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

From: Julia Evans <julia@jvns.ca>
Date: Sep 29, 2026, 21:00 UTC
Message-ID: <9a628695-3c82-4cbb-96ba-8bd9c1c7570f@app.fastmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <xmqqfqyrg7j7.fsf@gitster.g>

On Tue, Sep 29, 2026, at 3:51 PM, Junio C Hamano wrote:

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> "Julia Evans" <julia@jvns.ca> writes:
>
>> 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).
>
> Amusingly
>
> $ git help tutorial
>
> begins with "man git-log" and "git help log".  The first one is so
> old fashioned ;-)

I still only use `man git-log` actually :)

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> Perhaps a more modern version should be given at
> the very first part of the description section of
>
> $ git help git
>

Will submit a v2 with the wording I suggested above (since I think that's "a more modern version" of what `git help tutorial` says)

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>>> 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`.
>
> Please write it as "git help --web push".

Will do.

> The command line parser may be lenient at times, but we do not
> guarantee it.  Please stick to published "git help cli" style in
> your insturction materials.

I tried to read `git help cli`, got extremely confused, and gave up so I'm not sure what that style is but I'm always happy to be corrected if there's a different preferred style :)

I do always test Git commands to make sure they work.