[macOS] Unable to commit more than one file at a time

[stephenyeargin]

Splitting this out from #32 for easier discovery and to perhaps highlight the need for a fix or workaround.

---

I am also seeing this problem.

Note that I can commit one file at a time. But if I try to commit several files, I get an error message like

fatal: ambiguous argument 'file1 file2': unknown revision or path not in the working tree. Use '--' to separate paths from revisions, like this: 'git [...] -- [...]'

My versions:

• macOS 10.13.3 (17D47)
• git-secrets 1.2.1
• grep (BSD grep) 2.5.1-FreeBSD
• git version 2.16.1
• hub version 2.2.9

[stephenyeargin]

It's worth noting that if you don't have any patterns defined, the commit works without issue.

[stephenyeargin]

Looks like @t13a may have some work that could fix this? Looks like it touches the relevant code.

https://github.com/awslabs/git-secrets/compare/master...t13a:feature/fix-scan-files

[ataylorBJSS]

I'm having the same issue. Just out of interest, what bash version are you on? #45 was meant to fix this error for bash version 4 but I'm still having the same problems.

[stephenyeargin]

I'm using the latest homebrew installed version.

$ which bash
/usr/local/bin/bash

$ bash --version
GNU bash, version 4.4.19(1)-release (x86_64-apple-darwin17.3.0)
Copyright (C) 2016 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>

This is free software; you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

Did confirm this is still an issue.

[ataylorBJSS]

@mtdowling - Is there any progress with this issue? I'm just wondering as I've run into it myself.

[Eyal-Shalev]

Happens in my machine as well. Running GNU bash, version 4.4.12(1)-release (x86_64-apple-darwin16.3.0) Git Secrets installed via Homebrew git-secrets: stable 1.2.1 (bottled), HEAD

Committing a single file (with aws secret) will result in the warning. Committing multiple files that one of them includes the aws secret will produce the error above.

[Eyal-Shalev]

Using make install to install the package from source will give the illusion of fixing the error.

When committing multiple files (using the make install method), git-secrets will not recognise the AWS secret that exists in one of them.

[tobywf]

I'm not sure what's going on here, but I got exactly this error when executing git commit:

fatal: ambiguous argument '<snip>': unknown revision or path not in the working tree.
Use '--' to separate paths from revisions, like this:
'git <command> [<revision>...] -- [<file>...]'

So finally I figure out it's the pre-commit hook, and add a set -x to which git-secrets. The offending line turns out to be:

GREP_OPTIONS= LC_ALL=C git grep -nwHEI ${options} "${combined_patterns}" $files

This is because I installed it via homebrew as recommended in the README. That gets you version 1.2.1, released on Jun 27, 2016 (!).

PR #54 seems to have fixed this by adding -- to git grep, although there is still an instance of this command without -- (line 105). Using brew install --HEAD git-secrets installs the latest version, so I did that.

With regards to the previous comment, whether or not this fixes it, I don't know. What I do know is now I can finally commit stuff again, after spending a good hour debugging why git commit was broken, which is pretty bad, along with finding out that the last release was two years ago.

[stephenyeargin]

If it is fixed in the build version, it sounds like the path forward is:

• [ ] tag a release of the software
• [ ] open a PR to upgrade the formula with that version

[maelvls]

Anyone for tagging a new version? 😊 That would be really helpful for updating the formula in Homebrew. The workaround given by @tobywf will work in the meantime:

brew install git-secrets --HEAD

[stephenyeargin]

@mtdowling Can you tag a new release from master when you get a moment?

[provPaulBrousseau]

I'm running into this problem as well. Would be nice to get a new version tag, so that brew can update.

[mtdowling]

Sorry for the delay. I just tagged 1.3.0.

[stephenyeargin]

We're good to go in Homebrew. 🎉

$ brew info git-secrets
git-secrets: stable 1.3.0 (bottled), HEAD
Prevents you from committing sensitive information to a git repo
https://github.com/awslabs/git-secrets
/usr/local/Cellar/git-secrets/1.3.0 (8 files, 65.7KB) *
  Poured from bottle on 2019-02-12 at 09:58:51
From: https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-core/blob/master/Formula/git-secrets.rb
==> Options
--HEAD
    Install HEAD version
==> Analytics
install: 828 (30 days), 2,016 (90 days), 6,453 (365 days)
install_on_request: 805 (30 days), 1,991 (90 days), 6,403 (365 days)
build_error: 0 (30 days)