUCKLONG=
-OPTIONS_SPEC="\
-git resurrect $USAGE
---
-b,branch=            save branch as <newname> instead of <name>
-a,all                same as -l -r -m -t
-k,keep-going         full rev-list scan (instead of first match)
-l,reflog             scan reflog for checkouts (enabled by default)
-r,reflog-merges      scan for merges recorded in reflog
-m,merges             scan for merges into other branches (slow)
-t,merge-targets      scan for merges of other branches into <name>
-n,dry-run            don't recreate the branch"
-
-. git-sh-setup
-
-search_reflog () {
-	sed -ne 's~^\([^ ]*\) .*	checkout: moving from '"$1"' .*~\1~p' \
-		< "$GIT_DIR"/logs/HEAD
-}
-
-search_reflog_merges () {
-	git rev-parse $(
-		sed -ne 's~^[^ ]* \([^ ]*\) .*	merge '"$1"':.*~\1^2~p' \
-			< "$GIT_DIR"/logs/HEAD
-	)
-}
-
-oid_pattern=$(git hash-object --stdin </dev/null | sed -e 's/./[0-9a-f]/g')
-
-search_merges () {
-	git rev-list --all --grep="Merge branch '$1'" \
-		--pretty=tformat:"%P %s" |
-	sed -ne "/^$oid_pattern \($oid_pattern\) Merge .*/ {s//\1/p;$early_exit}"
-}
-
-search_merge_targets () {
-	git rev-list --all --grep="Merge branch '[^']*' into $branch\$" \
-		--pretty=tformat:"%H %s" --all |
-	sed -ne "/^\($oid_pattern\) Merge .*/ {s//\1/p;$early_exit} "
-}
-
-dry_run=
-early_exit=q
-scan_reflog=t
-scan_reflog_merges=
-scan_merges=
-scan_merge_targets=
-new_name=
-
-while test "$#" != 0; do
-	case "$1" in
-	    -b|--branch)
-		shift
-		new_name="$1"
-		;;
-	    -n|--dry-run)
-		dry_run=t
-		;;
-	    --no-dry-run)
-		dry_run=
-		;;
-	    -k|--keep-going)
-		early_exit=
-		;;
-	    --no-keep-going)
-		early_exit=q
-		;;
-	    -m|--merges)
-		scan_merges=t
-		;;
-	    --no-merges)
-		scan_merges=
-		;;
-	    -l|--reflog)
-		scan_reflog=t
-		;;
-	    --no-reflog)
-		scan_reflog=
-		;;
-	    -r|--reflog_merges)
-		scan_reflog_merges=t
-		;;
-	    --no-reflog_merges)
-		scan_reflog_merges=
-		;;
-	    -t|--merge-targets)
-		scan_merge_targets=t
-		;;
-	    --no-merge-targets)
-		scan_merge_targets=
-		;;
-	    -a|--all)
-		scan_reflog=t
-		scan_reflog_merges=t
-		scan_merges=t
-		scan_merge_targets=t
-		;;
-	    --)
-		shift
-		break
-		;;
-	    *)
-		usage
-		;;
-	esac
-	shift
-done
-
-test "$#" = 1 || usage
-
-all_strategies="$scan_reflog$scan_reflog_merges$scan_merges$scan_merge_targets"
-if test -z "$all_strategies"; then
-	die "must enable at least one of -lrmt"
-fi
-
-branch="$1"
-test -z "$new_name" && new_name="$branch"
-
-if test ! -z "$scan_reflog"; then
-	if test -r "$GIT_DIR"/logs/HEAD; then
-		candidates="$(search_reflog $branch)"
-	else
-		die 'reflog scanning requested, but' \
-			'$GIT_DIR/logs/HEAD not readable'
-	fi
-fi
-if test ! -z "$scan_reflog_merges"; then
-	if test -r "$GIT_DIR"/logs/HEAD; then
-		candidates="$candidates $(search_reflog_merges $branch)"
-	else
-		die 'reflog scanning requested, but' \
-			'$GIT_DIR/logs/HEAD not readable'
-	fi
-fi
-if test ! -z "$scan_merges"; then
-	candidates="$candidates $(search_merges $branch)"
-fi
-if test ! -z "$scan_merge_targets"; then
-	candidates="$candidates $(search_merge_targets $branch)"
-fi
-
-candidates="$(git rev-parse $candidates | sort -u)"
-
-if test -z "$candidates"; then
-	hint=
-	test "z$all_strategies" != "ztttt" \
-		&& hint=" (maybe try again with -a)"
-	die "no candidates for $branch found$hint"
-fi
-
-echo "** Candidates for $branch **"
-for cmt in $candidates; do
-	git --no-pager log --pretty=tformat:"%ct:%h [%cr] %s" --abbrev-commit -1 $cmt
-done \
-| sort -n | cut -d: -f2-
-
-newest="$(git rev-list -1 $candidates)"
-if test ! -z "$dry_run"; then
-	printf "** Most recent: "
-	git --no-pager log -1 --pretty=tformat:"%h %s" $newest
-elif ! git rev-parse --verify --quiet $new_name >/dev/null; then
-	printf "** Restoring $new_name to "
-	git --no-pager log -1 --pretty=tformat:"%h %s" $newest
-	git branch $new_name $newest
-else
-	printf "Most recent: "
-	git --no-pager log -1 --pretty=tformat:"%h %s" $newest
-	echo "** $new_name already exists, doing nothing"
-fi
-- 
2.49.0.1101.gccaa498523.dirty
Previous: Patrick SteinhardtNext: Patrick Steinhardt
Message 12 of 25 in “Spring cleanup of "contrib/"”
  1. 00/11 Spring cleanup of "contrib/"Patrick Steinhardt, May 12, 2025
  2. 01/11 contrib: remove "remotes2config.sh"Patrick Steinhardt, May 12, 2025
  3. 02/11 contrib: remove "examples" directoryPatrick Steinhardt, May 12, 2025
  4. 03/11 contrib: remove remote-helper stubsPatrick Steinhardt, May 12, 2025
  5. 04/11 contrib: remove "thunderbird-patch-inline"Patrick Steinhardt, May 12, 2025
  6. Junio C HamanoMay 16, 2025
  7. Toon ClaesMay 26, 2025
  8. Junio C HamanoJun 4, 2025
  9. 05/11 contrib: remove "hooks" directoryPatrick Steinhardt, May 12, 2025
  10. 07/11 contrib: remove "persistent-https" remote helperPatrick Steinhardt, May 12, 2025
  11. 06/11 contrib: remove "mw-to-git"Patrick Steinhardt, May 12, 2025
  12. 08/11 contrib: remove "git-resurrect.sh"Patrick Steinhardt, May 12, 2025
  13. 09/11 contrib: remove "emacs" directoryPatrick Steinhardt, May 12, 2025
  14. 10/11 contrib: remove "git-new-workdir"Patrick Steinhardt, May 12, 2025
  15. Gabriel SchererSep 8, 2025
  16. Kristoffer HaugsbakkSep 8, 2025
  17. Gabriel SchererSep 8, 2025
  18. D. Ben KnobleSep 12, 2025
  19. Gabriel SchererSep 12, 2025
  20. Junio C HamanoSep 12, 2025
  21. Phillip WoodSep 12, 2025
  22. Junio C HamanoSep 12, 2025
  23. Junio C HamanoSep 8, 2025
  24. 11/11 contrib: remove some scripts in "stats" directoryPatrick Steinhardt, May 12, 2025
  25. Elijah NewrenMay 13, 2025

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