Git development
 help / color / mirror / Atom feed
From: "Michael Montalbo via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
To: git@vger.kernel.org
Cc: Michael Montalbo <mmontalbo@gmail.com>,
	Michael Montalbo <mmontalbo@gmail.com>
Subject: [PATCH v2] sub-process: use gentle handshake to avoid die() on startup failure
Date: Mon, 01 Jun 2026 21:20:47 +0000	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <pull.2133.v2.git.1780348848489.gitgitgadget@gmail.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <pull.2133.git.1780287309846.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>

From: Michael Montalbo <mmontalbo@gmail.com>

When the configured subprocess command contains shell metacharacters
(such as a space), prepare_shell_cmd() wraps it in "sh -c <cmd>".
The shell itself always starts successfully, so start_command()
returns zero even if the tool inside does not exist.  The subsequent
handshake then reads from a dead pipe and calls die() via the
non-gentle packet_read_line(), killing the parent process instead of
letting it handle the error.

Before this change, a missing filter process at a path containing
spaces produces a confusing error:

    $ git -c filter.myfilter.process="/path with space/tool" \
          -c filter.myfilter.required=true add file.txt
    /path with space/tool: line 1: /path: No such file or directory
    fatal: the remote end hung up unexpectedly

After this change, the proper error is reported:

    $ git ... add file.txt
    /path with space/tool: line 1: /path: No such file or directory
    error: could not read greeting from subprocess '/path with space/tool'
    error: initialization for subprocess '/path with space/tool' failed
    fatal: file.txt: clean filter 'myfilter' failed

Switch the subprocess handshake from the dying packet_read_line()
to packet_read_line_gently() so that a process that exits during
startup produces an error return instead of killing the caller.

This affects any subprocess consumer whose command path contains
spaces.  On Windows this routinely happens because programs live
under "C:/Program Files/...", and MSYS2 path conversion can rewrite
absolute paths to include that prefix.  On POSIX it triggers
whenever the configured path naturally contains a space or other
metacharacter.  convert.c (filter.<driver>.process, used by git-lfs
and custom clean/smudge filters) is the primary affected consumer.

Signed-off-by: Michael Montalbo <mmontalbo@gmail.com>
---
    sub-process: use gentle handshake to avoid die() on startup failure

Published-As: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/releases/tag/pr-2133%2Fmmontalbo%2Fmm%2Fsubprocess-handshake-fix-v2
Fetch-It-Via: git fetch https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git pr-2133/mmontalbo/mm/subprocess-handshake-fix-v2
Pull-Request: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/pull/2133

Range-diff vs v1:

 1:  c11b01c156 ! 1:  cb7bd777dc sub-process: use gentle handshake to avoid die() on startup failure
     @@ Commit message
          Before this change, a missing filter process at a path containing
          spaces produces a confusing error:
      
     -        $ git -c filter.lfs.process="/path with space/tool" \
     -              -c filter.lfs.required=true add file.txt
     +        $ git -c filter.myfilter.process="/path with space/tool" \
     +              -c filter.myfilter.required=true add file.txt
     +        /path with space/tool: line 1: /path: No such file or directory
              fatal: the remote end hung up unexpectedly
      
          After this change, the proper error is reported:
      
              $ git ... add file.txt
     +        /path with space/tool: line 1: /path: No such file or directory
     +        error: could not read greeting from subprocess '/path with space/tool'
              error: initialization for subprocess '/path with space/tool' failed
     -        fatal: file.txt: clean filter 'lfs' failed
     +        fatal: file.txt: clean filter 'myfilter' failed
      
          Switch the subprocess handshake from the dying packet_read_line()
          to packet_read_line_gently() so that a process that exits during
     @@ sub-process.c: static int handshake_version(struct child_process *process,
       		return error("Could not write flush packet");
       
