Re: [PATCH] [doc] Use `man git` to teach users how to navigate the docs

From: Julia Evans <julia@jvns.ca>
Date: Sep 29, 2026, 11:29 UTC
Message-ID: <064ec9c5-d539-4d21-96a7-6ad0ead5a061@app.fastmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <xmqqo6dgkead.fsf@gitster.g>

> The survey result that says the users are more familiar with "git
> cmd --help" merely tells us that they are not taking full advantage
> of what they are offered ;-).

>> I think “git help cmd” is quite a bit more
>> useful than “git cmd --help” because the former supports
>> aliases, HTML formats, and various other documents.

Viewing the HTML docs with `git help` does seem very useful, especially for folks who aren't as comfortable in the terminal. I had no idea you could do that.

Perhaps we could mention `git help` like this:

> `git push --help` or `git help push` for the full documentation

and then advertise the superior features of `git help` like this (in the last sentence of the DESCRIPTION).

> You can view an HTML version of the Git documentation at
> https://git-scm.com/docs, or on your computer with `git help`,
> for example `git help push --web`.