BACK-695 - Skip fetch when the requested Git remote is absent

backlog/tasks/back-695 - Skip-fetch-when-the-requested-Git-remote-is-absent.md

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+---
+id: BACK-695
+title: Skip fetch when the requested Git remote is absent
+status: In Progress
+assignee:
+  - '@codex-pr-remote'
+created_date: '2026-09-27 22:14'
+updated_date: '2026-09-27 22:15'
+labels: []
+dependencies: []
+references:
+  - 'https://github.com/MrLesk/Backlog.md/pull/1023'
+  - 'https://github.com/MrLesk/Backlog.md/issues/1020'
+priority: medium
+type: bug
+ordinal: 325000
+---
+
+## Description
+
+<!-- SECTION:DESCRIPTION:BEGIN -->
+Repositories with only a differently named remote can produce repeated Git errors during task reads because the preflight checks for any remote, then attempts to fetch origin. Contributor PR #1023 fixes the requested-remote preflight through the existing Git primitive and adds a real upstream-only repository regression for issue #1020.
+<!-- SECTION:DESCRIPTION:END -->
+
+## Acceptance Criteria
+<!-- AC:BEGIN -->
+- [ ] #1 A fetch request for an absent remote returns without attempting that fetch, including a repository whose only remote is upstream.
+- [ ] #2 Existing fetch behavior for a configured requested remote and disabled remote operations stays intact.
+- [ ] #3 The contributor fix and its Git regressions pass review and remain attributed in the existing PR, with this task identity and matching title.
+<!-- AC:END -->
+
+## Definition of Done
+<!-- DOD:BEGIN -->
+- [ ] #1 bunx tsc --noEmit passes when TypeScript touched
+- [ ] #2 bun run check . passes when formatting/linting touched
+- [ ] #3 bun test (or scoped test) passes
+<!-- DOD:END -->
+
+## Implementation Plan
+
+<!-- SECTION:PLAN:BEGIN -->
+1. Review contributor PR #1023 at cc187d43b37b475fe1ff905c39d2b25b7f988af3, including the existing hasRemote helper, fetch configuration gate, and Git regressions.
+2. Preserve the contributor implementation and commit. Add this CLI-managed task record as a metadata-only child commit on the existing PR branch, with no production or test changes.
+3. Verify that the added commit changes only this task record, retains the original head as its direct parent, and can be pushed as a normal fast-forward after rechecking the remote head.
+4. Keep this task In Progress with acceptance criteria unchecked until runtime checks and CI for the PR head provide verification evidence; complete the review in the existing PR.
+<!-- SECTION:PLAN:END -->
+
+## Implementation Notes
+
+<!-- SECTION:NOTES:BEGIN -->
+Original implementation and regression tests are by Lingikaushikreddy (Kaushikreddy Lingi) in PR #1023, commit cc187d43b37b475fe1ff905c39d2b25b7f988af3. The contributor commit and all production/test blobs are preserved.
+
+Read-only review: fetchRemote now asks the existing hasRemote(remote) helper whether the requested name exists. The helper reads configured remote names and compares the exact requested name. The remoteOperations=false gate remains before this check. The fetch command, timeout, network-error handling, and concurrent-fetch behavior are unchanged. The added regression creates a repository whose only remote is upstream and expects the default-origin fetch to return successfully. Existing fetch and offline-mode mocks are adjusted to the helper that is now called. No concrete source defect or source repair was identified in this review.
+
+This record is the only addition prepared here. No runtime or CI result is claimed by this review; the PR head still requires exact-head CI evidence. Acceptance criteria and Definition of Done remain unchecked.
+<!-- SECTION:NOTES:END -->

src/git/operations.ts

@@ -597,10 +597,12 @@ export class GitOperations {
 	}
 
 	private async fetchRemote(remote: string): Promise<void> {
-		// Preflight: skip if repository has no remotes configured
-		const hasRemotes = await this.hasAnyRemote();
-		if (!hasRemotes) {
-			// No remotes configured; silently skip fetch. A consolidated warning is shown during init if applicable.
+		// Preflight: skip if the requested remote is not configured. Checking for any remote is not
+		// enough: a repository whose only remote is named e.g. "upstream" would still run
+		// `git fetch origin` and fail with exit code 128 on every task read.
+		const hasRequestedRemote = await this.hasRemote(remote);
+		if (!hasRequestedRemote) {
+			// Silently skip fetch. A consolidated warning is shown during init if applicable.
 			return;
 		}
 

