Re: Unknown option for merge-recursive: -Xdiff-algorithm=minimal

[John Keeping <john@keeping.me.uk>]

On Tue, Sep 24, 2013 at 10:00:30AM +0100, Luke Noel-Storr wrote:
> I'm trying to use the diff-algorithm option for recursive merge, but
> get the above error.  I've tried various different ways of specifying
> the option, but none work.
> 
> To try and find what the correct syntax is I tried peeping into the
> source code, and it looks like it may actually be an error in the
> code.
> 
> This is from merge-recursive.c line 2072:
> 
> 	else if (!strcmp(s, "diff-algorithm=")) {
> 		long value = parse_algorithm_value(s+15);
> 		if (value < 0)
> 			return -1;
> 		/* clear out previous settings */
> 		DIFF_XDL_CLR(o, NEED_MINIMAL);
> 		o->xdl_opts &= ~XDF_DIFF_ALGORITHM_MASK;
> 		o->xdl_opts |= value;
> 	}
> 
> I believe !strcmp(s, "diff-algorithm=") should actually be !prefixcmp(s, "diff-algorithm=")
> 
> Could someone confirm this is a bug, and is there any other way I can specify the diff algorithm?

I think you're right - this should be prefixcmp.

The simplest thing to do would be to patch it locally and run your own
build - Git's Makefile installs in your home directory by default, so
providing $HOME/bin is on your path, "make install" will just give you
something that works.

Of course, you should then submit the patch here ;-)