rtk-ai/rtk

rtk git show differ from git show on binary files

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#1071 opened on Apr 7, 2026

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bugeffort-smallfilter-qualitygood first issue

Description

Hello,

tested with rtk versions 0.30.0 and 0.35.0

git show <commit>:<file> returns the file content for the given commit.

When <file> is a binary file, I get a different output with:

  • rtk git show <commit>:<binary_file> | md5sum

and

  • git show <commit>:<binary_file> | md5sum

I have the same output when the file is a plain text file.

Contributor guide

Tech stack
rust
Domain
cli
Issue type
bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Rust fundamentalsGit internalsBinary file handling in CLI tools
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
65
Research direction
Investigate the implementation of `rtk git show` in the codebase, likely in `src/git show.rs` or similar. Compare the output of `rtk git show` and `git show` for binary files to identify where the difference arises. Check if rtk is modifying the output inappropriately for binary content, possibly due to text parsing or encoding assumptions.