Re: [PATCH v3 0/4] breaking changes: switch default initial branch name to "main"

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Sep 10, 2025, 20:41 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqq4itarqfd.fsf@gitster.g>
In-Reply-To: <cover.1757518141.git.phillip.wood@dunelm.org.uk>

Phillip Wood <phillip.wood123@gmail.com> writes:

> Changes since V2:
> Patch 1: reworded documentation
> Patch 3: fixed typo in commit message
> Patch 4: added helper function to initialise repository

Everything I saw in the patch looked good.

Show 5 quoted lines

> I'm still on the fence about the suggestion to add some advice on how
> to rename the branch after it is created in order to help users who
> are following tutorials using "master" rather than "main". One the
> one hand I can see that would be helpful, on the other it is pretty
> annoying to everyone else.

Hmph. I do not see why we want to be quiet and do not want to give "Now we created 'main', which may not match an existing tutorial you are trying to follow. Here is a way to use a different name to let you continue with the tutorial." after annoying everybody with "Sorry but we created 'master', which may not match your taste. Here is how you arrange it to be different" for more than a few releases already.

IOW, I do not see annoyance is a valid argument against or for a corresponding message to help the users across behaviour change boundary.

> If it turns out that we want to add it we can always do so at a
> later date.

Thanks.  Let's do that too.