Jitpack won't compile imported repo

[HoursDEV01]

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We have cloned/imported a repo from a know good repo and are trying to compile/build on jitpack. The original compiles fine but the imported repo on our side fails with dependency errors. I have also used tools to compare the too online and there are not showing the exact same files. The files, tags, and versions all match, why is the import pull pulling difference "versions"?

Edit:

I have also tried forking the repo, which seems to work and shows up to date when you try to sync. BUT, when comparing them with the original, it comes back and says they are different codebases and not the latest version, listing the differences.

[Devvekariya711]

JitPack builds exact Git commits, not what “looks the same” in files.

Your imported/cloned repo is not pointing to the same commit SHA as the original repo, even if:

file contents look similar

tags have the same names

versions match

Because the commit history differs (rewritten history, missing commits, shallow clone, or rebased tags), JitPack resolves different dependency versions, which causes build failures.

Forking works because a fork preserves the original commit history and SHAs. Importing does not.

[HoursDEV01]

I have deleted my import and just forked the original this time. Again, comparing masters to masters, they are not the same. Why is the fork not pulling the latest even though master is showing as default?

[Devvekariya711]

Your fork is pulling the latest code. It just doesn’t share the same commit history, so Git says they’re different.

[Devvekariya711]

Forking pulled the latest files, but not the same commit history. Since the upstream repo rewrote history, the commit SHAs differ, so Git reports different codebases and JitPack builds differently.

[00xDisaster]

JitPack Won’t Compile Imported Repo – Why This Happens (#184892)

Short Answer

JitPack builds by exact Git commit SHA, not by file contents.
Your imported or forked repository does not point to the same commit history as the original repo, even if:

• Files look identical
• Tags have the same names
• Versions match

Because the commit SHAs differ, JitPack resolves different dependency versions, which leads to build failures.

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What’s Actually Happening

1. JitPack Builds Commits, Not “Code That Looks the Same”

JitPack:

• Builds a specific commit SHA
• Resolves dependencies based on that commit’s metadata

So if two repos:

• Have the same files
• But different commit SHAs

➡️ JitPack treats them as different projects

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2. Why Importing the Repo Breaks the Build

When you import or clone a repo instead of forking:

• Commit history may be rewritten
• Tags may point to different SHAs
• History may be shallow or rebased

Even if files match, Git sees:

Different commit graph → different dependency resolution
Result: ❌ Build fails on JitPack

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3. Why Forking Works (But Still Looks “Different”)

Forking:

• Pulls the latest file contents

• But does not guarantee identical commit history if the upstream repo:

• Rewrote history

• Force-pushed

• Retagged releases

So:

• Git comparison shows “different codebases”

• JitPack still sees different SHAs

• Dependency versions may differ

• This is expected Git behavior.

• Why master vs master Still Shows Differences

Even if:

• Both repos use master

• master is default in both

They can still differ if:

• Upstream rewrote history

• Commits were rebased

• Tags were moved

• Git compares commit ancestry, not filenames.

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How to Fix This (Correct Solutions)

✅ Option 1: Build Using the Original Repo

Best option if possible:

Use the original repository URL in JitPack

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✅ Option 2: Match the Exact Commit SHA

Find the commit SHA used by the original repo

Checkout that exact commit in your repo:

    git fetch upstream
    git checkout <exact-commit-sha>
    git push origin HEAD

Then build that SHA in JitPack.

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✅ Option 3: Use a Tag That Points to the Same SHA

Verify tags:

    git show <tag-name>

If the tag points to a different commit → JitPack will build something else.

Key Takeaways

• JitPack builds commit SHAs, not “same-looking code”

• Importing ≠ forking ≠ same history

• Forking copies files, not guaranteed commit identity

• Rewritten history breaks SHA equality

• Dependency resolution depends on commit ancestry

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Summary

Scenario Result

Import repo ❌ Different SHAs → build fails

Fork repo ⚠️ Files same, history differs

Same commit SHA ✅ JitPack builds correctly

Final Advice

If JitPack matters:

• Never import or manually clone
• Always fork or build directly from the original repo/tag/SHA

That’s the only way to guarantee identical builds.

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