Re: [kernel.org users] [RFD] On deprecating "git-foo" for builtins

From: Dominik Brodowski <linux@dominikbrodowski.net>
Date: Aug 26, 2008, 18:09 UTC
Message-ID: <20080826180926.GA25711@isilmar.linta.de>
In-Reply-To: <alpine.LFD.1.10.0808260959000.3363@nehalem.linux-foundation.org>

Linus,

On Tue, Aug 26, 2008 at 10:03:25AM -0700, Linus Torvalds wrote:

Show 7 quoted lines

> > Nice emotive response, especially the subtle but unsubstantiated 'silent
> > majority in favour' bit -- but you forgot the part where you were
> > supposed to actually point out a tangible benefit which is achieved by
> > breaking compatibility like this.
> 
> Umm. The 'git-xyzzy' thing has been one of the #1 complaints since pretty 
> much day#1.

But _why_ do they complain? Just whining or real reasons?

> Also, like it or not, it's done. So the argument about "compatibility" is 
> TOTAL AND UTTER BULLSHIT. There is no compatibility, because we already 
> released a major version without them.

Then release a 1.6.0.1. But the major problem is something else: it's that doing PATH="$PATH:$(git --exec-path) is also deprecated, i.e. that workaround is to go away in one of the next releases too.

>  - new people don't even learn the mistakes

But new people read "git-diff-tree" in the man pages, and then wonder why "git-diff-tree" does not work. People read howtos in the Documentation/ directory and wonder why executing "git-diff-tree" does not work. Besides, why it is a "mistake" to use git-xyzyy? Also, note that 1.5.4.x man pages uses git-xyzzy form in many many places, not hinting at all of git-xyzyy being deprecated.

> and there really is zero downside apart from the _trivial_ downside of you 
> just having to add a single PATH thing to your .bashrc or something.

downsides:

- man pages. man git-add for the command "git add" is a bit...
  disappointing.

- lots of documentation using "git-xyzyy"

- the PATH workaround being deprecated

Best,
	Dominik