From: Reece Dunn <msclrhd@googlemail.com>
Date: Sun, 05 Apr 2009 22:29:57 GMT
Subject: Re: Running 'git pull' from an unnamed branch
Message-ID: <3f4fd2640904051529t2421ccccrb7ca71fee5119d7@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <20090405220855.GA20356@atjola.homenet>

2009/4/5 Björn Steinbrink <B.Steinbrink@gmx.de>:
> On 2009.04.05 22:33:57 +0100, Reece Dunn wrote:
>> Running `git checkout master && git pull` fixed the above issue. The
>> patch below improves the error message for users that are in this
>> state.
>
> It doesn't "fix" anything, you're simply doing something different.
>
> "git pull" while on a detached HEAD can't work, there are no defaults
> that could be used. But e.g. "git pull origin master" would do, fetching
> "master" from "origin" and merging it to the commit you have checked
> out.

Sure.

> Your "git checkout master && git pull" does something else. It uses the
> configured pull defaults for "master" to fetch something and merge it to
> "master".

The two cases depend on if you want to stay with the detached HEAD or not.

>> Also, is "branch..remote" valid? Should this be "branch.remote"?
>
> That's a bug, but it should not be branch.remote. The config setting is
> branch.<name>.remote. As you were on a detached HEAD, there is no
> "<name>", and the code that generates the error message doesn't handle
> that correctly. I'd even say that in this case, the whole "If you often
> merge ..." part makes no sense at all, you simply can't setup pull
> defaults for a detached HEAD.

Yup. In my revised patch, I have it displaying a different message
(the one I added) instead of the default one you get at the moment.

>> +     echo "You may not be on a branch. In this case, you need to move"
>> +     echo "onto the branch you want to pull to (usually master):"
>
> Hm? Neither do you really need to move to a branch, nor is "master"
> really _that_ special that it is warranted to recommend checking it
> out... IMHO.

I said "usually master" to give a hint to the casual/newbie user. The
exact wording that is outputted in this case can be figured out. It
can also mention the case you highlighted.

- Reece