composer-patches: Re-running Composer Update fails because of Modified Files from previous patch

After patching a module, unless you remove the directory where the patched module is located, when you re-run Composer Update you will get a message about “the package has modified files” which you have to discard or the module will fail to download and be re-patched. Below is an example:

Gathering patches for root package.
Gathering patches for dependencies. This might take a minute.
  - Updating drupal/ajax_comments dev-8.x-1.x (44b6bf2 => 44b6bf2)
    The package has modified files:
    M ajax_comments.module
    M src/Utility.php
    Discard changes [y,n,v,d,s,?]? n
    Update failed (Update aborted)
    Would you like to try reinstalling the package instead [yes]? yes
  - Removing drupal/ajax_comments (dev-8.x-1.x)
    The package has modified files:
    M ajax_comments.module
    M src/Utility.php
    Discard changes [y,n,v,d,?]? y
  - Installing drupal/ajax_comments (dev-8.x-1.x 44b6bf2)
    Cloning 44b6bf2

  - Applying patches for drupal/ajax_comments

About this issue

Original URL
State: closed
Created 8 years ago
Comments: 17 (3 by maintainers)

Most upvoted comments

I can confirm that adding

"config": { "discard-changes": true },

to the composer.json and then calling composer update -n (i.e. with the --no-interaction option), then you get rid of all your conflicts.

BTW, those conflicts happen if composer clones a package from source in case there is no distribution available. That leads to a git working copy with change tracking where you won’t get that for most of your packages if they have distros.

jurgenhaas on Jul 22, 2016

"discard-changes": true with -n works for me.

dmitryd on Jul 11, 2019