theonedev/onedev · error · ExplicitException

No default branch

Error message

No default branch

What it means

Revision.getRevCommit() resolves a BRANCH-type revision with a null branch value to project.getDefaultBranch(); if the project has no default branch configured, ExplicitException 'No default branch' is thrown.

Solutions

1. Push at least one branch to the repository
2. Set the default branch in project settings (General > Default Branch)
3. Use an explicit branch name in the query revision instead of the default

Example fix

// before
new Revision(Type.BRANCH, null).getRevCommit(emptyProject)
// after
Project setting: default branch = main (after pushing main), or use Revision("main")

if (project.getDefaultBranch() == null) { throw new IllegalStateException("project " + project.getName() + " has no default branch; push a branch first"); }

try { project.getRevCommit(...); } catch (ExplicitException e) { /* prompt user to configure default branch */ }

When it happens

Trigger: Resolving a bare/default revision (null branch) for a project whose default branch is unset — e.g. an empty repository or a project where the default branch was never set or points to a deleted branch.

Common situations: Running a commit query on an empty repo; default branch renamed/deleted so the setting is stale; newly created project without any pushed branch.

Understand the failure class

Background: "missing required config value" errors: why libraries refuse to start when a configuration key is empty, unset, or blank — this error's family across 48 libraries.

Related errors

• Authentication required
• Branch not exist:
• Can only compare with common ancestor when different…
• Default branch is not available
• Impossible to provide required number of reviewers

AI-assisted analysis of theonedev/onedev@d44925c47c (2026-09-06). Data as JSON: /api/errors/50d7ca26986ab089. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at server-core/src/main/java/io/onedev/server/search/commit/Revision.java:73

	}
	
	public Build getValueAsBuild(Project project) {
		var buildReference = BuildReference.of(value, project);
		var buildService = OneDev.getInstance(BuildService.class);
		var build = buildService.find(buildReference.getProject(), buildReference.getNumber());
		if (build == null)
			throw new ExplicitException("Unable to find build: " + value);
		else
			return build;
	}

	public RevCommit getRevCommit(Project project) {
		if (type == Type.BRANCH) {
			String branch = value;
			if (branch == null) {
				branch = project.getDefaultBranch();
				if (branch == null) 
					throw new ExplicitException("No default branch");
			}
			return project.getRevCommit(GitUtils.branch2ref(branch), true);
		} else if (type == Type.TAG) {
			return project.getRevCommit(GitUtils.tag2ref(value), true);
		} else if (type == Type.COMMIT) {
			return project.getRevCommit(value, true);
		} else if (type == Type.BUILD) {
			return project.getRevCommit(getValueAsBuild(project).getCommitHash(), true);
		} else {
			throw new RuntimeException("Unknown revision type: " + type);
		}
	}

	public boolean matchesRef(Project project, String refName) {
		if (type == Type.BRANCH) {
			var branch = value != null? value: project.getDefaultBranch();
			return refName.equals(GitUtils.branch2ref(branch));
		} else if (type == Type.TAG) {

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