FWIW, I'm hitting a similar error when I try to run the pbr unit tests locally:

======================================================================
FAIL: pbr.tests.test_packaging.TestVersions.test_untagged_version_minor_bump
tags: worker-1
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Traceback (most recent call last):
_StringException: Empty attachments:
  pythonlogging:''
  pythonlogging:'pbr'
  stderr

stdout: {{{
Initialized empty Git repository in /tmp/tmpoWtU0E/tmpqL5Da2/testpackage/.git/








gpg: directory `/tmp/tmpsh2RfT/.gnupg' created
gpg: new configuration file `/tmp/tmpsh2RfT/.gnupg/gpg.conf' created
gpg: WARNING: options in `/tmp/tmpsh2RfT/.gnupg/gpg.conf' are not yet active during this run
gpg: keyring `/tmp/tmpsh2RfT/.gnupg/secring.gpg' created
gpg: keyring `/tmp/tmpsh2RfT/.gnupg/pubring.gpg' created
gpg: skipping control `%no-ask-passphrase' ()
gpg: invalid item `(setpref)' in preference string
gpg: keysize invalid; using 2048 bits
..+++++
.........+++++
gpg: /tmp/tmpsh2RfT/.gnupg/trustdb.gpg: trustdb created
gpg: key D45B686C marked as ultimately trusted



*** Please tell me who you are.

Run

  git config --global user.email "<email address hidden>"
  git config --global user.name "Your Name"

to set your account's default identity.
Omit --global to set the identity only in this repository.

fatal: empty ident name (for <email address hidden>) not allowed

fatal: Failed to resolve 'HEAD' as a valid ref.



*** Please tell me who you are.

Run

  git config --global user.email "<email address hidden>"
  git config --global user.name "Your Name"

to set your account's default identity.
Omit --global to set the identity only in this repository.

fatal: empty ident name (for <email address hidden>) not allowed
}}}

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "pbr/tests/test_packaging.py", line 262, in test_untagged_version_minor_bump
    self.assertThat(version, matchers.StartsWith('1.3.0.dev1.g'))
  File "/home/vagrant/pbr/.tox/py27/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/testtools/testcase.py", line 433, in assertThat
    raise mismatch_error
MismatchError: '0.0.1' does not start with '1.3.0.dev1.g'.

Traceback (most recent call last):
_StringException: Empty attachments:
  pythonlogging:''
  pythonlogging:'pbr'
  stderr

stdout: {{{
Initialized empty Git repository in /tmp/tmpoWtU0E/tmpqL5Da2/testpackage/.git/








gpg: directory `/tmp/tmpsh2RfT/.gnupg' created
gpg: new configuration file `/tmp/tmpsh2RfT/.gnupg/gpg.conf' created
gpg: WARNING: options in `/tmp/tmpsh2RfT/.gnupg/gpg.conf' are not yet active during this run
gpg: keyring `/tmp/tmpsh2RfT/.gnupg/secring.gpg' created
gpg: keyring `/tmp/tmpsh2RfT/.gnupg/pubring.gpg' created
gpg: skipping control `%no-ask-passphrase' ()
gpg: invalid item `(setpref)' in preference string
gpg: keysize invalid; using 2048 bits
..+++++
.........+++++
gpg: /tmp/tmpsh2RfT/.gnupg/trustdb.gpg: trustdb created
gpg: key D45B686C marked as ultimately trusted



*** Please tell me who you are.

Run

  git config --global user.email "<email address hidden>"
  git config --global user.name "Your Name"

to set your account's default identity.
Omit --global to set the identity only in this repository.

fatal: empty ident name (for <email address hidden>) not allowed

fatal: Failed to resolve 'HEAD' as a valid ref.



*** Please tell me who you are.

Run

  git config --global user.email "<email address hidden>"
  git config --global user.name "Your Name"

to set your account's default identity.
Omit --global to set the identity only in this repository.

fatal: empty ident name (for <email address hidden>) not allowed
}}}

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "pbr/tests/test_packaging.py", line 262, in test_untagged_version_minor_bump
    self.assertThat(version, matchers.StartsWith('1.3.0.dev1.g'))
  File "/home/vagrant/pbr/.tox/py27/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/testtools/testcase.py", line 433, in assertThat
    raise mismatch_error
MismatchError: '0.0.1' does not start with '1.3.0.dev1.g'.
Ran 99 tests in 8.968s (-0.813s)
FAILED (id=6, failures=9, skips=8)
error: testr failed (1)