Allow adding new files to an empty repo (#24164)

![image](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/2114189/232561612-2bfcfd0a-fc04-47ba-965f-5d0bcea46c54.png)

2 files changed, 24 insertions, 15 deletions

diff --git a/modules/context/context.go b/modules/context/context.go
index 2507cc10c0..21bae91129 100644
--- a/modules/context/context.go
+++ b/modules/context/context.go
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ func (ctx *Context) serverErrorInternal(logMsg string, logErr error) {
 
 		// it's safe to show internal error to admin users, and it helps
 		if !setting.IsProd || (ctx.Doer != nil && ctx.Doer.IsAdmin) {
-			ctx.Data["ErrorMsg"] = logErr
+			ctx.Data["ErrorMsg"] = fmt.Sprintf("%s, %s", logMsg, logErr)
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/modules/context/repo.go b/modules/context/repo.go
index 8b4d0c1bf4..1736de2e4b 100644
--- a/modules/context/repo.go
+++ b/modules/context/repo.go
@@ -184,6 +184,9 @@ func (r *Repository) CanCreateIssueDependencies(user *user_model.User, isPull bo
 
 // GetCommitsCount returns cached commit count for current view
 func (r *Repository) GetCommitsCount() (int64, error) {
+	if r.Commit == nil {
+		return 0, nil
+	}
 	var contextName string
 	if r.IsViewBranch {
 		contextName = r.BranchName
@@ -642,8 +645,7 @@ func RepoAssignment(ctx *Context) (cancel context.CancelFunc) {
 	if err != nil {
 		if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "repository does not exist") || strings.Contains(err.Error(), "no such file or directory") {
 			log.Error("Repository %-v has a broken repository on the file system: %s Error: %v", ctx.Repo.Repository, ctx.Repo.Repository.RepoPath(), err)
-			ctx.Repo.Repository.Status = repo_model.RepositoryBroken
-			ctx.Repo.Repository.IsEmpty = true
+			ctx.Repo.Repository.MarkAsBrokenEmpty()
 			ctx.Data["BranchName"] = ctx.Repo.Repository.DefaultBranch
 			// Only allow access to base of repo or settings
 			if !isHomeOrSettings {
@@ -689,7 +691,7 @@ func RepoAssignment(ctx *Context) (cancel context.CancelFunc) {
 	ctx.Data["BranchesCount"] = len(brs)
 
 	// If not branch selected, try default one.
-	// If default branch doesn't exists, fall back to some other branch.
+	// If default branch doesn't exist, fall back to some other branch.
 	if len(ctx.Repo.BranchName) == 0 {
 		if len(ctx.Repo.Repository.DefaultBranch) > 0 && gitRepo.IsBranchExist(ctx.Repo.Repository.DefaultBranch) {
 			ctx.Repo.BranchName = ctx.Repo.Repository.DefaultBranch
@@ -878,6 +880,10 @@ func RepoRefByType(refType RepoRefType, ignoreNotExistErr ...bool) func(*Context
 	return func(ctx *Context) (cancel context.CancelFunc) {
 		// Empty repository does not have reference information.
 		if ctx.Repo.Repository.IsEmpty {
+			// assume the user is viewing the (non-existent) default branch
+			ctx.Repo.IsViewBranch = true
+			ctx.Repo.BranchName = ctx.Repo.Repository.DefaultBranch
+			ctx.Data["TreePath"] = ""
 			return
 		}
 
@@ -907,27 +913,30 @@ func RepoRefByType(refType RepoRefType, ignoreNotExistErr ...bool) func(*Context
 			refName = ctx.Repo.Repository.DefaultBranch
 			if !ctx.Repo.GitRepo.IsBranchExist(refName) {
 				brs, _, err := ctx.Repo.GitRepo.GetBranchNames(0, 0)
-				if err != nil {
-					ctx.ServerError("GetBranches", err)
-					return
+				if err == nil && len(brs) != 0 {
+					refName = brs[0]
 				} else if len(brs) == 0 {
-					err = fmt.Errorf("No branches in non-empty repository %s",
-						ctx.Repo.GitRepo.Path)
-					ctx.ServerError("GetBranches", err)
-					return
+					log.Error("No branches in non-empty repository %s", ctx.Repo.GitRepo.Path)
+					ctx.Repo.Repository.MarkAsBrokenEmpty()
+				} else {
+					log.Error("GetBranches error: %v", err)
+					ctx.Repo.Repository.MarkAsBrokenEmpty()
 				}
-				refName = brs[0]
 			}
 			ctx.Repo.RefName = refName
 			ctx.Repo.BranchName = refName
 			ctx.Repo.Commit, err = ctx.Repo.GitRepo.GetBranchCommit(refName)
-			if err != nil {
+			if err == nil {
+				ctx.Repo.CommitID = ctx.Repo.Commit.ID.String()
+			} else if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "fatal: not a git repository") || strings.Contains(err.Error(), "object does not exist") {
+				// if the repository is broken, we can continue to the handler code, to show "Settings -> Delete Repository" for end users
+				log.Error("GetBranchCommit: %v", err)
+				ctx.Repo.Repository.MarkAsBrokenEmpty()
+			} else {
 				ctx.ServerError("GetBranchCommit", err)
 				return
 			}
-			ctx.Repo.CommitID = ctx.Repo.Commit.ID.String()
 			ctx.Repo.IsViewBranch = true
-
 		} else {
 			refName = getRefName(ctx, refType)
 			ctx.Repo.RefName = refName