Automatic git export not working on Automatic export of Collection on Mac to Overleaf

[SebusFu]

Debug log ID

XU4TTGU2-euc/6.7.193-6

What happened?

I followed the instructions to use the automatic export with auto push to git (overleaf git in my case). my .git/config says true for push.
The automatic export to .bib file works, but is not committed. If I do pull, commit, push in terminal on folder I get the expected result.
I did not find any additional information that the auto process is done or not. I restarted Zotero and terminal a few times, without any change in result.

[github-actions]

🤖 this is your friendly neighborhood build bot announcing test build 6.7.195.2882.6273 ("path-search filtered away non-vars")

This update may name other issues, but the build just dropped here is for you; it just means problems already fixed in other issues have been folded into the work we are doing here. Install in Zotero by downloading test build 6.7.195.2882.6273, opening the Zotero "Tools" menu, selecting "Add-ons", open the gear menu in the top right, and select "Install Add-on From File...".

[retorquere]

Can you test build 6273?

[SebusFu]

Thanks a lot, this works. It now asks for the password of git.overleaf.com and automatic syncing is working. Thanks for your quick help! Do you need any further information?

[retorquere]

No, just confirmation that it works is good.

[retorquere]

A new release will go out today.

[SebusFu]

Unfortunately the automatic export is not working: CAPD6GUB-refs-euc/6.7.201-6

[retorquere]

It's trying to run

/usr/bin/git -C /Users/sebastianschaper/Diss/Paper/Theory-nkd-decoupling/OverleafProject/[project ID] commit -m "BibTeX updated by Better BibTeX for Zotero"

can you run that from a directory that is not /Users/sebastianschaper/Diss/Paper/Theory-nkd-decoupling/OverleafProject/[project ID] and see what it reports.

[github-actions]

🤖 this is your friendly neighborhood build bot announcing test build 6.7.202.2882.6319 ("back to busy wait")

This update may name other issues, but the build just dropped here is for you; it just means problems already fixed in other issues have been folded into the work we are doing here. Install in Zotero by downloading test build 6.7.202.2882.6319, opening the Zotero "Tools" menu, selecting "Add-ons", open the gear menu in the top right, and select "Install Add-on From File...".

[retorquere]

Can you try this build to see if it solves the problem for you?

[jooyoungseo]

It's still not working on my end, either: Z7FMWNCU-euc/6.7.207-7

[jooyoungseo]

The new update is not staged and commited automatically:

[retorquere]

It's trying to run

/usr/bin/git -C /Users/sebastianschaper/Diss/Paper/Theory-nkd-decoupling/OverleafProject/65d72359067c2d4e421e8a52 commit -m "BibTeX updated by Better BibTeX for Zotero"

can you run that from a directory that is not /Users/sebastianschaper/Diss/Paper/Theory-nkd-decoupling/OverleafProject/65d72359067c2d4e421e8a52 and see what it reports.

Please try this.

[jooyoungseo]

@retorquere I am sorry, but I am a different user who's experiencing this issue on Windows. I have left my log above. Your comment does not apply to me.

[retorquere]

@jooyoungseo I see no auto-export activity in your log. You have to trigger an export so the log will show what goes wrong.

[github-actions]

🤖 this is your friendly neighborhood build bot announcing test build 6.7.207.2882.6464 ("log git.exe")

This update may name other issues, but the build just dropped here is for you; it just means problems already fixed in other issues have been folded into the work we are doing here. Install in Zotero by downloading test build 6.7.207.2882.6464, opening the Zotero "Tools" menu, selecting "Add-ons", open the gear menu in the top right, and select "Install Add-on From File...".

[retorquere]

Please send a new debug log from 6464. This is not expected to fix anything, it just adds more information to the log.

