Sourcetree cannot handle backslash in URL of git repository on a computer share

Question

When I specify for the repository location in Repository Settings at URL/Path:

\\BC01245\myproject

(which is a local shared folder on my computer hosting a bare git repository),

several actions make sourcetree change the config file of the cloned repository and sourcetree inserts extra backslashes:

url = \\\\BC01245\\myproject

fetch = +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*

pushurl = \\\\BC01245\\myproject

which cause other applications that use this repository to complain about not finding the repository.

Is this a known problem or is there a way to work around this?

G B_llhukk · Answer

Thanks for your comment. I am using version 2.3.5, I will try to log a ticket next week. As a workaround I use double forward slashes before the computer name (//BC1234/repo). Git, Sourcetree and other applications understand this non-official UNC path notation.

minnsey · Answer

Thanks for all the details.

For what its worth Sourcetree doesn't  run git within a terminal, instead it either uses libgit2 or directly runs the Sourcetree for Windows git.exe within a .NET process.

I would expect Runs fine on git for windows: yto apply to Sourcetree since we ship with Git 2.15+ now.

If you find using Sourcetree with Git 2.15+ still doesn't work for \blahepo style urls please create a ticket at https://jira.atlassian.com

Thanks

G B_llhukk · Answer

There is a problem with the backslashes in the MINGW32 terminal started up and probably used by source tree. I have never seen these emulators (cygwin/ming) work without problems on windows. The terminal just refuses the windows machine name notation, it only accepts a unix server name or the windows drive mapping notation to this share (file:://z:).

Here are the details, note git for windows (last one) just works fine:
Terminal started from sourcetree MINGW32:

Welcome to Portable Git (version 1.9.5-preview20141217)

$ which git
/bin/git

* 4 backslashes do not work:
    USER@BC1234 /d/Models/test
    $ git clone \\BC1234\repo myrepotest1
    Cloning into 'myrepotest1'...
    fatal: '\BC1234epo' does not appear to be a git repository
    fatal: Could not read from remote repository.

Please make sure you have the correct access rights
    and the repository exists.
* 5 backslashes do not work:
    USER@BC1234 /d/Models/test
    $ git clone \\\BC1234\repo myrepotest1
    Cloning into 'myrepotest1'...
    fatal: '\BC1234epo' does not appear to be a git repository
    fatal: Could not read from remote repository.
* 6 backslashes do not work:
    USER@BC1234 /d/Models/test
    $ git clone \\\BC1234\repo myrepotest1
    fatal: repository '\\BC1234epo' does not exist

* fine:    
    USER@BC1234 /d/Models/test
    $ git clone file://z: myrepotest1
    Cloning into 'myrepotest1'...
    done.
    cat myrepotest1/.git/config
    url = file://z:
* fine when using unix server notation (although url now in unix format in config file, compatible with other applications?):    
    USER@BC1234 /d/Models/test
    $ git clone  //BC1234/repo myrepotest2
    Cloning into 'myrepotest2'...
    done.
    cat myrepotest2/.git/config
    url = //BC1234/repo
* Runs fine on git for windows:
  Git for Windows v2.14.2 Release Notes

D: \Models	est>git clone \BC1234epo myrepoclone4
    Cloning into 'myrepoclone4'...
    done.

D: \Models	est>which git
    C:/Program Files/Git/cmd/git.EXE

url = \\BC1234\repo