[JENKINS-62922] support directory symlinks

as part of a migration I relocated a lot of files from directory old to directory new 

in order to retain backwards compatability I added a symlink from directory old to new

all is fine at the git level and github shows the symlink in its UI.

However when using `readTrusted` step from a pipeline that is still going via the symlink (old/foo) then the step errors with a file not found.

the code should traverse symlinks within the repository.

```
java.io.FileNotFoundException: old/foo.yaml
at org.jenkinsci.plugins.github_branch_source.GitHubSCMFile.content(GitHubSCMFile.java:187)
at jenkins.scm.api.SCMFile.contentAsString(SCMFile.java:335)
at org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.multibranch.ReadTrustedStep$Execution.run(ReadTrustedStep.java:185)
at org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.multibranch.ReadTrustedStep$Execution.run(ReadTrustedStep.java:82)
at org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.steps.AbstractSynchronousNonBlockingStepExecution$1$1.call(AbstractSynchronousNonBlockingStepExecution.java:47)
at hudson.security.ACL.impersonate(ACL.java:367)
at org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.steps.AbstractSynchronousNonBlockingStepExecution$1.run(AbstractSynchronousNonBlockingStepExecution.java:44)
at java.util.concurrent.Executors$RunnableAdapter.call(Executors.java:511)
at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:266)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1149)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:624)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:748)

```

---
Originally reported by teilo, imported from: support directory symlinks

• status: Open
  
• priority: Minor
  
• component(s): github-branch-source-plugin
  
• resolution: Unresolved
  
• votes: 0
  
• watchers: 2
  
• imported: 2025-12-02
  

Raw content of original issue

as part of a migration I relocated a lot of files from directory old to directory new 


in order to retain backwards compatability I added a symlink from directory old to new


all is fine at the git level and github shows the symlink in its UI.


However when using `readTrusted` step from a pipeline that is still going via the symlink (old/foo) then the step errors with a file not found.


the code should traverse symlinks within the repository.




java.io.FileNotFoundException: old/foo.yaml

	at org.jenkinsci.plugins.github_branch_source.GitHubSCMFile.content(GitHubSCMFile.java:187)

	at jenkins.scm.api.SCMFile.contentAsString(SCMFile.java:335)

	at org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.multibranch.ReadTrustedStep$Execution.run(ReadTrustedStep.java:185)

	at org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.multibranch.ReadTrustedStep$Execution.run(ReadTrustedStep.java:82)

	at org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.steps.AbstractSynchronousNonBlockingStepExecution$1$1.call(AbstractSynchronousNonBlockingStepExecution.java:47)

	at hudson.security.ACL.impersonate(ACL.java:367)

	at org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.steps.AbstractSynchronousNonBlockingStepExecution$1.run(AbstractSynchronousNonBlockingStepExecution.java:44)

	at java.util.concurrent.Executors$RunnableAdapter.call(Executors.java:511)

	at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:266)

	at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1149)

	at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:624)

	at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:748)