Re: remote.<name>.merge missing from the git-config man page?

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Mar 8, 2021, 21:20 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqq8s6x5olt.fsf@gitster.c.googlers.com>
In-Reply-To: <YEaM7ruZCvaQQbPI@nand.local>

Taylor Blau <me@ttaylorr.com> writes:

Show 10 quoted lines

> On Mon, Mar 08, 2021 at 09:41:14PM +0100, Andreas Schwab wrote:
>> >> >  `git push origin`::
>> >> >  	Without additional configuration, pushes the current branch to
>> >> > -	the configured upstream (`remote.origin.merge` configuration
>> >> > +	the configured upstream (`branch.<name>.merge` configuration
>> >> >  	variable) if it has the same name as the current branch, and
>> >> >  	errors out without pushing otherwise.
>
> ... IOW, "if both your and the remote copy call the
> branch you have checked out the same thing."

Introducing a new term "remote copy" makes it even more confusing at least to me. And you are *not* checking out whatever branch any remote repository has. Your 'master' and my 'master' are different entities.

I actually wonder what configuration the paragraph considers fundamental and mandatory (as opposed to "additional" ones).

At the most basic "I just ran 'git clone' from somewhere" level, remote.origin.url would be set and, branch.master.remote and branch.master.merge are present.

I wonder if we should update the heading and extend the description a bit further, e.g.

	`git push`::
		Without additional configuration, uses the
		`branch.<name>.remote` configuration variable for
		the branch that is currently checked-out to figure
		out which remote to push to, and pushes the current
		branch to update their branch with the same name.
		If `branch.<name>.merge` is set to a name different
		from `<name>`, however, errors out without pushing.

so that it makes it clear that .remote and .merge come in pair.