Re: git svn with non-standard svn layout

On Sat, Sep 24, 2011 at 2:37 PM, Chris Harris [off-list ref] wrote:

I am using  git version 1.7.6.4 built from the latest stable source on
github.   Running Ubuntu with kernel 2.6.38-11-generic

I can't seem to git git svn to see my branches correctly.
Unfortunately my svn repository is not open source, so I can not post
it here, but I will try to explain my issue.
We use a non standard svn layout like the following
branches
        V4.1
                V4.1.0
                V4.1.1
dev


dev is our trunk, and our branches have 2 levels.
I first use git init, then setup my config as follows
[svn-remote "svn"]
url = file:///home/chris/svnrepo
fetch = dev:refs/remotes/trunk
branches = branches/V4.1/{V4.1.1}:refs/remotes/branches/*
For this example I am just trying to make a single branch work.
After a fetch all revisions are ok. master correctly points to
remotes/trunk,but gitk shows the following:

o remotes/branches/V4.1.1
|
o some commit
|
|
|    o master - remotes/trunk
|    |
|    o another commit
|    /
|
etc
( sorry for the bad ascii art. )
My issue is that trunk ( master ) appears to be a  branch from V4.1.1
instead of  V4.1.1 being a branch from trunk ( master )

In git's estimation,  there is no difference between these two cases.
Visually you may think there is a difference, but graphically (in the
"network graph" sense of the word) they are exactly the same thing.

Consider this history:
o---o---A---B---C <== trunk
         \
          D---E---F  <== V4.1.1

Compare it to this "other" history:
          B---C <== trunk
         /
o---o---A---D---E---F  <== V4.1.1

You might say the first one looks "right" and the second one looks
"wrong".  But in fact, they are the same graph.  They both say that
B's parent is A and D's parent is A.  B and D share a common ancestor
at A.

Here's another view:
          B---C <== trunk
         /
o---o---A
         \
          D---E---F  <== V4.1.1

You may want to read this nice description of the DAG:
http://eagain.net/articles/git-for-computer-scientists/

git log --graph shows the same structure.
Any suggestions on how to configure this so git svn maps my
non-standard layout correctly?

Try git log --graph --date-order to see a slightly different take on things.

Phil