bug#51817: Git unable to find reference "refs/remotes/origin/HEAD"

[Bastien Rivière]

Hello, I have found an interesting bug with guix.

When I try to import ~yasnippet~ from melpa, the command is unable to find the 'refs/remotes/origin/HEAD'.

How to reproduce:

#+begin_src shell :results output :epilogue ":"

guix import elpa -a melpa yasnippet 2>&1

#+end_src

#+RESULTS:

#+begin_example

Backtrace:

          13 (primitive-load "/home/babariviere/.config/guix/current…")

In guix/ui.scm:

   2206:7 12 (run-guix . _)

  2169:10 11 (run-guix-command _ . _)

In guix/scripts/import.scm:

   124:11 10 (guix-import . _)

In guix/scripts/import/elpa.scm:

   104:23  9 (guix-import-elpa . _)

In guix/import/elpa.scm:

    209:2  8 (elpa->guix-package _ #:repo _ #:version _)

In ice-9/boot-9.scm:

  1752:10  7 (with-exception-handler _ _ #:unwind? _ # _)

In guix/store.scm:

   658:37  6 (thunk)

In guix/git.scm:

    543:8  5 (latest-repository-commit #<store-connection 256.99 7f…> …)

    272:4  4 (update-cached-checkout _ #:ref _ #:recursive? _ # _ # _ …)

   225:18  3 (resolve _)

In git/reference.scm:

     60:8  2 (_ _ _)

In git/bindings.scm:

     77:2  1 (raise-git-error _)

In ice-9/boot-9.scm:

  1685:16  0 (raise-exception _ #:continuable? _)

ice-9/boot-9.scm:1685:16: In procedure raise-exception:

Git error: reference 'refs/remotes/origin/HEAD' not found

#+end_example

Guix describe output:

#+begin_src shell :results output

guix describe

#+end_src

#+RESULTS:

#+begin_example

Generation 40 Nov 13 2021 23:03:01 (current)

  guix e9e1627

    repository URL: https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/guix.git

    branch: master

    commit: e9e162784985611a0700cf7d0f16096762467a70

  baba 081d02b

    repository URL: https://github.com/babariviere/dotfiles

    branch: guix

    commit: 081d02b371f00b186009fde1033ee0ee6dc7177f

  rde f9290e5

    repository URL: https://git.sr.ht/~abcdw/rde

    branch: master

    commit: f9290e5f23a8739f3cfe8afc92df0b07eb081da0

  flat 2ef1303

    repository URL: https://github.com/flatwhatson/guix-channel.git

    branch: master

    commit: 2ef1303a1e8aceab9c9e8ec6d1bd0f6b09e154e4

  nonguix 2a44c2c

    repository URL: https://gitlab.com/nonguix/nonguix

    branch: master

    commit: 2a44c2c599f4b4d59ef5d7aa4520bc378d8f10fe

  emacs 051a950

    repository URL: https://github.com/babariviere/guix-emacs

    branch: master

    commit: 051a950f3fc51449acf991120fa492fae6ea12f2

#+end_example