# [PATCH] web--browse: Use powershell on Windows

2 messages from 2014-02-16 to 2014-02-16. Participants: Steven Penny, Eric Sunshine.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/35890

## Steven Penny, 2014-02-16 07:22

Subject: [PATCH] web--browse: Use powershell on Windows
Message-ID: <1392535347-3008-1-git-send-email-svnpenn@gmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/1392535347-3008-1-git-send-email-svnpenn%40gmail.com

```
On Windows you can have either MinGW or Cygwin. As has been shown in this script
MinGW uses "start" while Cygwin uses "cygstart". The "cygstart" command is
robust but the "start" command breaks on certain URLs

    $ git web--browse 'http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_&_Peele'
    '_Peele' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
    operable program or batch file.

An alternative is to use PowerShell. PowerShell is a component of Windows and
will work with both MinGW and Cygwin.

Signed-off-by: Steven Penny <svnpenn@gmail.com>
---
 Documentation/git-web--browse.txt |  3 +--
 git-web--browse.sh                | 19 ++++++++-----------
 2 files changed, 9 insertions(+), 13 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/git-web--browse.txt b/Documentation/git-web--browse.txt
index 2de575f..02cccf9 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-web--browse.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-web--browse.txt
@@ -33,8 +33,7 @@ The following browsers (or commands) are currently supported:
 * lynx
 * dillo
 * open (this is the default under Mac OS X GUI)
-* start (this is the default under MinGW)
-* cygstart (this is the default under Cygwin)
+* powershell (this is the default under Windows)
 * xdg-open
 
 Custom commands may also be specified.
diff --git a/git-web--browse.sh b/git-web--browse.sh
index ebdfba6..72fbe32 100755
--- a/git-web--browse.sh
+++ b/git-web--browse.sh
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ valid_tool() {
 	firefox | iceweasel | seamonkey | iceape | \
 	chrome | google-chrome | chromium | chromium-browser | \
 	konqueror | opera | w3m | elinks | links | lynx | dillo | open | \
-	start | cygstart | xdg-open)
+	powershell | xdg-open)
 		;; # happy
 	*)
 		valid_custom_tool "$1" || return 1
@@ -124,13 +124,10 @@ if test -z "$browser" ; then
 	then
 		browser_candidates="open $browser_candidates"
 	fi
-	# /bin/start indicates MinGW
-	if test -x /bin/start; then
-		browser_candidates="start $browser_candidates"
-	fi
-	# /usr/bin/cygstart indicates Cygwin
-	if test -x /usr/bin/cygstart; then
-		browser_candidates="cygstart $browser_candidates"
+	# OS indicates Windows
+	if test -n "$OS"
+	then
+		browser_candidates="powershell $browser_candidates"
 	fi
 
 	for i in $browser_candidates; do
@@ -179,11 +176,11 @@ konqueror)
 		;;
 	esac
 	;;
-w3m|elinks|links|lynx|open|cygstart|xdg-open)
+w3m|elinks|links|lynx|open|xdg-open)
 	"$browser_path" "$@"
 	;;
-start)
-	exec "$browser_path" '"web-browse"' "$@"
+powershell)
+	"$browser_path" saps "'$@'"
 	;;
 opera|dillo)
 	"$browser_path" "$@" &
-- 
1.8.5.3

```

## Eric Sunshine, 2014-02-16 16:07

Subject: Re: [PATCH] web--browse: Use powershell on Windows
Message-ID: <CAPig+cSJZE9dedQY2YToJ62kFBtjZhpU9b8qjtMDJqGcZvkBSQ@mail.gmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/CAPig%2BcSJZE9dedQY2YToJ62kFBtjZhpU9b8qjtMDJqGcZvkBSQ%40mail.gmail.com
In-Reply-To: <1392535347-3008-1-git-send-email-svnpenn@gmail.com>

```
On Sun, Feb 16, 2014 at 2:22 AM, Steven Penny <svnpenn@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Windows you can have either MinGW or Cygwin. As has been shown in this script
> MinGW uses "start" while Cygwin uses "cygstart". The "cygstart" command is
> robust but the "start" command breaks on certain URLs
>
>     $ git web--browse 'http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_&_Peele'
>     '_Peele' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
>     operable program or batch file.
>
> An alternative is to use PowerShell. PowerShell is a component of Windows and
> will work with both MinGW and Cygwin.
>
> Signed-off-by: Steven Penny <svnpenn@gmail.com>
> ---
> diff --git a/Documentation/git-web--browse.txt b/Documentation/git-web--browse.txt
> index 2de575f..02cccf9 100644
> --- a/Documentation/git-web--browse.txt
> +++ b/Documentation/git-web--browse.txt
> @@ -33,8 +33,7 @@ The following browsers (or commands) are currently supported:
>  * lynx
>  * dillo
>  * open (this is the default under Mac OS X GUI)
> -* start (this is the default under MinGW)
> -* cygstart (this is the default under Cygwin)
> +* powershell (this is the default under Windows)
>  * xdg-open
>
>  Custom commands may also be specified.
> diff --git a/git-web--browse.sh b/git-web--browse.sh
> index ebdfba6..72fbe32 100755
> --- a/git-web--browse.sh
> +++ b/git-web--browse.sh
> @@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ valid_tool() {
>         firefox | iceweasel | seamonkey | iceape | \
>         chrome | google-chrome | chromium | chromium-browser | \
>         konqueror | opera | w3m | elinks | links | lynx | dillo | open | \
> -       start | cygstart | xdg-open)
> +       powershell | xdg-open)
>                 ;; # happy
>         *)
>                 valid_custom_tool "$1" || return 1
> @@ -124,13 +124,10 @@ if test -z "$browser" ; then
>         then
>                 browser_candidates="open $browser_candidates"
>         fi
> -       # /bin/start indicates MinGW
> -       if test -x /bin/start; then
> -               browser_candidates="start $browser_candidates"
> -       fi
> -       # /usr/bin/cygstart indicates Cygwin
> -       if test -x /usr/bin/cygstart; then
> -               browser_candidates="cygstart $browser_candidates"
> +       # OS indicates Windows
> +       if test -n "$OS"
> +       then
> +               browser_candidates="powershell $browser_candidates"
>         fi

Doesn't this penalize users who don't have powershell installed?

>         for i in $browser_candidates; do
> @@ -179,11 +176,11 @@ konqueror)
>                 ;;
>         esac
>         ;;
> -w3m|elinks|links|lynx|open|cygstart|xdg-open)
> +w3m|elinks|links|lynx|open|xdg-open)
>         "$browser_path" "$@"
>         ;;
> -start)
> -       exec "$browser_path" '"web-browse"' "$@"
> +powershell)
> +       "$browser_path" saps "'$@'"
>         ;;
>  opera|dillo)
>         "$browser_path" "$@" &
> --
> 1.8.5.3

```
