Re: with git update-ref?

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Oct 11, 2024, 21:28 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqqa5facosb.fsf@gitster.g>
In-Reply-To: <D4TA5EXQFFA0.1XVEK1RM2Q6VA@ferdinandy.com>

"Bence Ferdinandy" <bence@ferdinandy.com> writes:

Show 17 quoted lines

> On Fri Oct 11, 2024 at 22:56, Kristoffer Haugsbakk <kristofferhaugsbakk@fastmail.com> wrote:
>> `ref: refs/remotes/origin/test`? (space after colon)
>
> I tried a couple of variations and no:
>
> ❯ git update-ref --no-deref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD 'ref: refs/remotes/origin/test'
> fatal: ref: refs/remotes/origin/test: not a valid SHA1
> ❯ git update-ref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD 'ref: refs/remotes/origin/test'
> fatal: ref: refs/remotes/origin/test: not a valid SHA1
> ❯ git update-ref --no-deref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD 'ref:refs/remotes/origin/test'
> fatal: ref:refs/remotes/origin/test: not a valid SHA1
> ❯ git update-ref  refs/remotes/origin/HEAD 'ref:refs/remotes/origin/test'
> fatal: ref:refs/remotes/origin/test: not a valid SHA1
>
> I guess the intended way of doing this is via git symbolic-ref anyway, but I'm
> curious if this should work somehow or I'm misinterpreting the meaning of that
> sentence.

I do not think update-ref is a tool to modify a symbolic-ref. Moreover, the mention of "ref:" is meant to be for those who are overly curious for their own good and go peek into their .git/ directory; script writers should not have to know such an implementation detail.

: ask what the current state is. $ git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD fatal: ref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD is not a symbolic ref

: set it $ git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD refs/remotes/origin/main

: inspect the result $ git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD refs/remotes/origin/master

Thanks.