different approach

.circleci/config.yml

@@ -217,33 +217,21 @@ step-gclient-sync: &step-gclient-sync
           $GCLIENT_EXTRA_ARGS \
           "$CIRCLE_REPOSITORY_URL"
 
-        if ! gclient sync --with_branch_heads --with_tags; then
-          python src/electron/script/reset_patched_repos.py
-          if ELECTRON_USE_THREE_WAY_MERGE_FOR_PATCHES=1 gclient sync -f --with_branch_heads --with_tags; then
-            # Re-export all the new patches now that they've been nicely 3-way
-            # merged
-            python src/electron/script/export_all_patches.py src/electron/patches/config.json
-            # Make a git commit with the updated patches
-            git -C src/electron add patches
-            GIT_COMMITTER_NAME="Electron Bot" GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL="anonymous@electronjs.org" git commit -m "update patches" --author="Electron Bot <anonymous@electronjs.org>"
-            # Export it
-            mkdir -p patches
-            git -C src/electron am -1 --stdout --keep-subject --no-stat --full-index > patches/update-patches.patch
-            # Upload it to artifacts
-            echo
-            echo "======================================================================"
-            echo "Sync failed with non-3way patch application, but succeeded with 3way."
-            echo "Check the CI artifacts for a patch you can apply to fix it."
-            echo "======================================================================"
-            echo
-          else
-            echo
-            echo "======================================================================"
-            echo "Sync failed even with 3way patch application. You'll need to resolve"
-            echo "this conflict locally."
-            echo "======================================================================"
-            echo
-          fi
+        ELECTRON_USE_THREE_WAY_MERGE_FOR_PATCHES=1 gclient sync --with_branch_heads --with_tags
+        # Re-export all the patches to check if there were changes.
+        python src/electron/script/export_all_patches.py src/electron/patches/config.json
+        if ! git diff-index --quiet HEAD --; then
+          # There are changes to the patches. Make a git commit with the updated patches
+          git -C src/electron add patches
+          GIT_COMMITTER_NAME="Electron Bot" GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL="anonymous@electronjs.org" git commit -m "update patches" --author="Electron Bot <anonymous@electronjs.org>"
+          # Export it
+          mkdir -p patches
+          git -C src/electron am -1 --stdout --keep-subject --no-stat --full-index > patches/update-patches.patch
+          echo
+          echo "======================================================================"
+          echo "There were changes to the patches when applying."
+          echo "Check the CI artifacts for a patch you can apply to fix it."
+          echo "======================================================================"
           exit 1
         fi
       fi