Subject: Re: [RFC PATCH] t5500-fetch-pack.sh: fix suppression of Git exit code in tests

From: Shreyansh Paliwal <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2026 15:23:55 +0530

> Patrick Steinhardt <[email-masked]> writes:
>
> > On Sun, Jan 11, 2026 at 02:50:37PM -0800, Junio C Hamano wrote:
> >> Shreyansh Paliwal <[email-masked]> writes:
> >> >  	GIT_PROTOCOL=version=2 git upload-pack . <<-EOF >/dev/null
> >> >  	0012command=fetch
> >> > -	$(echo "object-format=$(test_oid algo)" | packetize)
> >> > +	$(echo "object-format=$(<oid_algo)" | packetize)
> >>
> >> The construct $(<file) is bashism, that does not work if your shell
> >> is not bash, isn't it?  If you used a variable, e.g.,
> >>
> >> 	$(echo "object-format=$oid_algo" | packetize)
> >>
> >> that would make the result more portable.
> >
> > There's no need for the echo at all as this can also be written as:
> >
> >     packetize "object-format=$oid_algo"
>
> Yeah, I failed to realize that this is a(n unnecessarily) convoluted
> use of command substitution inside HERE-DOC.  What mushroom were we
> on when we originally wrote this crap, I have to wonder ;-)?
>
> Thanks for spotting it.

I tried using packetize directly inside the here-doc but it was throwing
the error,

	fatal: protocol error: bad line length character

this is probably because packetize is creating an extra newline in here-doc
which includes unnecessary extra bytes which is throwing off the v2 protocol,
and this is why I think echo was initially used there convolutedly.

I think a much better approach, is to use test-tool pkt-line pack,
which I believe handles the formatting issues internally,
thus making sure the requirements for the v2 protocol are followed.

Additionally, this solves the git exit code suppressing issue as well.

Below is the revised patch let me know what do you think.

Best,
Shreyansh

Signed-off-by: Shreyansh Paliwal <[email-masked]>
---
 t/t5500-fetch-pack.sh | 19 ++++++++++++-------
 1 file changed, 12 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)

diff --git a/t/t5500-fetch-pack.sh b/t/t5500-fetch-pack.sh
index 2677cd5faa..62cf0e1ff7 100755
--- a/t/t5500-fetch-pack.sh
+++ b/t/t5500-fetch-pack.sh
@@ -892,15 +892,20 @@ test_expect_success 'shallow since with commit graph and already-seen commit' '
 	test_commit other &&
 	git commit-graph write --reachable &&
 	git config core.commitGraph true &&
-
-	GIT_PROTOCOL=version=2 git upload-pack . <<-EOF >/dev/null
-	0012command=fetch
-	$(echo "object-format=$(test_oid algo)" | packetize)
-	00010013deepen-since 1
-	$(echo "want $(git rev-parse other)" | packetize)
-	$(echo "have $(git rev-parse main)" | packetize)
+	oid_algo=$(test_oid algo) &&
+	oid_other=$(git rev-parse other) &&
+	oid_main=$(git rev-parse main) &&
+
+	test-tool pkt-line pack >input <<-EOF &&
+	command=fetch
+	object-format=$oid_algo
+	0001
+	deepen-since 1
+	want $oid_other
+	have $oid_main
 	0000
 	EOF
+	GIT_PROTOCOL=version=2 git upload-pack . <input >/dev/null
 	)
 '
 
-- 
2.43.0