How do you customize the branch used with a linked repository in bamboo?

[Robert Dailey]

Using Bamboo 5.6, I setup a Linked Repository to Stash. However, it made me pick a branch. We have multiple release branches and I create 1 build plan PER release branch. However, I can't share the same linked repository in each of these build plans because the branch is hard coded to it. So I've had to add 1 linked repository for each different branch.

Is there a way to configure the branch used from a linked repository at the plan configuration level?

[Krystian Brazulewicz]

Is there a reason why you create a separate plan for each release branch? Have you considered using Plan Branches?

If for some reason Plan Branches are not an option (ie when release branches require different plan configuration) you can do the following:

• create new Plan for your release branch connecting to the same linked repository
• disable the plan
• go to Plan configuration / Branches and create a branch that will match your release branch
• make the branch enabled

[Robert Dailey]

Yes I originally had things setup that way but due to the inability to manually alter the bamboo build number per branch it was not sustainable based on our branching and release model. I'd go into more detail but it's not relevant to my question. I'd like to see an answer to my original question with regards to choosing a branch per plan using the same linked repository.

[Krystian Brazulewicz]

It is not possible to choose a different branch when using a linked repository.

[Robert Dailey]

That really defeats the purpose of them IMHO. Their main role is to share repositories between plans but yet it forces the plan's branch to be what is linked in the repository. Just one more absolutely useless feature behavior in bamboo. Strange that it is the way it is when their other products make so much more sense.

[Robert Dailey]

Can the branches be enabled and function when the plan itself is disabled?

[warren.crossing]

I see the main reason for linked repos is to hide credentials from plan creators.

I think a branch plan should be able to select its branch on the linked repo.

[Jorge Suarez]

Third that Robert and Warren, I took the repository from one plan that I want to reuse in another plan and made it linked for the express purpose of stated above, but cannot change the BRANCH!!!!!

Let's put it this way, it's a "Linked REPOSITORY", not a "Linked BRANCH"!  

If this is by design, it should at least be properly named to be descriptive!

(number of exclamation marks in my response is proportional to amount of time wasted finding the out you cannot change branches)

[Nikita Sontsev]

You can! Just use variables. Specify some variable like ${bamboo.branch} as branch name in the linked repository and override variable branch in your plan configuration (NOTE: prefix bamboo. is required...)

[Greg Nyahay]

Trigger won't work then... Right?