From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.2 (2018-09-13) on dcvr.yhbt.net X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.7 required=3.0 tests=AWL,BAYES_00, HEADER_FROM_DIFFERENT_DOMAINS,MAILING_LIST_MULTI,SPF_HELO_PASS, SPF_PASS shortcircuit=no autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.2 Received: from vger.kernel.org (vger.kernel.org [23.128.96.18]) by dcvr.yhbt.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id E41B61F66E for ; Fri, 21 Aug 2020 20:52:50 +0000 (UTC) Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1726391AbgHUUwr (ORCPT ); Fri, 21 Aug 2020 16:52:47 -0400 Received: from mail-ej1-f67.google.com ([209.85.218.67]:40423 "EHLO mail-ej1-f67.google.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1725767AbgHUUwq (ORCPT ); Fri, 21 Aug 2020 16:52:46 -0400 Received: by mail-ej1-f67.google.com with SMTP id o18so3963930eje.7 for ; Fri, 21 Aug 2020 13:52:44 -0700 (PDT) X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20161025; h=x-gm-message-state:mime-version:references:in-reply-to:from:date :message-id:subject:to:cc; bh=GqTOHQQTCHhyQkUOJ3wooHSonAvOkOTzktbjTgblRHw=; b=pqcz4N9Din0+9Mx9YF4TxFwn8LJ+CYU1WgBzWkNtCROcbHdGQU1FJ031VOb29UkFiJ 93jqq5KKjFgYk038SiJ4oZ3tf/VUQW7xBMTHY/Jz/29LDxpy7Hk54U55EwwW4LgsVKyL 84VCX8hiw02qwVNxlu96QDzumBBMhxs8KyUSZgok2wTtgDvlWh5gRSaT62vDoR8WvcwU PtIIECh7gfQv0geK6hWphrPMjFJi57OdutDvN4546JriC7yHLcTsrqv7zrJ2TG1klAzv TolQg2PCLmuaPVfbH4a0RqbAyp9daO+CG5XkoBR72c8Lt4Lw2MOnzWGSXmUv4y+QX7QV /7rg== X-Gm-Message-State: AOAM532y+5WOoqwyJf3AgTu7mEtemUVZISIAeR7GRgaf8ttR0HNgb4xm cHGiucyGIef+MQaKIl8AKNlCLEowdrsUTqW6uFY= X-Google-Smtp-Source: ABdhPJw99jXAYNpRhrCVVEhZKsmbqfrPaCJPJXEbrrit01Fht45ssJvBkWq6tAq58Nko8RvU/LRWrZDONL2ScPQ05vI= X-Received: by 2002:a17:906:a1cf:: with SMTP id bx15mr4427548ejb.231.1598043163869; Fri, 21 Aug 2020 13:52:43 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 References: <87ft8fvoow.fsf@igel.home> In-Reply-To: From: Eric Sunshine Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2020 16:52:33 -0400 Message-ID: Subject: Re: [PATCH] ident: say whose identity is missing when giving user.name hint To: Junio C Hamano Cc: Git List , Andreas Schwab , Alvaro Aleman Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Sender: git-owner@vger.kernel.org Precedence: bulk List-ID: X-Mailing-List: git@vger.kernel.org On Fri, Aug 21, 2020 at 4:36 PM Junio C Hamano wrote: > When the author or the committer identity is missing when required, > "git" errors out with a message that suggests to set these > configuration variables at the per-user level as the easiest way > forward. This message is given to a brand-new user, whose > ~/.gitconfig hasn't been configured for user.name and user.email, > who runs "git commit --author=...", too, but such a user may find it > confusing ("why? I just gave you a name and e-mail"). > > State whose identity is missing as the reason why we are erroring > out, when we give the hint, to help reduce the confusion. I had trouble following the first paragraph due to the run-on nature of the second sentence. Perhaps the entire message could be rewritten something like this: If `user.name` and `user.email` have not been configured and the user invokes: git commit --author=... without without specifying `--committer=`, then Git errors out with a message asking the user to configure `user.name` and `user.email` but doesn't tell the user which attribution was missing. This can be confusing for a user new to Git who isn't aware of the distinction between user, author, and committer. Give such users a bit more help by extending the error message to also say which attribution is expected.