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[PATCH 3/4] doc: git-push: clarify "what to push"

From
Julia Evans via GitGitGadget <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
Date
Aug 26, 2025, 20:40 UTC
Message-ID
<ac554cbe75444880bbb2791c4d85dcf083d833d7.1756240823.git.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To
<pull.1964.git.1756240823.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
From: Julia Evans <julia@jvns.ca>
- Be more explicit about what we're describing ("which branches" instead
  of "what to push")
- Split out the ways to specify which branches into a numbered list,
  since there are 5 different ways to specify it and it's a lot to parse
  in paragraph form
- The explanation of "push.default=simple" is confusing to some users,
  use an explanation more similar to the one in `man git-config`
- Mention the most common case where push.default=simple is likely to
  fail, and how to handle it
Signed-off-by: Julia Evans <julia@jvns.ca>
---
 Documentation/git-push.adoc | 23 +++++++++++++----------
 1 file changed, 13 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-)
diff --git a/Documentation/git-push.adoc b/Documentation/git-push.adoc
index 5c934486c33d..0232195515c9 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-push.adoc
+++ b/Documentation/git-push.adoc
@@ -27,18 +27,21 @@ argument (for example `git push dev`), then if that's not specified the
 `branch.*.remote` configuration for the current branch, and then defaults
 to `origin`.
 
-When the command line does not specify what to push with `<refspec>...`
-arguments or `--all`, `--mirror`, `--tags` options, the command finds
-the default `<refspec>` by consulting `remote.*.push` configuration,
-and if it is not found, honors `push.default` configuration to decide
-what to push (See linkgit:git-config[1] for the meaning of `push.default`).
+To decide which branches, tags, or other refs to push, Git uses
+(in order of precedence):
+
+1. The <refspec> argument(s) (for example `main` in `git push origin main`)
+   or the `--all`, `--mirror`, or `--tags` options
+2. The `remote.*.push` configuration for the current branch
+3. The `push.default` configuration (See linkgit:git-config[1] for
+   the meaning of `push.default`).
 
 When neither the command-line nor the configuration specifies what to
-push, the default behavior is used, which corresponds to the `simple`
-value for `push.default`: the current branch is pushed to the
-corresponding upstream branch, but as a safety measure, the push is
-aborted if the upstream branch does not have the same name as the
-local one.
+push, the current branch is pushed to the branch with the same name
+on the remote. The current branch must have a configured upstream with
+the same name, so this will fail when pushing a new branch.
+You can run `git push -u <repository> <current-branch>`
+to configure the upstream.
 
