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Re: [PATCH v2 1/2] mv: name both source and destination when rename fails

From
Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date
Jul 23, 2026, 17:36 UTC
Message-ID
<xmqqh5lpk3r3.fsf@gitster.g>
In-Reply-To
<0d67da588bc86c5257ce366903ae58e171159b8b.1784812390.git.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>

"Lucas Zamboni Orioli via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail.com> writes:

Show 44 quoted lines
> From: Lucas Zamboni Orioli <lucaszam0@gmail.com>
>
> When "git mv" fails at the rename(2) syscall, the error is reported
> with die_errno() using only the source path:
>
>     fatal: renaming 'src' failed: No such file or directory
>
> rename(2) returns ENOENT both when the source does not exist and when
> a directory component of the destination does not exist, and errno
> does not distinguish the two. Reporting only the source therefore
> misleads the user in the latter case: for
>
>     git mv a/file b/no-such-dir/file
>
> the message blames 'a/file', which exists, and gives no hint that
> 'b/no-such-dir/' is the missing part.
>
> Inspecting the paths again after the failure to determine which one is
> at fault would be racy, since either could appear or disappear between
> the rename(2) and the follow-up check. Instead, simply name both the
> source and the destination in the message and let the reader see which
> one is wrong:
>
>     fatal: renaming 'a/file' to 'b/no-such-dir/file' failed:
>     No such file or directory
>
> Signed-off-by: Lucas Zamboni Orioli <lucaszam0@gmail.com>
> ---
>  builtin/mv.c | 2 +-
>  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
>
> diff --git a/builtin/mv.c b/builtin/mv.c
> index a82fc97a19..35e504484a 100644
> --- a/builtin/mv.c
> +++ b/builtin/mv.c
> @@ -549,7 +549,7 @@ remove_entry:
>  		    rename(src, dst) < 0) {
>  			if (ignore_errors)
>  				continue;
> -			die_errno(_("renaming '%s' failed"), src);
> +			die_errno(_("renaming '%s' to '%s' failed"), src, dst);
>  		}
>  		if (submodule_gitfiles[i]) {
>  			if (!update_path_in_gitmodules(src, dst))
Makes sense.
Previous: Lucas Zamboni Orioli via GitGitGadgetNext: Lucas Zamboni Orioli via GitGitGadget
Message 6 of 28 in “mv: report missing destination leading directory”
  1. mv: report missing destination leading directoryLucas Zamboni Orioli via GitGitGadget, Jul 15, 2026
  2. Ben KnobleJul 15, 2026
  3. Lucas Zamboni OrioliJul 22, 2026
  4. 0/2 mv: report missing destination leading directoryLucas Zamboni Orioli via GitGitGadget, Jul 23, 2026
  5. 1/2 mv: name both source and destination when rename failsLucas Zamboni Orioli via GitGitGadget, Jul 23, 2026
  6. Junio C HamanoJul 23, 2026
  7. 2/2 mv: check for missing destination directory before renamingLucas Zamboni Orioli via GitGitGadget, Jul 23, 2026
  8. Junio C HamanoJul 23, 2026
  9. Junio C HamanoJul 23, 2026
  10. Lucas Zamboni OrioliJul 23, 2026
  11. Junio C HamanoJul 23, 2026
  12. Junio C HamanoJul 23, 2026
  13. Junio C HamanoJul 26, 2026
  14. Lucas Zamboni OrioliJul 26, 2026
  15. 0/2 mv: report missing destination leading directoryLucas Zamboni Orioli via GitGitGadget, Jul 23, 2026
  16. 1/2 mv: name both source and destination when rename failsLucas Zamboni Orioli via GitGitGadget, Jul 23, 2026
  17. 2/2 mv: check for missing destination directory before renamingLucas Zamboni Orioli via GitGitGadget, Jul 23, 2026
  18. Pablo SabaterJul 26, 2026
  19. 0/2 mv: report missing destination leading directoryLucas Zamboni Orioli via GitGitGadget, Jul 26, 2026
  20. 1/2 mv: name both source and destination when rename failsLucas Zamboni Orioli via GitGitGadget, Jul 26, 2026
  21. 2/2 mv: reject a destination whose leading path is missing or a symlinkLucas Zamboni Orioli via GitGitGadget, Jul 26, 2026
  22. Junio C HamanoJul 27, 2026
  23. Lucas Zamboni OrioliJul 30, 2026
  24. Junio C HamanoJul 26, 2026
  25. 0/2 mv: report missing destination leading directoryLucas Zamboni Orioli via GitGitGadget, Jul 30, 2026
  26. 1/2 mv: name both source and destination when rename failsLucas Zamboni Orioli via GitGitGadget, Jul 30, 2026
  27. 2/2 mv: reject a destination whose leading path is missing or a symlinkLucas Zamboni Orioli via GitGitGadget, Jul 30, 2026
  28. Junio C HamanoJul 30, 2026

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