Re: Git dumb HTTP protocol should use WebDAV PROPFIND method

From: Milan Hauth <milahu@gmail.com>
Date: Sep 8, 2025, 19:09 UTC
Message-ID: <CAGiEHCuaqu0ia7H8FKAPLcL3Gi_b0gKYe6ugjYAbyVkbd266_w@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <xmqqikhswzl7.fsf@gitster.g>

> assume that WebDAV exists on the server side

no

plan A: q: GET $url/info/refs r: HTTP 404

plan B: q: GET $url/.git/info/refs r: HTTP 404

plan C: q: OPTIONS r: Allow: GET,HEAD,PROPFIND,OPTIONS q: PROPFIND $url r: ...

plan D: q: PROPFIND $url/.git/ r: ...

(q = query, r = response)

so instead of throwing

> fatal: repository '$url' not found

git should try plan A, B, C, D, ... to fetch data from the repo

currently, git gives up after plan A

> the WHOLE point of supporting "dumb HTTP" transport
> is to allow a truly dumb HTTP serving infrastructure

there are at least 2 variants of "dumb HTTP servers": HTTP servers without WebDAV HTTP servers with WebDAV

> assume that WebDAV exists on the server side

for HTTP servers without WebDAV see my other thread

Git dumb HTTP protocol should work without update-server-info https://lore.kernel.org/git/CAGiEHCtP29bQRsEyLabNrLuiP96P-o7EEGi88B7pJbP0tfprxw@mail.gmail.com/