From: Junio C Hamano Date: Sun, 10 May 2026 23:53:52 GMT Subject: Re: [PATCH v3] doc: clarify --follow and log.follow for git log Message-ID: In-Reply-To: <20260510-document-log-no-follow-v3-1-d6d3368c64bb@gmail.com> Tamir Duberstein writes: > `log.follow`:: > If `true`, `git log` will act as if the `--follow` option was used when > + a single pathspec is given. This has the same limitations as > + `--follow`, i.e. it cannot be used with multiple pathspecs and does not > + work well on non-linear history. When the pathspec names a directory, > + Git does not follow directory renames, but it still uses the same > + traversal mode as for file rename following; see `--follow` in > + linkgit:git-log[1]. This can be overridden by `--no-follow`. Saying that the feature does "not work well" on non-lenear history is like the behaviour of the feature is "undefined" on such a history. Quite honestly, when you do not give a single filename, the behaviour is "undefined", either, so I do not think we want to say what happens when the pathspec you give matches a directory. The feature only takes a single filename on a linear history. Anything else the feature does is "undefined" random behavour.