[jooyoungseo]

Yes, here you go: 69FTRVHD-euc/6.7.207.2882.6464-7

[jooyoungseo]

Yes, here you go: 69FTRVHD-euc/6.7.207.2882.6464-7

[github-actions]

🤖 this is your friendly neighborhood build bot announcing test build 6.7.207.2882.6467 ("git")

This update may name other issues, but the build just dropped here is for you; it just means problems already fixed in other issues have been folded into the work we are doing here. Install in Zotero by downloading test build 6.7.207.2882.6467, opening the Zotero "Tools" menu, selecting "Add-ons", open the gear menu in the top right, and select "Install Add-on From File...".

[retorquere]

Build 6467 will show the git output in a window, I need to see what it is. You might want to use a screen recorder, I don't know how long the window stays up.

[jooyoungseo]

Here is a new log: VE46GRJM-euc/6.7.207.2882.6467-7

Below is the screen capture:

[retorquere]

[retorquere]

It looks like you're running some things as admin, others as a regular user. That's a really hard environment to support.

[retorquere]

@SebusFu if you don't respond I'm going to have to close this issue.

@jooyoungseo you have a rights issue. If you've resolved that, and it still doesn't work, please open a new issue.

[retorquere]

@SebusFu if you don't respond in going to have to close this issue.

@jooyoungseo you have a rights issue. If you've resolved that, and it still doesn't work, please open a new issue.

[retorquere]

@jooyoungseo and please don't follow the suggestion by git above. That would just have git proceed with the problem present, and I don't want to debug windows ownership issues. You have mixed ownership of that repo, that's not supported. The git repo should be unambiguously owned by the user Zotero runs as.

[jooyoungseo]

@retorquere Thanks for your help with debugging this issue. I have resolved this on my end. However, I think other Windows users who save their repo under C drive will face the same issue because C drive is owned by admin by default. Zotero, on the other hand, is run with the current user power. To address this issue, users will have to either adjust their zotero.exe property to elevate the run permission to admin or add the repo under C drive to their git safe.directory list.

Another possible issue that I have found that the bbt push option needs to be removed from the git global level. I have noticed that auto push does not work when the option exists in the git global config.

I have jot down the following simple batch script for my own use that can be executed inside the target repo and this addresses the issue above.

zotero_bbt_auto_push.cmd:

@echo off

rem Allow Zotero to push updated references
rem Remove bbt setting from `--global` git config because it must be set on a local level
git config --global --unset zotero.betterbibtex.push
git config zotero.betterbibtex.push true

setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

rem Get the current directory
set "dir=%cd%"

rem Add the current directory as a safe directory in Git
git config --global --add safe.directory "!dir!"

endlocal

[retorquere]

@retorquere Thanks for your help with debugging this issue. I have resolved this on my end. However, I think other Windows users who save their repo under C drive will face the same issue because C drive is owned by admin by default.

You can, however, create a directory there as admin and then change ownership to the regular user.

Zotero, on the other hand, is run with the current user power. To address this issue, users will have to either adjust their zotero.exe property to elevate the run permission to admin

PLEASE DON'T DO THIS. This will get you in all sorts of problems since now the Zotero directory will also be admin-owned, and this will make diagnosis nasty work.

If you are going to do this nonetheless (and I'm saying: don't), and you want to report problems for plugins or Zotero itself, mention that you are running Zotero as admin, because a) that complicates everything, and b) it is guaranteed to be unexpected to the developer. That is aside the fact that just generally, running things as admin that are not directly related to system administration is not advisable.

or add the repo under C drive to their git safe.directory list.

Also no. As I said above, do not do this. If you do, I cannot support this. Just create a directory on C:, give ownership to the regular user, and do all your work as non-admin in that directory. Don't fight Windows' permission system. It complicates things for everyone. Running as a regular user, with the repo owned unambiguously by that user, is the supported configuration.

Another possible issue that I have found that the bbt push option needs to be removed from the git global level.

It doesn't need to be removed, but BBT won't read it there.

I have noticed that auto push does not work when the option exists in the git global config.

That is correct.

[SebusFu]

Hi, sorry for the late response, I've been away. It currently works for me. Thank you very much for your great support and the great tool!