Git error on checkout: "fatal: reference is not a tree"

Question

It all started when I decided to figure out why the project I'm working on weighs so much. I've run the following script:

git rev-list --objects --all \
| git cat-file --batch-check='%(objecttype) %(objectname) %(objectsize) %(rest)' \
| sed -n 's/^blob //p' \
| sort --numeric-sort --key=2 \
| cut -c 1-12,41- \
| $(command -v gnumfmt || echo numfmt) --field=2 --to=iec-i --suffix=B --padding=7 --round=nearest

And figured out which commits have the heaviest files. Next, I would like to see who is the author of those commits and when trying to run something like:

git show --stat COMMIT_HASH

I get a pile of gobbledygook and when I try rolling back to the commit, I get the above mentioned error.

So my question is: how do I find the author of the commit?

Jackofalltrades

Answer 1

Your git show command should work. Either the hash is not valid or the commit object has been corrupted in some way.

Updated: Your script returns object hashes, so probably the reference for that object is invalid somehow.

You wouldn't be able to get the author reference from there anyhow.

This might help, it will list all the commits where the object whose hash you provide has been modified:

git log --find-object=OBJECT_HASH

Bothy

well I took the hash corresponding to the commit with the heaviest file, the hash was yielded by the bash script. But in that case , is there a simple way to remove the object? – Jackofalltrades

but before doing that I would actually like to find out the author of the commit. – Jackofalltrades

I have to update my answer. I ran your command and noticed that it returns object hashes, not commit hashes. – Bothy

I've added a tip that might be useful. – Bothy

Answer 2

In my case, I run git fetch before checkout specific revision and it work.

Glassware

Answer 3

Although different from the actual question of OP. You will get the same fatal: reference is not a tree error when you execute, for instance, a git checkout <hash> on the wrong repository for which this hash doesn't exist. I encountered it when I was trying to checkout to a specific hash, while I didn't notice that I was in a submodule directory instead of the main one I was trying to checkout for. Simply returning to the correct directory, and therefore, correct repository and the checkout worked (obviously).

Bessiebessy