Re: git log -- <old path> not working

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Jun 17, 2020, 20:18 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqqlfkltpib.fsf@gitster.c.googlers.com>
In-Reply-To: <20200615212521.GT6112@intel.com>

Ville Syrjälä <ville.syrjala@linux.intel.com> writes:

Show 9 quoted lines

> $ git log -- drivers/acpi/configfs.c
> -> nothing
>
> $ git log --follow -- drivers/acpi/configfs.c
> $ git log --full-history -- drivers/acpi/configfs.c
> -> works
>
> First time I've seen this fail. Expected behaviour for
> some reason, or a bug?

Expected.

In a history is branchy and mergy,

    ---O---o---o---o---o---M---x
        \                 /
         o---A---o---B---o

where A, B and possibly M made changes to PATH,

    $ git log X -- PATH

may show nothing if the PATH at O and M are identical. This is described in "History Simplification" section of "git log --help"