How to get Git to convert CRLF files to LF, on Linux?

Question

I'm trying to do something very simple: check out a repo that has CRLF endings (and no .gitattributes) file, and end up with native (LF) line endings. I don't even want to commit back.

I've read Github's suggestion, and Tim Clem's article, but mostly they seem aimed at Windows developers.

I've tried this:

$ git config --global core.autocrlf=input
$ git clone https://github.com/DennisSchiefer/Project-OSRM-Web.git

But no - the file I care about, OSRM.Config.js, still has CRLF endings.

Trying core.autocrlf=true didn't help.

Even adding and committing a .gitattributes file (then git rm --cached -r . && git reset --hard) doesn't help.

I can't find any combination that will actually leave LF line endings on this file.

Answer 1

core.autocrlf will force git to process all text files.

If OSRM.Config.js is not processed, that means Git deems it binary.
See:

• "How to determine if Git handles a file as binary or as text?"
• "Why does Git treat this text file as a binary file?"

Even with a .gitattributes with *.js text, that would still keep crlf.

But with *.js eol=lf, that would actually force the conversion.

See "Can git's .gitattributes treat all files as binary except a few exceptions?".