Re: [PATCH v2] gc: recommend `git gc --prune=now` instead of `git prune`
From: Junio C Hamano <hidden>
Date: 2020-06-09 05:07:46
"John Lin via GitGitGadget" [off-list ref] writes:
From: John Lin <redacted> `git prune` is a plumbing command and should not be run directly by users. The corresponding porcelain command is `git gc`, which is mentioned in the man page of `git prune`.
Much better than v1 that came without any justification ;-)
I however wouldn't say "should not"---that feels a bit too strong (I
personally use "prune" from the command line once or twice every
week and do not see why I should be forbidden from doing so [*1*]),
but the users who see this message would not need such a precise
control afforded by use of "git prune", so "gc --prune=now" is a
better recommendation.
Thanks.
[Footnote]
*1* The command does not even produce a machine readable output.
The reason it is not recommended (but that is different from
"should not") to casual users over "git gc" is because it is a
very focused tool (it is only about removing loose objects and
does not touch other things) and applicable to a very specific
condition. Those who can recognize that they are in that
situation should not be forbidden from using it with a dogmatic
"should not".