src/test/git.test.ts

@@ -238,13 +238,13 @@ wait "$child_pid"
 				  }
 				| undefined;
 			const internals = git as unknown as {
-				hasAnyRemote: () => Promise<boolean>;
+				hasRemote: (remote?: string) => Promise<boolean>;
 				execGit: (
 					args: string[],
 					options?: { env?: Record<string, string>; timeoutMs?: number },
 				) => Promise<{ stdout: string; stderr: string }>;
 			};
-			internals.hasAnyRemote = async () => {
+			internals.hasRemote = async () => {
 				remoteChecks += 1;
 				return true;
 			};
@@ -291,9 +291,9 @@ wait "$child_pid"
 				};
 			});
 			const internals = git as unknown as {
-				hasAnyRemote: () => Promise<boolean>;
+				hasRemote: (remote?: string) => Promise<boolean>;
 			};
-			internals.hasAnyRemote = async () => {
+			internals.hasRemote = async () => {
 				remoteChecks += 1;
 				return true;
 			};
@@ -316,10 +316,10 @@ wait "$child_pid"
 				return { ...TEST_CONFIG, remoteOperations: true };
 			});
 			const internals = git as unknown as {
-				hasAnyRemote: () => Promise<boolean>;
+				hasRemote: (remote?: string) => Promise<boolean>;
 				execGit: () => Promise<{ stdout: string; stderr: string }>;
 			};
-			internals.hasAnyRemote = async () => true;
+			internals.hasRemote = async () => true;
 			internals.execGit = async () => {
 				fetchCalls += 1;
 				return { stdout: "", stderr: "" };
@@ -341,10 +341,10 @@ wait "$child_pid"
 				remoteOperations: true,
 			});
 			const internals = git as unknown as {
-				hasAnyRemote: () => Promise<boolean>;
+				hasRemote: (remote?: string) => Promise<boolean>;
 				execGit: () => Promise<{ stdout: string; stderr: string }>;
 			};
-			internals.hasAnyRemote = async () => true;
+			internals.hasRemote = async () => true;
 			internals.execGit = async () => {
 				throw new Error("Git command timeout after 10000ms");
 			};

src/test/no-remote-preflight.test.ts

@@ -49,6 +49,21 @@ describe("Missing git remote preflight", () => {
 		console.warn = originalWarn;
 	});
 
+	it("GitOperations.fetch() silently skips when only a differently named remote exists", async () => {
+		await $`git remote add upstream https://example.invalid/backlog.git`.cwd(tempDir).quiet();
+		const gitOps = new GitOperations(tempDir, {
+			projectName: "Test",
+			statuses: ["To Do", "Done"],
+			labels: [],
+			milestones: [],
+			dateFormat: "YYYY-MM-DD",
+			remoteOperations: true,
+		} as BacklogConfig);
+
+		// Without the per-remote preflight this runs `git fetch origin` and rejects with exit code 128.
+		await expect(gitOps.fetch()).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+	});
+
 	it("Core cross-branch loading handles remoteOperations=true without a remote", async () => {
 		const config: BacklogConfig = {
 			projectName: "Test",

src/test/offline-mode.test.ts

@@ -69,12 +69,12 @@ describe("Offline Mode Configuration", () => {
 
 			let capturedArgs: string[] = [];
 			const internals = gitOps as unknown as {
-				hasAnyRemote: () => Promise<boolean>;
+				hasRemote: (remote?: string) => Promise<boolean>;
 				execGit: (args: string[]) => Promise<{ stdout: string; stderr: string }>;
 			};
-			const originalHasAnyRemote = internals.hasAnyRemote;
+			const originalHasRemote = internals.hasRemote;
 			const originalExecGit = internals.execGit;
-			internals.hasAnyRemote = async () => true;
+			internals.hasRemote = async () => true;
 			internals.execGit = async (args: string[]) => {
 				capturedArgs = args;
 				return { stdout: "", stderr: "" };
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ describe("Offline Mode Configuration", () => {
 				await gitOps.fetch();
 				expect(capturedArgs).toEqual(["fetch", "origin", "--prune", "--quiet"]);
 			} finally {
-				internals.hasAnyRemote = originalHasAnyRemote;
+				internals.hasRemote = originalHasRemote;
 				internals.execGit = originalExecGit;
 			}
 		});