Document git option `core.longPaths=true` to clone the repository on Windows

[imgx64]

I'm trying to clone the Spring boot repository on Windows, and I'm getting "Filename too long" errors. I tried with cmd and bash, with the same results:

cmd

C:\Users\myusername\Desktop>git clone https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-boot.git
Cloning into 'spring-boot'...
remote: Counting objects: 339275, done.
remote: Compressing objects: 100% (348/348), done.
remote: Total 339275 (delta 204), reused 571 (delta 176), pack-reused 338586
Receiving objects: 100% (339275/339275), 71.09 MiB | 1.13 MiB/s, done.
Resolving deltas: 100% (140226/140226), done.
error: unable to create file spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-gradle-plugin/src/test/resources/org/springframework/boot/gradle/plugin/DependencyManagementPluginActionIntegrationTests-helpfulErrorWhenVersionlessDependencyFailsToResolve.gradle: Filename too long
error: unable to create file spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-gradle-plugin/src/test/resources/org/springframework/boot/gradle/plugin/JavaPluginActionIntegrationTests-additionalMetadataLocationsConfiguredWhenProcessorIsPresent.gradle: Filename too long
error: unable to create file spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-gradle-plugin/src/test/resources/org/springframework/boot/gradle/plugin/JavaPluginActionIntegrationTests-additionalMetadataLocationsNotConfiguredWhenProcessorIsAbsent.gradle: Filename too long
Checking out files: 100% (5340/5340), done.
fatal: unable to checkout working tree
warning: Clone succeeded, but checkout failed.
You can inspect what was checked out with 'git status'
and retry the checkout with 'git checkout -f HEAD'

bash

 MINGW64 /c/Users/myusername/Desktop
$ git clone https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-boot.git
Cloning into 'spring-boot'...
remote: Counting objects: 339275, done.
remote: Compressing objects: 100% (348/348), done.
remote: Total 339275 (delta 204), reused 571 (delta 176), pack-reused 338586
Receiving objects: 100% (339275/339275), 71.09 MiB | 1.28 MiB/s, done.
Resolving deltas: 100% (140226/140226), done.
error: unable to create file spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-gradle-plugin/src/test/resources/org/springframework/boot/gradle/plugin/DependencyManagementPluginActionIntegrationTests-helpfulErrorWhenVersionlessDependencyFailsToResolve.gradle: Filename too long
error: unable to create file spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-gradle-plugin/src/test/resources/org/springframework/boot/gradle/plugin/JavaPluginActionIntegrationTests-additionalMetadataLocationsConfiguredWhenProcessorIsPresent.gradle: Filename too long
error: unable to create file spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-gradle-plugin/src/test/resources/org/springframework/boot/gradle/plugin/JavaPluginActionIntegrationTests-additionalMetadataLocationsNotConfiguredWhenProcessorIsAbsent.gradle: Filename too long
Checking out files: 100% (5340/5340), done.
fatal: unable to checkout working tree
warning: Clone succeeded, but checkout failed.
You can inspect what was checked out with 'git status'
and retry the checkout with 'git checkout -f HEAD'

Finally, I tried with wsl Ubuntu. The checkout succeeded, but then I got the same error when I tried to interact with the repo from outside wsl:

wsl

/mnt/c/Users/myusername/Desktop$ git clone https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-boot.git
Cloning into 'spring-boot'...
remote: Counting objects: 339275, done.
remote: Compressing objects: 100% (348/348), done.
remote: Total 339275 (delta 204), reused 571 (delta 176), pack-reused 338586
Receiving objects: 100% (339275/339275), 71.09 MiB | 1.27 MiB/s, done.
Resolving deltas: 100% (140226/140226), done.
Checking connectivity... done.
Checking out files: 100% (5340/5340), done.

cmd

C:\Users\myusername\Desktop\spring-boot>git status
On branch master
Your branch is up to date with 'origin/master'.

Changes not staged for commit:
  (use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)
  (use "git checkout -- <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)

        modified:   spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-gradle-plugin/src/test/resources/org/springframework/boot/gradle/plugin/DependencyManagementPluginActionIntegrationTests-helpfulErrorWhenVersionlessDependencyFailsToResolve.gradle
        modified:   spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-gradle-plugin/src/test/resources/org/springframework/boot/gradle/plugin/JavaPluginActionIntegrationTests-additionalMetadataLocationsConfiguredWhenProcessorIsPresent.gradle
        modified:   spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-gradle-plugin/src/test/resources/org/springframework/boot/gradle/plugin/JavaPluginActionIntegrationTests-additionalMetadataLocationsNotConfiguredWhenProcessorIsAbsent.gradle

no changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a")

C:\Users\myusername\Desktop\spring-boot>git checkout -- .
error: unable to create file spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-gradle-plugin/src/test/resources/org/springframework/boot/gradle/plugin/DependencyManagementPluginActionIntegrationTests-helpfulErrorWhenVersionlessDependencyFailsToResolve.gradle: Filename too long
error: unable to create file spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-gradle-plugin/src/test/resources/org/springframework/boot/gradle/plugin/JavaPluginActionIntegrationTests-additionalMetadataLocationsConfiguredWhenProcessorIsPresent.gradle: Filename too long
error: unable to create file spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-gradle-plugin/src/test/resources/org/springframework/boot/gradle/plugin/JavaPluginActionIntegrationTests-additionalMetadataLocationsNotConfiguredWhenProcessorIsAbsent.gradle: Filename too long

Git for Windows version: git version 2.16.1.windows.4
Windows version: Version 1709 (OS Build 16299.248)

---

After I wrote this issue and before I clicked submit, I found that there's a workaround for long filenames:

git clone -c core.longPaths=true https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-boot.git

So now the question is: should these filenames be shortened to make life easier for Windows users? Or should a note be added to CONTRIBUTING.adoc?

[imgx64]

Looks like this bug was reported (and fixed!) many times in the past. For example: #10868 .

I guess it's futile to keep changing the files. I think it's just better to document core.longPaths=true.

[wilkinsona]

Closing in favour of #12070.