"Git fatal: ref HEAD is not a symbolic ref" while using maven release plugin

I get the following error output while running the Maven release plugin prepare step i.e. mvn release:prepare --batch-mode -DreleaseVersion=1.1.2 -DdevelopmentVersion=1.2.0-SNAPSHOT -Dtag=v1.1.2 -X from an Atlassian Bamboo plan. However doing the same in the command line works fine. The full error stack is below.

Any ideas how can this be solved?

[ERROR] Failed to execute goal org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-release-plugin:2.4.2:prepare (default-cli) on project hpcmom: An error is occurred in the checkin process: Exception while executing SCM command. Detecting the current branch failed: fatal: ref HEAD is not a symbolic ref -> [Help 1]
	org.apache.maven.lifecycle.LifecycleExecutionException: Failed to execute goal org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-release-plugin:2.4.2:prepare (default-cli) on project hpcmom: An error is occurred in the checkin process: Exception while executing SCM command.
	at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor.java:217)
	at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor.java:153)
	at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor.java:145)
	at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProject(LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:84)
	at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleModuleBuilder.buildProject(LifecycleModuleBuilder.java:59)
	at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleStarter.singleThreadedBuild(LifecycleStarter.java:183)
	at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.LifecycleStarter.execute(LifecycleStarter.java:161)
	at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.doExecute(DefaultMaven.java:320)
	at org.apache.maven.DefaultMaven.execute(DefaultMaven.java:156)
	at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.execute(MavenCli.java:537)
	at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.doMain(MavenCli.java:196)
	at org.apache.maven.cli.MavenCli.main(MavenCli.java:141)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57)
	at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
	at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:606)
	at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.launchEnhanced(Launcher.java:290)
	at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.launch(Launcher.java:230)
	at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.mainWithExitCode(Launcher.java:409)
	at org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher.main(Launcher.java:352)
Caused by: org.apache.maven.plugin.MojoExecutionException: An error is occurred in the checkin process: Exception while executing SCM command.
	at org.apache.maven.plugins.release.PrepareReleaseMojo.prepareRelease(PrepareReleaseMojo.java:281)
	at org.apache.maven.plugins.release.PrepareReleaseMojo.execute(PrepareReleaseMojo.java:232)
	at org.apache.maven.plugin.DefaultBuildPluginManager.executeMojo(DefaultBuildPluginManager.java:101)
	at org.apache.maven.lifecycle.internal.MojoExecutor.execute(MojoExecutor.java:209)
	... 19 more
Caused by: org.apache.maven.shared.release.ReleaseExecutionException: An error is occurred in the checkin process: Exception while executing SCM command.
	at org.apache.maven.shared.release.phase.AbstractScmCommitPhase.checkin(AbstractScmCommitPhase.java:160)
	at org.apache.maven.shared.release.phase.AbstractScmCommitPhase.performCheckins(AbstractScmCommitPhase.java:145)
	at org.apache.maven.shared.release.phase.ScmCommitPreparationPhase.runLogic(ScmCommitPreparationPhase.java:76)
	at org.apache.maven.shared.release.phase.AbstractScmCommitPhase.execute(AbstractScmCommitPhase.java:78)
	at org.apache.maven.shared.release.DefaultReleaseManager.prepare(DefaultReleaseManager.java:234)
	at org.apache.maven.shared.release.DefaultReleaseManager.prepare(DefaultReleaseManager.java:169)
	at org.apache.maven.shared.release.DefaultReleaseManager.prepare(DefaultReleaseManager.java:146)
	at org.apache.maven.shared.release.DefaultReleaseManager.prepare(DefaultReleaseManager.java:107)
	at org.apache.maven.plugins.release.PrepareReleaseMojo.prepareRelease(PrepareReleaseMojo.java:277)
	... 22 more
Caused by: org.apache.maven.scm.ScmException: Exception while executing SCM command.
	at org.apache.maven.scm.command.AbstractCommand.execute(AbstractCommand.java:63)
	at org.apache.maven.scm.provider.git.AbstractGitScmProvider.executeCommand(AbstractGitScmProvider.java:291)
	at org.apache.maven.scm.provider.git.AbstractGitScmProvider.checkin(AbstractGitScmProvider.java:217)
	at org.apache.maven.scm.provider.AbstractScmProvider.checkIn(AbstractScmProvider.java:410)
	at org.apache.maven.shared.release.phase.AbstractScmCommitPhase.checkin(AbstractScmCommitPhase.java:156)
	... 30 more
Caused by: org.apache.maven.scm.ScmException: Detecting the current branch failed: fatal: ref HEAD is not a symbolic ref

	at org.apache.maven.scm.provider.git.gitexe.command.branch.GitBranchCommand.getCurrentBranch(GitBranchCommand.java:147)
	at org.apache.maven.scm.provider.git.gitexe.command.checkin.GitCheckInCommand.createPushCommandLine(GitCheckInCommand.java:192)
	at org.apache.maven.scm.provider.git.gitexe.command.checkin.GitCheckInCommand.executeCheckInCommand(GitCheckInCommand.java:132)
	at org.apache.maven.scm.command.checkin.AbstractCheckInCommand.executeCommand(AbstractCheckInCommand.java:54)
	at org.apache.maven.scm.command.AbstractCommand.execute(AbstractCommand.java:59)
	... 34 more
[ERROR] 
[ERROR] 
[ERROR] For more information about the errors and possible solutions, please read the following articles:
[ERROR] [Help 1] http://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/MAVEN/MojoExecutionException
simple	02-Dec-2013 17:18:09	Failing task since return code of [/opt/dev/apache-maven/3.0.5//bin/mvn -Djava.io.tmpdir=/opt/atlassian/bamboo/5.2.1/temp/HPCMOM-RELEASE-JOB1 release:prepare --batch-mode -DignoreSnapshots=false -DreleaseVersion=1.1.2 -DdevelopmentVersion=1.2.0-SNAPSHOT -Dtag=v1.1.2 -X] was 1 while expected 0

