Re: 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'.