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Re: [PATCH v2 0/7] Introduce fetch.followRemoteHEAD config variable

From
Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date
Jun 17, 2026, 11:51 UTC
Message-ID
<xmqqcxxp1j2t.fsf@gitster.g>
In-Reply-To
<xmqqh5n213bw.fsf@gitster.g>
Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com> writes:
Show 26 quoted lines
> ... to some "unspecified" or "default" value?  What does the existing
> parser routine for remote.*.followremotehead do?
>
> Ideally,
>
>  (1) If the "fetch" operation ends up with not needing to consult
>      the value of fetch.followRemoteHEAD at all (e.g., it is a
>      one-shot fetch that updates no remote-tracking hierarchy, or it
>      has a more specific per-remote setting that this variable is
>      meant to serve as a mere fallback), any bogus or unknown value
>      will not get any warning.
>
>  (2) If fetch.followRemoteHEAD ends up being _used_, and if it has
>      an unknown value, we should at least warn "we do not understand
>      what you wrote, 'awlays', and we ignore it", or die "we do not
>      understand 'reset', perhaps it is from a future version of Git?".
>
> I do not think customization based on git_config() callback like the
> above can easily implement such an ideal semantics.
>
> And I suspect that the existing per-remote configuration that this
> variable is meant to serve as a fallback definition would not work
> in such an ideal way (i.e., even if we are doing one-shot fetch that
> does not touch any remote-tracking hierarchies, "git fetch" may warn
> if the value is not understood, and when we do need the value, the
> code would only warn and does not die), ...

Having said all that, I do not think it is a blocker for this series that it does not take us into the more ideal direction and still makes a syntax check on a value that will not be used and complains to the user. We may want an in-code NEEDSWORK comment to hint future developers that they may want to revamp both of the code paths for fetch.followRemoteHEAD and remote.*.followremotehead not to complain when the values are unneeded and die when the unrecognized value is needed to continue, though.

Other than that, this looks excellent.  Thanks.
Previous: Junio C HamanoNext: Matt Hunter
Message 27 of 38 in “followRemoteHEAD management question”
  1. Matt HunterJun 5, 2026
  2. Jeff KingJun 8, 2026
  3. Matt HunterJun 11, 2026
  4. Jeff KingJun 11, 2026
  5. Bence FerdinandyJun 11, 2026
  6. Matt HunterJun 12, 2026
  7. 0/7 Introduce fetch.followRemoteHEAD config optionMatt Hunter, Jun 12, 2026
  8. 1/7 fetch: fixup set_head advice for warn-if-not-branchMatt Hunter, Jun 12, 2026
  9. 2/7 doc: explain fetchRemoteHEADWarn adviceMatt Hunter, Jun 12, 2026
  10. 3/7 t5510: cleanup remote in followRemoteHEAD dangling ref testMatt Hunter, Jun 12, 2026
  11. 4/7 fetch: rename function report_set_headMatt Hunter, Jun 12, 2026
  12. 5/7 fetch: refactor do_fetch handling of followRemoteHEADMatt Hunter, Jun 12, 2026
  13. 6/7 fetch: add configuration option fetch.followRemoteHEADMatt Hunter, Jun 12, 2026
  14. Matt HunterJun 12, 2026
  15. Junio C HamanoJun 12, 2026
  16. Matt HunterJun 13, 2026
  17. 7/7 fetch: fixup a misaligned commentMatt Hunter, Jun 12, 2026
  18. 0/7 Introduce fetch.followRemoteHEAD config variableMatt Hunter, Jun 16, 2026
  19. 1/7 fetch: fixup set_head advice for warn-if-not-branchMatt Hunter, Jun 16, 2026
  20. 2/7 doc: explain fetchRemoteHEADWarn adviceMatt Hunter, Jun 16, 2026
  21. 3/7 t5510: cleanup remote in followRemoteHEAD dangling ref testMatt Hunter, Jun 16, 2026
  22. 4/7 fetch: rename function report_set_headMatt Hunter, Jun 16, 2026
  23. 5/7 fetch: refactor do_fetch handling of followRemoteHEADMatt Hunter, Jun 16, 2026
  24. 6/7 fetch: add configuration variable fetch.followRemoteHEADMatt Hunter, Jun 16, 2026
  25. 7/7 fetch: fixup a misaligned commentMatt Hunter, Jun 16, 2026
  26. Junio C HamanoJun 16, 2026
  27. Junio C HamanoJun 17, 2026
  28. Matt HunterJun 18, 2026
  29. Junio C HamanoJun 18, 2026
  30. 0/8 Introduce fetch.followRemoteHEAD config variableMatt Hunter, Jun 19, 2026
  31. 3/8 t5510: cleanup remote in followRemoteHEAD dangling ref testMatt Hunter, Jun 19, 2026
  32. 1/8 fetch: fixup set_head advice for warn-if-not-branchMatt Hunter, Jun 19, 2026
  33. 4/8 fetch: rename function report_set_headMatt Hunter, Jun 19, 2026
  34. 5/8 fetch: return 0 on known git_fetch_configMatt Hunter, Jun 19, 2026
  35. 2/8 doc: explain fetchRemoteHEADWarn adviceMatt Hunter, Jun 19, 2026
  36. 6/8 fetch: refactor do_fetch handling of followRemoteHEADMatt Hunter, Jun 19, 2026
  37. 7/8 fetch: add configuration variable fetch.followRemoteHEADMatt Hunter, Jun 19, 2026
  38. 8/8 fetch: fixup a misaligned commentMatt Hunter, Jun 19, 2026

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