Re: [kernel.org users] [RFD] On deprecating "git-foo" for builtins

Linus,

On Tue, Aug 26, 2008 at 10:03:25AM -0700, Linus Torvalds wrote:

quoted

Nice emotive response, especially the subtle but unsubstantiated 'silent
majority in favour' bit -- but you forgot the part where you were
supposed to actually point out a tangible benefit which is achieved by
breaking compatibility like this.

Umm. The 'git-xyzzy' thing has been one of the #1 complaints since pretty 
much day#1.

But _why_ do they complain? Just whining or real reasons?

Also, like it or not, it's done. So the argument about "compatibility" is 
TOTAL AND UTTER BULLSHIT. There is no compatibility, because we already 
released a major version without them.

Then release a 1.6.0.1. But the major problem is something else: it's that
doing PATH="$PATH:$(git --exec-path) is also deprecated, i.e. that workaround
is to go away in one of the next releases too.

 - new people don't even learn the mistakes

But new people read "git-diff-tree" in the man pages, and then wonder why
"git-diff-tree" does not work. People read howtos in the Documentation/
directory and wonder why executing "git-diff-tree" does not work. Besides,
why it is a "mistake" to use git-xyzyy? Also, note that 1.5.4.x man pages
uses git-xyzzy form in many many places, not hinting at all of git-xyzyy
being deprecated.

and there really is zero downside apart from the _trivial_ downside of you 
just having to add a single PATH thing to your .bashrc or something.

downsides:

- man pages. man git-add for the command "git add" is a bit...
  disappointing.

- lots of documentation using "git-xyzyy"

- the PATH workaround being deprecated

Best,
	Dominik