Git doesn't work on SMB Volume

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Level 1

5 points

Git doesn't work on SMB Volume

Background: I use SMB to store all files, and previously I work on Windows and one MacBook (MacOS BigSur). I also use Git from SMB Volumes. I do that because it's easier to switch between devices and also run tests from other machines. I also have some VM's (externally from MacOS) that runs FreeBSD and Linux and all of them can connect and use git over SMB.

Issue: On my new Mac, which uses macOS Ventura (I don't know how to downgrade!), I can't use Git on SMB Volumes.

When I try to run some `git status` or `git pull` that is the result:

error: fetch died of signal 10

Bus error: 10

However, Git works on local files and also works on Windows machine connected to the same SMB Volume. I can't reproduce that issue on MacOS BigSur too.

Attempts:

I tried to disconnect/connect.
I have disable SMB cache (on MacOS).

Have multiple reports of that issue:

https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/457096/zsh-bus-error-with-git-on-smb-volume?newreg=c729dffa139749bdac88729c5c87a1b0

Samba and git - Apple Community

Of course, the issue persists. None of them provide any answer. I have some couple of days remaining to return the MacStudio to Apple, is that the only solution?

How I can fix that? I can't proper work with that bug.

Mac Studio, macOS 13.4

Posted on Jun 17, 2023 5:06 AM

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Answer 1

etresoft

Level 9

55,530 points

Jun 17, 2023 6:10 AM in response to _inkey

It is very unusual for Mac developers to use git across a network mount. Macs can barely do networking even in the best of times. The idea behind git is to have a copy of the repositories on local devices. From there, you can push and pull changes to the central server.

Here is your best case scenario: You can install macOS Sonoma, try to reproduce the bug, and file bug reports during the beta period. If you are extraordinarily lucky, then the bug might be fixed in the Fall when Sonoma is released. Mac networking support has been noticeably worse the past couple of years so I think there is a decent (30% ?) chance of getting this fixed in a few months.

Otherwise, it sounds like you are pretty committed to using git in this unorthodox fashion - more committed than you are to the Mac. Such is life.

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Answer 2

_inkey Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 18, 2023 7:39 AM in response to etresoft

I think the issue is not exclusive to Git, but the overall SMB.

The read/write speed drops drastically, from ~900MB/s to 28˜40MB/s after couple of minutes of usage.

After couple of minutes almost nothing works, even my IDE can't work properly, copying file is very slow and then Git fails. Of course, wait couple of seconds to load a file is less noticeable than "Bus error: 10".

I need to disconnect and connect again, then it comes back to ~900MB/s and then Git works for small amount of time, before it go back to ˜40MB/s and everything stops again.

Of course, all other machines, including my old desktop which has 2x SFP+, the speed is usually around ~1100MB/s, even after consistent reads. Since Mac Studio also uses 10Gbps, I'm hopping to get around the same performance, even with a single "shared" 10Gbps port.

But for some reason the real speed is 40MB/s, because "~900MB/s only works for couple of minutes", or until you transfer some files. Since Mac Studio has a single port, I need to make clear that I'm not using anything else, and the network usage is usually < 2KB/s.

That not seems to be a issue on the server or on the network, running some `iperf`:

```

ID] Interval Transfer Bandwidth

[ 1] 0.00-10.00 sec 11214 MBytes 9404 Mbits/sec

```

So, the network seems capable to connect and to transfer that amount of data. Something in MacOS, and with SMB, is limiting the transfer speed.

I also change the RJ45/Ethernet cable and I also change my SFP+ Transceiver (which I'm using on Mac, since Mac Studio uses the old RJ45, and my switches only works with SFP, SFP+ and SFP28), but the issue persists.

I also thought about connect my NAS and Mac Studio directly, but I can't connect to the internet since I only have one Ethernet. I'm not sure if buying another 10Gbps SFP+ using Thunderbolt and then linking NAS <-> Mac Studio directly will solve the issue.

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Answer 3

etresoft

Level 9

55,530 points

Jun 18, 2023 8:13 AM in response to _inkey

_inkey wrote:

I think the issue is not exclusive to Git, but the overall SMB.

As I said above, Macs can barely do networking even in the best of times. This isn't 1998. The networking stack has been rewritten several times since then. The only reliable way to use a network on a Mac is copy the file to the local drive, make your edits, and then copy it back. I'm not kidding. If you want to be a power user, you can have some sync service do that automatically in the background while you work. If you want to avoid ransomware, then you'll have some content management system like Atlassian manage it. But directly accessing a network volume? In 2023? Sorry, not gonna happen.

If you are absolutely committed to using SMB, and that is more important to you than using the Mac, then you are simply going to have to change platforms. The Mac is a consumer device. Mac users don't have fibre interfaces. They use WiFi. But to be clear, you will experience the same problems over WiFI. It's not an interface or hardware issue.

To be fair, I did find this note, where someone else encountered this problem and filed a bug report. According to a screenshot in that thread, Apple says "Potential fix identified - For a future OS update". Does that mean macOS 13.5? Or macOS 14 "Sonoma"? My guess is Sonoma. Do you really want to get on the beta treadmill? You were using Big Sur. You don't even know what the "current release" treadmill is like. 😄

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Answer 4

Jul 11, 2023 12:33 PM in response to _inkey

I am getting similar performance on SMB shares when testing performance with "AJA System Test Lite". Read speed starts out at 700 - 900 Mbps for a few seconds and then crashes to 15 - 20 Mbps and stays there for the rest of the file transfer.

This seems to be a Mac SMB protocol issue, but I can't find any tweaks that fix the issue.

Has anyone found a fix for this issue?

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Answer 5

_inkey Author

Level 1

5 points

Jul 11, 2023 1:36 PM in response to Weable-Dude

Do you have the Wi-Fi enabled? Try to disable it. The macOS is so poor configured that seems to prefer Wi-Fi instead of Ethernet.

Another altnative, instead of disabling Wi-Fi, is editing `/etc/nsmb.conf` file and include:

mc_prefer_wired=yes

That fixes the read/write speeds. But my issue with Git persists.

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Answer 6

HWTech

Level 9

67,262 points

Jun 20, 2023 9:14 AM in response to _inkey

@etresoft is absolutely correct. I have seen multiple other posts on these Apple forums where users have been reporting all sorts of SMB issues with Ventura specifically for quite a while now.

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Answer 7

_inkey Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 20, 2023 10:18 AM in response to HWTech

It's not "possible" to replace the default implementation of SMB? I mean, remove the native SMB and use Samba4, for instance? I search for "Samba4 on macOS", but doesn't found anything useful.

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Answer 8

_inkey Author

Level 1

5 points

Aug 22, 2023 8:37 AM in response to etresoft

I'm testing Sonoma, and I still facing "zsh: bus error git status". So, Sonoma don't fix this issue.

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Git doesn't work on SMB Volume

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