# Bug: "git-remote ls -h"

3 messages from 2022-06-29 to 2022-06-30. Participants: Ian Whitlock, Eric Sunshine, Junio C Hamano.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/58082

## Ian Whitlock, 2022-06-29 15:26

Subject: Bug: "git-remote ls -h"
Message-ID: <d2a7caa9-e2ba-457d-9fe9-92b29b5ee47a@www.fastmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/d2a7caa9-e2ba-457d-9fe9-92b29b5ee47a%40www.fastmail.com

```
Hi,

I found a bug and couldn't find another way to report it. I hope this is okay.
The help output for `git ls-remote` shows that `-h` should display remote HEADs, but instead the help output is displayed!

 ➜ git ls-remote -h     
usage: git ls-remote [--heads] [--tags] [--refs] [--upload-pack=<exec>]
                     [-q | --quiet] [--exit-code] [--get-url]
                     [--symref] [<repository> [<refs>...]]

    -q, --quiet           do not print remote URL
    --upload-pack <exec>  path of git-upload-pack on the remote host
    -t, --tags            limit to tags
    -h, --heads           limit to heads
    --refs                do not show peeled tags
    --get-url             take url.<base>.insteadOf into account
    --sort <key>          field name to sort on
    --exit-code           exit with exit code 2 if no matching refs are found
    --symref              show underlying ref in addition to the object pointed by it
    -o, --server-option <server-specific>
                          option to transmit


Small bug, but a bug nonetheless.

Thanks for building such a lovely tool

```

## Eric Sunshine, 2022-06-29 16:29

Subject: Re: Bug: "git-remote ls -h"
Message-ID: <CAPig+cSnhbruJE_WBpmmypE_vzEQForooOu8KqbJ=dbaUrKKcg@mail.gmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/CAPig%2BcSnhbruJE_WBpmmypE_vzEQForooOu8KqbJ%3DdbaUrKKcg%40mail.gmail.com
In-Reply-To: <d2a7caa9-e2ba-457d-9fe9-92b29b5ee47a@www.fastmail.com>

```
On Wed, Jun 29, 2022 at 11:39 AM Ian Whitlock <ian@theknown.net> wrote:
> I found a bug and couldn't find another way to report it. I hope this is okay.
> The help output for `git ls-remote` shows that `-h` should display remote HEADs, but instead the help output is displayed!

Thanks for the report.

>  ➜ git ls-remote -h
> usage: git ls-remote [--heads] [--tags] [--refs] [--upload-pack=<exec>]
>                      [-q | --quiet] [--exit-code] [--get-url]
>                      [--symref] [<repository> [<refs>...]]

This is a known and documented behavior. The description of the `-h`
option in the `ls-remote` help page:

    Limit to only refs/heads and refs/tags, respectively. These
    options are not mutually exclusive; when given both, references
    stored in refs/heads and refs/tags are displayed. Note that git
    ls-remote -h used without anything else on the command line gives
    help, consistent with other git subcommands.

```

## Junio C Hamano, 2022-06-30 18:34

Subject: Re: Bug: "git-remote ls -h"
Message-ID: <xmqqpmiqdmpg.fsf@gitster.g>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/xmqqpmiqdmpg.fsf%40gitster.g
In-Reply-To: <CAPig+cSnhbruJE_WBpmmypE_vzEQForooOu8KqbJ=dbaUrKKcg@mail.gmail.com>

```
Eric Sunshine <sunshine@sunshineco.com> writes:

> On Wed, Jun 29, 2022 at 11:39 AM Ian Whitlock <ian@theknown.net> wrote:
>> I found a bug and couldn't find another way to report it. I hope this is okay.
>> The help output for `git ls-remote` shows that `-h` should display remote HEADs, but instead the help output is displayed!
>
> Thanks for the report.
>
>>  ➜ git ls-remote -h
>> usage: git ls-remote [--heads] [--tags] [--refs] [--upload-pack=<exec>]
>>                      [-q | --quiet] [--exit-code] [--get-url]
>>                      [--symref] [<repository> [<refs>...]]
>
> This is a known and documented behavior. The description of the `-h`
> option in the `ls-remote` help page:
>
>     Limit to only refs/heads and refs/tags, respectively. These
>     options are not mutually exclusive; when given both, references
>     stored in refs/heads and refs/tags are displayed. Note that git
>     ls-remote -h used without anything else on the command line gives
>     help, consistent with other git subcommands.

Correct.

I do not mind a patch that teaches ls-remote to emit an extra line
of hint after giving the standard short-help-usage text, telling the
user that "git ls-remote -h origin" (replace 'origin' with whatever
the default remote is) can be used to learn the branches at the
remote.

Thanks.




```