Hello,

I have a git repository with an error in a submodule path in the history.
The submodule path is “-f”, which is not allowed. But for some reason, it’s in the history of the git, and I’m trying to find a way to manage it without having to rewrite the full history on the main gitlab (if possible)...

To reproduce this unwanted history:

    mkdir test-bad-history
    cd test-bad-history
    echo "Test git submodule problems" > README.md
    git init
    git add README.md
    git commit --message="Start test"
    git submodule add https://github.com/leachim6/hello-world.git
    git commit --message="Commit new submodule with correct path"
    # the bad part...
    git mv hello-world -- -f
    git commit --message="Move submodule to an invalid path"
    # correct it...
    git mv -- -f valid-path
    sed -i.bak 's/-f/valid-path/' .gitmodules
    git add .gitmodules
    git commit --message="Back to a valid path"

After that, even if the git is working correctly, we have a “bad” history if we check with fsck:

    $ git fsck
    Checking object directories: 100% (256/256), done.
    error in blob 19a97d3b70760c74b780c8134e33f5392292c2e6: gitmodulesPath: disallowed submodule path: -f

Is it possible to correct it? Must git handle this kind of errors?

Thanks in advance for any help.

--
Olivier Bornet
Olivier.Bornet@puck.ch