 You can make interesting things happen to a repository
 every time you push into it, by setting up 'hooks' there.  See
-- 
gitgitgadget
Previous: Junio C HamanoNext: Junio C Hamano
Message 10 of 87 in “doc: git-push: clarify DESCRIPTION section & refspec definition”
  1. 0/4 doc: git-push: clarify DESCRIPTION section & refspec definitionJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Aug 26, 2025
  2. 1/4 doc: git-push: update introJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Aug 26, 2025
  3. D. Ben KnobleAug 28, 2025
  4. Junio C HamanoAug 28, 2025
  5. Kristoffer HaugsbakkAug 29, 2025
  6. Julia EvansAug 28, 2025
  7. D. Ben KnobleAug 28, 2025
  8. 2/4 doc: git-push: clarify "where to push"Julia Evans via GitGitGadget, Aug 26, 2025
  9. Junio C HamanoAug 27, 2025
  10. 3/4 doc: git-push: clarify "what to push"Julia Evans via GitGitGadget, Aug 26, 2025
  11. Junio C HamanoAug 26, 2025
  12. Julia EvansAug 27, 2025
  13. D. Ben KnobleAug 28, 2025
  14. 4/4 doc: git-push: rewrite refspec specificationJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Aug 26, 2025
  15. Junio C HamanoAug 26, 2025
  16. Julia EvansAug 27, 2025
  17. D. Ben KnobleAug 28, 2025
  18. 0/4 doc: git-push: clarify DESCRIPTION section & refspec definitionJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Sep 12, 2025
  19. 1/4 doc: git-push: clarify introJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Sep 12, 2025
  20. Junio C HamanoSep 12, 2025
  21. Julia EvansSep 15, 2025
  22. Junio C HamanoSep 16, 2025
  23. Julia EvansSep 16, 2025
  24. Ben KnobleSep 16, 2025
  25. Junio C HamanoSep 16, 2025
  26. Junio C HamanoSep 17, 2025
  27. Julia EvansSep 18, 2025
  28. 2/4 doc: add an UPSTREAM BRANCHES section to pull/push/fetchJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Sep 12, 2025
  29. Junio C HamanoSep 12, 2025
  30. Julia EvansSep 15, 2025
  31. Junio C HamanoSep 15, 2025
  32. Julia EvansSep 15, 2025
  33. Junio C HamanoSep 16, 2025
  34. Junio C HamanoSep 16, 2025
  35. Junio C HamanoSep 16, 2025
  36. Julia EvansSep 18, 2025
  37. 3/4 doc: git-push: clarify "where to push"Julia Evans via GitGitGadget, Sep 12, 2025
  38. Junio C HamanoSep 12, 2025
  39. Junio C HamanoSep 12, 2025
  40. Julia EvansSep 15, 2025
  41. 4/4 doc: git-push: clarify "what to push"Julia Evans via GitGitGadget, Sep 12, 2025
  42. 0/4 doc: git-push: clarify DESCRIPTION sectionJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Sep 23, 2025
  43. 1/4 doc: git-push: clarify introJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Sep 23, 2025
  44. 2/4 doc: add an UPSTREAM BRANCHES section to pull/push/fetchJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Sep 23, 2025
  45. Junio C HamanoSep 24, 2025
  46. Julia EvansSep 30, 2025
  47. 3/4 doc: git-push: clarify "where to push"Julia Evans via GitGitGadget, Sep 23, 2025
  48. 4/4 doc: git-push: clarify "what to push"Julia Evans via GitGitGadget, Sep 23, 2025
  49. Junio C HamanoSep 24, 2025
  50. Julia EvansSep 25, 2025
  51. Junio C HamanoSep 25, 2025
  52. Julia EvansSep 25, 2025
  53. Junio C HamanoSep 26, 2025
  54. Junio C HamanoSep 26, 2025
  55. Julia EvansSep 26, 2025
  56. Junio C HamanoSep 26, 2025
  57. Julia EvansSep 26, 2025
  58. Junio C HamanoSep 26, 2025
  59. D. Ben KnobleSep 28, 2025
  60. D. Ben KnobleSep 23, 2025
  61. 0/5 doc: git-push: clarify DESCRIPTION sectionJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Sep 30, 2025
  62. 1/5 doc: git-push: clarify introJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Sep 30, 2025
  63. 2/5 doc: add an UPSTREAM BRANCHES section to pull/push/fetchJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Sep 30, 2025
  64. Junio C HamanoSep 30, 2025
  65. Julia EvansOct 3, 2025
  66. Junio C HamanoOct 3, 2025
  67. Jean-Noël AVILAOct 1, 2025
  68. Julia EvansOct 3, 2025
  69. 3/5 doc: git-push: clarify "where to push"Julia Evans via GitGitGadget, Sep 30, 2025
  70. 4/5 doc: git-push: clarify "what to push"Julia Evans via GitGitGadget, Sep 30, 2025
  71. Junio C HamanoSep 30, 2025
  72. Jean-Noël AVILAOct 1, 2025
  73. 5/5 doc: git-push: Add explanation of `git push origin main`Julia Evans via GitGitGadget, Sep 30, 2025
  74. D. Ben KnobleOct 1, 2025
  75. Julia EvansOct 3, 2025
  76. D. Ben KnobleOct 1, 2025
  77. 0/5 doc: git-push: clarify DESCRIPTION sectionJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Oct 6, 2025
  78. 1/5 doc: git-push: clarify introJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Oct 6, 2025
  79. 2/5 doc: add an UPSTREAM BRANCHES section to pull/push/fetchJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Oct 6, 2025
  80. Kristoffer HaugsbakkOct 7, 2025
  81. Julia EvansOct 7, 2025
  82. D. Ben KnobleOct 7, 2025
  83. 3/5 doc: git-push: clarify "where to push"Julia Evans via GitGitGadget, Oct 6, 2025
  84. 4/5 doc: git-push: clarify "what to push"Julia Evans via GitGitGadget, Oct 6, 2025
  85. 5/5 doc: git-push: Add explanation of `git push origin main`Julia Evans via GitGitGadget, Oct 6, 2025
  86. D. Ben KnobleOct 6, 2025
  87. Junio C HamanoOct 6, 2025

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