Re: [PATCH] help: inform about 'git update-git-for-windows' on Windows

From: brian m. carlson <sandals@crustytoothpaste.net>
Date: May 21, 2025, 21:57 UTC
Message-ID: <aC5MOl66YuIK1eyU@tapette.crustytoothpaste.net>
In-Reply-To: <PN3PR01MB9597AFD63B750703E90AD18BB89EA@PN3PR01MB9597.INDPRD01.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM>

On 2025-05-21 at 14:22:29, Aditya Garg wrote:

Show 11 quoted lines

> diff --git a/help.c b/help.c
> index 6ef90838f1..238ed1913c 100644
> --- a/help.c
> +++ b/help.c
> @@ -355,6 +355,9 @@ void list_common_cmds_help(void)
>  	puts(_("These are common Git commands used in various situations:"));
>  	putchar('\n');
>  	print_cmd_by_category(common_categories, NULL);
> +#ifdef _WIN32
> +	printf("\n'git update-git-for-windows' can be used to update git.\n");
> +#endif

I don't think this belongs in our codebase. It should instead be carried as a patch in Git for Windows. The reason is that there are a variety of possible projects that compile for Windows—Git for Windows, Cygwin, MINGW, etc.—and only one of them ships this binary. It is even possible for users to compile their own Windows binaries, which I know is at least done by Microsoft as well as some Git contributors on Windows.

This change might be misleading or incorrect as it might tell users to invoke a binary which is not present or to update software in a way which is not via the normal package mechanism. For instance, telling a MINGW or Cygwin user to run that command would not result in anything useful or desired happening.

-- 
brian m. carlson (they/them)
Toronto, Ontario, CA