      -	if (!(line = packet_read_line(process->out, NULL)) ||
     -+	if (packet_read_line_gently(process->out, NULL, &line) <= 0 ||
     - 	    !skip_prefix(line, welcome_prefix, &p) ||
     +-	    !skip_prefix(line, welcome_prefix, &p) ||
     ++	if (packet_read_line_gently(process->out, NULL, &line) < 0)
     ++		return error("could not read greeting from subprocess '%s'",
     ++			     process->args.v[0]);
     ++	if (!line || !skip_prefix(line, welcome_prefix, &p) ||
       	    strcmp(p, "-server"))
       		return error("Unexpected line '%s', expected %s-server",
       			     line ? line : "<flush packet>", welcome_prefix);
      -	if (!(line = packet_read_line(process->out, NULL)) ||
     -+	if (packet_read_line_gently(process->out, NULL, &line) <= 0 ||
     - 	    !skip_prefix(line, "version=", &p) ||
     +-	    !skip_prefix(line, "version=", &p) ||
     ++	if (packet_read_line_gently(process->out, NULL, &line) < 0)
     ++		return error("could not read version from subprocess '%s'",
     ++			     process->args.v[0]);
     ++	if (!line || !skip_prefix(line, "version=", &p) ||
       	    strtol_i(p, 10, chosen_version))
       		return error("Unexpected line '%s', expected version",
       			     line ? line : "<flush packet>");
      -	if ((line = packet_read_line(process->out, NULL)))
     --		return error("Unexpected line '%s', expected flush", line);
     -+	if (packet_read_line_gently(process->out, NULL, &line) < 0 || line)
     -+		return error("Unexpected line '%s', expected flush",
     -+			     line ? line : "<read error>");
     ++	if (packet_read_line_gently(process->out, NULL, &line) < 0)
     ++		return error("could not read version flush from subprocess '%s'",
     ++			     process->args.v[0]);
     ++	if (line)
     + 		return error("Unexpected line '%s', expected flush", line);
       
       	/* Check to make sure that the version received is supported */
     - 	for (i = 0; versions[i]; i++) {
      @@ sub-process.c: static int handshake_capabilities(struct child_process *process,
       	if (packet_flush_gently(process->in))
       		return error("Could not write flush packet");
       
      -	while ((line = packet_read_line(process->out, NULL))) {
     -+	while (packet_read_line_gently(process->out, NULL, &line) > 0) {
     ++	for (;;) {
       		const char *p;
     ++		int len = packet_read_line_gently(process->out, NULL, &line);
     ++
     ++		if (len < 0)
     ++			return error("could not read capabilities from subprocess '%s'",
     ++				     process->args.v[0]);
     ++		if (!line)
     ++			break;
       		if (!skip_prefix(line, "capability=", &p))
       			continue;
     + 
      
       ## t/t0021-conversion.sh ##
      @@ t/t0021-conversion.sh: test_expect_success 'invalid process filter must fail (and not hang!)' '


 sub-process.c         | 26 ++++++++++++++++++++------
 t/t0021-conversion.sh | 17 +++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 37 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/sub-process.c b/sub-process.c
index 83bf0a0e82..2d5c965169 100644
--- a/sub-process.c
+++ b/sub-process.c
@@ -132,17 +132,24 @@ static int handshake_version(struct child_process *process,
 	if (packet_flush_gently(process->in))
 		return error("Could not write flush packet");
 
