Add --no-cone option to sparse checkout

[jferguson3]

3.5.3 (2025-04-24)
Fixed handling of git cache when using sparse checkouts. (@mastupristi)

Need way to pass --no-cone flag to sparse checkout commands

[jferguson3]

Tried executing these commands:
git config --global core.sparseCheckoutCone false
GITMAN_CACHE_DISABLE=1 gitman update --force --clean

With the following gitman.yml:

  - name: Dummy/PlatformDummy
    repo: git@gitlab.dummy.com:dummy/platform.git
    rev:  main
    sparse_paths:
    - "Dummy/Platform/*\n"
    - "dummy-manifest*\n"

Expect to only get:

• Dummy/PlatformDummy/Dummy/Platform folder & its files
• Dummy/PlatformDummy/dummy-manifest* files

Actually get:
fatal: specify directories rather than patterns. If your directory really has any of '*?[]\' in it, pass --skip-checks

Even though git config --global core.sparseCheckoutCone false is set, gitman is still using this command to always set sparse checkouts to cone mode: git -C Dummy/PlatformDummy sparse-checkout init --cone

Need a way to optionally set sparse checkouts to no-cone mode
(Was the default sparse checkout behavior until git 2.42.0 & Gitman 3.5.3)

[mastupristi]

I will check ASAP

[jferguson3]

Gitman version	git version	Result
Gitman v3.5.2	git version 2.43.0	Working correctly
Gitman v3.5.2	git version 2.49.0	Incorrectly checks out everything in top-level folder too
Gitman v3.5.3	git version 2.49.0	Errors with message fatal: specify directories rather than patterns.

[CtrlCarlitos]

First of all, thanks for providing this tool. It's awesome, and it fills my needs incredibly well. So thank you very much!!!

I was struggling with the sparse checkout with my gitman.yml like this:

location: /mnt/extra-addons

sources:
  - repo: git@github.com:OCA/web.git
    name: web
    rev: 17.0
    sparse_paths:
      - "web_chatter_position"
      - "web_responsive"

  - repo: git@github.com:OCA/account-financial-reporting.git
    name: account-financial-reporting
    rev: 17.0
    sparse_paths:
      - "account_financial_report"
      - "account_tax_balance"

It was pulling all the root files that were giving me a headache. I can confirm with @jferguson3 that the sparse checkout works correctly with Gitman v3.5.2 and Git v2.43.0

[mastupristi]

Unfortunately, my Python skills are not sufficient. I would like to add a boolean cone parameter in YAML, but I don't know how.
I also find it difficult to create a test environment.
I needed a tool to manage git dependencies (instead of submodules) that would allow me to have a cache, to be used in CI/CD environments, but especially in development, where I could potentially make changes to dependencies as well as to the base project.

Perhaps I was wrong to think I could modify gitman for this.

I'm thinking of reverting my old commits.

Best regards
Max