# git whatchanged: fatal: refusing to run without --i-still-use-this

4 messages from 2025-09-19 to 2025-09-22. Participants: James Puleo, Kristoffer Haugsbakk, Ben Knoble.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/64171

## James Puleo, 2025-09-19 19:24

Subject: git whatchanged: fatal: refusing to run without --i-still-use-this
Message-ID: <d94afaec66f8ab8058764cee08e9dd56435dd667.camel@jame.xyz>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/d94afaec66f8ab8058764cee08e9dd56435dd667.camel%40jame.xyz

```
Hello World,

I have git version 2.51.0. I encountered today entirely on my own this
fatal: refusing to run without --i-still-use-this

Why I was using this command: There is a bit of code I wrote in a file
since deleted (from the tree). I knew the path but not whichever ref
last had the file I was looking for.

Having a file listing consisting of purely the file paths that have
changed seems like a useful tool, that's all. If this isn't fueled by a
technical challenge, I don't see a reason to make simple things have a
difficult path.

Thank you.

```

## Kristoffer Haugsbakk, 2025-09-19 19:43

Subject: Re: git whatchanged: fatal: refusing to run without --i-still-use-this
Message-ID: <de3d58bd-5600-4bf3-812b-c329c4940afc@app.fastmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/de3d58bd-5600-4bf3-812b-c329c4940afc%40app.fastmail.com
In-Reply-To: <d94afaec66f8ab8058764cee08e9dd56435dd667.camel@jame.xyz>

```
Hi 
On Fri, Sep 19, 2025, at 21:24, James Puleo wrote:
> Hello World,
>
> I have git version 2.51.0. I encountered today entirely on my own this
> fatal: refusing to run without --i-still-use-this
>
> Why I was using this command: There is a bit of code I wrote in a file
> since deleted (from the tree). I knew the path but not whichever ref
> last had the file I was looking for.
>
> Having a file listing consisting of purely the file paths that have
> changed seems like a useful tool, that's all. If this isn't fueled by a
> technical challenge, I don't see a reason to make simple things have a
> difficult path.

This command is getting removed 
because it's been replaced by git-log.
git-log can do evereything git-whatchanged
can do and has better defaults "for humans".
For example: --stat or --name-only which gives
files-changed output without technical details
like (I guess) filemode.

But you can keep the whatchanged behavior with

    git log --raw --no-merges

-- 
(sent from mobile—check option names
for me ;) )

```

## Ben Knoble, 2025-09-20 00:36

Subject: Re: git whatchanged: fatal: refusing to run without --i-still-use-this
Message-ID: <81760BFC-9F41-4BEC-BC32-7D0C2180AD0D@gmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/81760BFC-9F41-4BEC-BC32-7D0C2180AD0D%40gmail.com
In-Reply-To: <d94afaec66f8ab8058764cee08e9dd56435dd667.camel@jame.xyz>

```
> Le 19 sept. 2025 à 16:00, James Puleo <james@jame.xyz> a écrit :
> 
> Hello World,
> 
> I have git version 2.51.0. I encountered today entirely on my own this
> fatal: refusing to run without --i-still-use-this
> 
> Why I was using this command: There is a bit of code I wrote in a file
> since deleted (from the tree). I knew the path but not whichever ref
> last had the file I was looking for.

In that case:

   git log -- path/to/deleted/file

(or rev-list?) would get you there quickly.
```

## Kristoffer Haugsbakk, 2025-09-22 07:30

Subject: Re: git whatchanged: fatal: refusing to run without --i-still-use-this
Message-ID: <eb6dc2fa-d45c-4efd-9af2-93bcb72b06d7@app.fastmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/eb6dc2fa-d45c-4efd-9af2-93bcb72b06d7%40app.fastmail.com
In-Reply-To: <20250922000127.al45qxhhq4w3o27f@jame.xyz>

```
On Mon, Sep 22, 2025, at 02:01, James wrote:
> Thank you for the (indeed correct) options. They are exactly what I am
> looking for.

Glad this could be resolved.

-- 
Kristoffer

```