# git log over restricts output when using --follow?

2 messages from 2010-09-08 to 2010-09-09. Participants: Gregg Leichtman, Jeff King.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/25028

## Gregg Leichtman, 2010-09-08 00:15

Subject: git log over restricts output when using --follow?
Message-ID: <4C86D5AE.6030302@verizon.net>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/4C86D5AE.6030302%40verizon.net

```


Before I post this as a possible defect, I wanted to check here.

On the following server:

|gsl@aragorn:~/gitTest> uname -a
Linux aragorn 2.6.31.12-0.2-default #1 SMP 2010-03-16 21:25:39 +0100 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

gsl@aragorn:~/gitTest> cat /etc/SuSE-release

openSUSE 11.2 (i586)
VERSION = 11.2
|

I use the following git:

|gsl@aragorn:~/gitTest> git --version
git version 1.7.2.3

|

I get (with a bash alias of |gitnp='git --no-pager'|):

(1)

|gsl@aragorn:~/gitTest> gitnp log --pretty=oneline junk.txt
500e8791578c5baf7a139d4997841769a995ac6b mod of junk and junk3
594ceed7a0fb35a860a6e2cb913d5398f09a861f 1st mod junk.txt
df271b2ebd5801bd8d827b0630577cad51c40896 initial junk.txt
|

(2)

|gsl@aragorn:~/gitTest> gitnp log --follow --pretty=oneline junk.txt
500e8791578c5baf7a139d4997841769a995ac6b mod of junk and junk3
594ceed7a0fb35a860a6e2cb913d5398f09a861f 1st mod junk.txt
df271b2ebd5801bd8d827b0630577cad51c40896 initial junk.txt
|

(3)

|gsl@aragorn:~/gitTest> gitnp log -2 --follow --pretty=oneline junk.txt
500e8791578c5baf7a139d4997841769a995ac6b mod of junk and junk3
|

(4)

|gsl@aragorn:~/gitTest> gitnp log -2 --pretty=oneline junk.txt
500e8791578c5baf7a139d4997841769a995ac6b mod of junk and junk3
594ceed7a0fb35a860a6e2cb913d5398f09a861f 1st mod junk.txt
|

Why don't I see 2 output lines for item (3) above?

-=> Gregg <=-

```

## Jeff King, 2010-09-09 19:51

Subject: Re: git log over restricts output when using --follow?
Message-ID: <20100909195159.GC1146@sigill.intra.peff.net>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/20100909195159.GC1146%40sigill.intra.peff.net
In-Reply-To: <4C86D5AE.6030302@verizon.net>

```
On Tue, Sep 07, 2010 at 08:15:42PM -0400, Gregg Leichtman wrote:

> (3)
> 
> |gsl@aragorn:~/gitTest> gitnp log -2 --follow --pretty=oneline junk.txt
> 500e8791578c5baf7a139d4997841769a995ac6b mod of junk and junk3
> |
> 
> (4)
> 
> |gsl@aragorn:~/gitTest> gitnp log -2 --pretty=oneline junk.txt
> 500e8791578c5baf7a139d4997841769a995ac6b mod of junk and junk3
> 594ceed7a0fb35a860a6e2cb913d5398f09a861f 1st mod junk.txt
> |
> 
> Why don't I see 2 output lines for item (3) above?

Without looking closer into the problem, I would guess that it is
because of the hack-ish way that --follow is implemented. That is,
most history pruning and simplification happens outside of the actual
--follow traversal. So yes, it looks like a defect, but fixing it may
involve rewriting --follow entirely.

But don't let that discourage you from looking further. :)

-Peff

```