-	if (!(line = packet_read_line(process->out, NULL)) ||
-	    !skip_prefix(line, welcome_prefix, &p) ||
+	if (packet_read_line_gently(process->out, NULL, &line) < 0)
+		return error("could not read greeting from subprocess '%s'",
+			     process->args.v[0]);
+	if (!line || !skip_prefix(line, welcome_prefix, &p) ||
 	    strcmp(p, "-server"))
 		return error("Unexpected line '%s', expected %s-server",
 			     line ? line : "<flush packet>", welcome_prefix);
-	if (!(line = packet_read_line(process->out, NULL)) ||
-	    !skip_prefix(line, "version=", &p) ||
+	if (packet_read_line_gently(process->out, NULL, &line) < 0)
+		return error("could not read version from subprocess '%s'",
+			     process->args.v[0]);
+	if (!line || !skip_prefix(line, "version=", &p) ||
 	    strtol_i(p, 10, chosen_version))
 		return error("Unexpected line '%s', expected version",
 			     line ? line : "<flush packet>");
-	if ((line = packet_read_line(process->out, NULL)))
+	if (packet_read_line_gently(process->out, NULL, &line) < 0)
+		return error("could not read version flush from subprocess '%s'",
+			     process->args.v[0]);
+	if (line)
 		return error("Unexpected line '%s', expected flush", line);
 
 	/* Check to make sure that the version received is supported */
@@ -171,8 +178,15 @@ static int handshake_capabilities(struct child_process *process,
 	if (packet_flush_gently(process->in))
 		return error("Could not write flush packet");
 
-	while ((line = packet_read_line(process->out, NULL))) {
+	for (;;) {
 		const char *p;
+		int len = packet_read_line_gently(process->out, NULL, &line);
+
+		if (len < 0)
+			return error("could not read capabilities from subprocess '%s'",
+				     process->args.v[0]);
+		if (!line)
+			break;
 		if (!skip_prefix(line, "capability=", &p))
 			continue;
 
diff --git a/t/t0021-conversion.sh b/t/t0021-conversion.sh
index f0d50d769e..033b00a364 100755
--- a/t/t0021-conversion.sh
+++ b/t/t0021-conversion.sh
@@ -857,6 +857,23 @@ test_expect_success 'invalid process filter must fail (and not hang!)' '
 	)
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'missing process filter with space in path does not die' '
+	test_config_global filter.protocol.process "/non existent/tool" &&
+	test_config_global filter.protocol.required true &&
+	rm -rf repo &&
+	mkdir repo &&
+	(
+		cd repo &&
+		git init &&
+
+		echo "*.r filter=protocol" >.gitattributes &&
+
+		cp "$TEST_ROOT/test.o" test.r &&
+		test_must_fail git add . 2>git-stderr.log &&
+		test_grep "clean filter.*protocol.*failed" git-stderr.log
+	)
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'delayed checkout in process filter' '
 	test_config_global filter.a.process "test-tool rot13-filter --log=a.log clean smudge delay" &&
 	test_config_global filter.a.required true &&

base-commit: 29bd7ed5127255713c1ac2f43b7c6f257d7b4594
-- 
gitgitgadget

      parent reply	other threads:[~2026-06-01 21:20 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 4+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2026-06-01  4:15 [PATCH] sub-process: use gentle handshake to avoid die() on startup failure Michael Montalbo via GitGitGadget
2026-06-01  6:43 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-06-01 15:51   ` Michael Montalbo
2026-06-01 21:20 ` Michael Montalbo via GitGitGadget [this message]

Reply instructions:

You may reply publicly to this message via plain-text email
using any one of the following methods:

* Save the following mbox file, import it into your mail client,
  and reply-to-all from there: mbox

  Avoid top-posting and favor interleaved quoting:
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_style#Interleaved_style

* Reply using the --to, --cc, and --in-reply-to
  switches of git-send-email(1):

  git send-email \
    --in-reply-to=pull.2133.v2.git.1780348848489.gitgitgadget@gmail.com \
    --to=gitgitgadget@gmail.com \
    --cc=git@vger.kernel.org \
    --cc=mmontalbo@gmail.com \
    /path/to/YOUR_REPLY

  https://kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/git-send-email.html

* If your mail client supports setting the In-Reply-To header
  via mailto: links, try the mailto: link
Be sure your reply has a Subject: header at the top and a blank line before the message body.
This is a public inbox, see mirroring instructions
for how to clone and mirror all data and code used for this inbox