Jenkins pipeline with git-lfs

Stage number one of a typical Jenkins pipeline: checking out source. How do I do that when my version control system is git.1. install git plugin

1. Jenkins -> Job -> Pipeline Syntax -> Snippet Generator
2. copy & paste it into your pipeline script

   checkout([
    $class: 'GitSCM', 
    branches: [[name: '*/develop']], 
    extensions: [
        [$class: 'GitLFSPull'] // This ensures LFS binaries are pulled
    ], 
    userRemoteConfigs: [[url: 'https://github.com/bigstack-oss/cubecos.git']]
   ])
   

   In a simple use case things work perfectly. It’s also true when I change url to ssh + credential. On top of these, adding submodules also works. All is good until LFS shows up. After enough trial and error I have got a combo that works on some nodes; however not all.

   checkout([
    $class: 'GitSCM',
    branches: [
        [name: "${GIT_BRANCH_NAME}"]
    ],
    browser: github('https://github.com/bigstack-oss/'),
    extensions: [
        [$class: 'GitLFSPull'],
        [
            $class: 'RelativeTargetDirectory', 
            relativeTargetDir: "${PROJ_NAME}"
        ],
        [
            $class: 'SubmoduleOption',
            disableSubmodules: false,
            parentCredentials: true,
            recursiveSubmodules: true,
            reference: '',
            trackingSubmodules: false
        ]
    ],
    submoduleCfg: [],
    userRemoteConfigs: [
        [
            credentialsId: 'repo-privkey',
            url: 'git@github.com:bigstack-oss/cubecos.git'
        ]
    ]
   ])
   

   The whole debug journey is even now a big mess that I can barely keep all details straight. Nonetheless, I have come to a point and realize that relying on the Jenkins git plugin alone is not robust enough to handle git-lfs. Additional bash scripts are involved to get the job done. Below is a working version for me that functions on all nodes (of different OSes)

            dir("${SRCPTH}") {
                checkout scmGit(
                    branches: [[name: "${GIT_BRANCH_NAME}"]],
                    userRemoteConfigs: [[
                        url: 'https://github.com/bigstack-oss/cubecos.git'
                    ]]
                )
                sh '''
    # 1. Standard LFS init
    git config --unset core.hooksPath || true
    git lfs install --local
   
    # 2. Update submodules first
    git config submodule.hex.url https://github.com/bigstack-oss/hex.git
    git submodule update --init --recursive
   
    # 3. Pull LFS objects for the root repo AND all submodules
    # This command pulls LFS objects for everything defined in the index
    git lfs fetch --all
    git lfs checkout
   
    # 4. Specifically ensure submodules have their LFS objects checked out
    git submodule foreach 'git lfs install --local && git lfs pull'
   '''
            }