UPDATE:

Doing git ls-remote . on a local workspace clone produces:

azg@olympus:~/code/hpcmom$ git ls-remote .
7894eea08a0afecb99515d1339623be63a7539d4	HEAD
7894eea08a0afecb99515d1339623be63a7539d4	refs/heads/master
7894eea08a0afecb99515d1339623be63a7539d4	refs/remotes/origin/HEAD
7894eea08a0afecb99515d1339623be63a7539d4	refs/remotes/origin/master
6a7095b86cccdfd4b28e4dea633d0930809ae9ac	refs/tags/v1.0
1a53462b1ecf0abfea8245016304cda9c78b420d	refs/tags/v1.0^{}
5113a7cbcf35c47b680a9c36e15e5fa01ef1d2e6	refs/tags/v1.1
79a3073ecabe65d3c8051520f8007d9e49a65a06	refs/tags/v1.1^{}
a00249209597ea1214d80ee38f228c40db7022c2	refs/tags/v1.1.0
e892bce8d25d87368ab557fee0d30810bef7e31e	refs/tags/v1.1.0^{}
b491a312c39088533cb069e4ab1ae8a00d1f6bfe	refs/tags/v1.1.2
a3f7618dada7ed60d8190426152ffd90e0e40a86	refs/tags/v1.1.2^{}

Doing git ls-remote . on the Bamboo clone produces:

azg@olympus:/var/atlassian/application-data/bamboo/xml-data/build-dir/HPCMOM-RELEASE-JOB1$ git ls-remote .
2422ce066ac35dae3c54f1435ef8dae5008a9a14	HEAD
57c08d581c0fd9e788049733fbdc9c22b9a6ae00	refs/heads/master
57c08d581c0fd9e788049733fbdc9c22b9a6ae00	refs/remotes/origin/HEAD
57c08d581c0fd9e788049733fbdc9c22b9a6ae00	refs/remotes/origin/master
7539f9700d78a1b766fca7ed9f409914f1ea9d08	refs/tags/vnull
6bfa8c3fdb1f8f56a385035f01b1b77b6e88da8b	refs/tags/vnull^{}

and this is very weird why is the local development clone output so different from the Bamboo one?

I ran into the same error on Jenkins in combination with maven release plugin, we fixed it by going to Additional behaviours, Check out to specific local branch and enter 'master'

I realise this is not a solution but it might give you some direction in where to look.

For Jenkins and GIT add the additional behaviour check out to specific local branch and use the Workspace Cleanup Plugin to clean your workspace to the beginning of your CI job.

The problem in Atlassian Bamboo was solved by un-checking the default setting Use shallow clones with description Fetches the shallowest commit history possible. Do not use if your build depends on full repository history. This checkbox is located under Plan Configuration -> Repositories tab -> Git -> Advanced options

After this all the releases work fine.

Unchecking the Use shallow clones was not sufficient in my case (I'm using Bamboo 5.7.2). I needed to also enable Force Clean Build in the Source Code Checkout task. Enabling the Use shallow clones would work for the next execution of the job, but all subsequent execution would result in the same error.

I am using a Jenkins Team Project with a Multibranch Project Setup.

I previously used checkout scm command.

Now I am using the following code:

checkout([
                 $class: 'GitSCM',
                 branches: scm.branches,
                 extensions: scm.extensions + [[$class: 'CleanCheckout'], [$class: 'LocalBranch', localBranch: 'new']],
                 userRemoteConfigs: scm.userRemoteConfigs
            ])

what worked for me was to call "git checkout -f master" before calling "mvn release"

I have seen this problem under Bamboo used with Maven Release plug-in. I've fixed it by enabling the option 'Force Clean Build' in the 'Source Checkout' task. Bamboo says this might make the build slower, but it works and I didn't seen any significant time increase.

For GitHub actions you can setup actions/checkout@v2 with ref: master

steps:
  - uses: actions/checkout@v2
    with:
      ref: master

This solved the problem for me:

• Jenkins job → Configure
• Source Code Management → Additional Behaviours
• Add → Check out to specific local branch
• Branch name: ${GIT_LOCAL_BRANCH}
• Save

The problem is that it is not picking up the branch so before doing mvn release:prepare --batch-mode -DreleaseVersion=1.1.2 -DdevelopmentVersion=1.2.0-SNAPSHOT -Dtag=v1.1.2 -X do git checkout master or the desired branch

For us the issue was with maven version specified in the pom file. Corrected the maven version specified in the pom file in accordance with the one in bamboo fixed the issue