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[PATCH 0/4] doc: git-pull: clarify DESCRIPTION section

From
Julia Evans via GitGitGadget <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
Date
Sep 23, 2025, 19:44 UTC
Message-ID
<pull.1976.git.1758656702.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>

I got feedback from 15 Git users on the current git pull man page, using this tool: https://text-feedback.wizardzines.com/git-pull.

My goals here are to be clear about the relationship between git pull and fetch/merge/rebase etc, make sure users know the current default for git pull (--ff-only) since some folks still remember the old default, and to help users quickly figure out what command they need to run to merge/rebase/squash/etc.

I've taken a pretty aggressive approach because I think it's possible to have a pretty short and focused DESCRIPTION section here while keeping the most important info. Open to hearing that I've removed too much.

This references the UPSTREAM BRANCHES section from https://lore.kernel.org/git/0ec629d4037bf5d1ccc248ca1bbd87ccc08119a3.1757703309.git.gitgitgadget@gmail.com/ , so if that isn't merged I'll need to revisit the approach here.

Julia Evans (4):
  doc: git-pull: move <repository> and <refspec> params
  doc: git-pull: clarify options for integrating remote branch
  doc: git-pull: delete the example
  doc: git-pull: clarify how to exit a conflicted merge
 Documentation/git-pull.adoc | 86 ++++++++++++++-----------------------
 1 file changed, 32 insertions(+), 54 deletions(-)
base-commit: ca2559c1d630eb4f04cdee2328aaf1c768907a9e
Published-As: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/releases/tag/pr-1976%2Fjvns%2Fclarify-pull-v1
Fetch-It-Via: git fetch https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git pr-1976/jvns/clarify-pull-v1
Pull-Request: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/pull/1976
-- 
gitgitgadget
Next: Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
Message 1 of 32 in “doc: git-pull: clarify DESCRIPTION section”
  1. 0/4 doc: git-pull: clarify DESCRIPTION sectionJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Sep 23, 2025
  2. 1/4 doc: git-pull: move <repository> and <refspec> paramsJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Sep 23, 2025
  3. D. Ben KnobleSep 24, 2025
  4. Julia EvansOct 7, 2025
  5. 2/4 doc: git-pull: clarify options for integrating remote branchJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Sep 23, 2025
  6. D. Ben KnobleSep 24, 2025
  7. Julia EvansSep 24, 2025
  8. Chris TorekSep 24, 2025
  9. Julia EvansOct 6, 2025
  10. 3/4 doc: git-pull: delete the exampleJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Sep 23, 2025
  11. 4/4 doc: git-pull: clarify how to exit a conflicted mergeJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Sep 23, 2025
  12. Julia EvansSep 24, 2025
  13. D. Ben KnobleSep 24, 2025
  14. Julia EvansOct 7, 2025
  15. Ben KnobleOct 10, 2025
  16. D. Ben KnobleSep 24, 2025
  17. 0/4 doc: git-pull: clarify DESCRIPTION sectionJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Oct 8, 2025
  18. 1/4 doc: git-pull: move <repository> and <refspec> paramsJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Oct 8, 2025
  19. 2/4 doc: git-pull: clarify options for integrating remote branchJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Oct 8, 2025
  20. Junio C HamanoOct 8, 2025
  21. Julia EvansOct 9, 2025
  22. Kristoffer HaugsbakkOct 9, 2025
  23. Junio C HamanoOct 9, 2025
  24. 3/4 doc: git-pull: delete the exampleJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Oct 8, 2025
  25. 4/4 doc: git-pull: clarify how to exit a conflicted mergeJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Oct 8, 2025
  26. 0/4 doc: git-pull: clarify DESCRIPTION sectionJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Oct 15, 2025
  27. 1/4 doc: git-pull: move <repository> and <refspec> paramsJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Oct 15, 2025
  28. 2/4 doc: git-pull: clarify options for integrating remote branchJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Oct 15, 2025
  29. 3/4 doc: git-pull: delete the exampleJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Oct 15, 2025
  30. 4/4 doc: git-pull: clarify how to exit a conflicted mergeJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Oct 15, 2025
  31. Ben KnobleOct 15, 2025
  32. Junio C HamanoOct 15, 2025

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