Re: [git-for-windows] Re: Revision resolution for remote-helpers?

[Johannes Schindelin <Johannes.Schindelin@gmx.de>]

Hi Mike,

On Thu, 24 Aug 2017, Mike Hommey wrote:

> On Tue, Aug 22, 2017 at 10:15:20PM +0200, Johannes Schindelin wrote:
> > 
> > On Fri, 18 Aug 2017, Jonathan Nieder wrote:
> > 
> > > Mike Hommey wrote[1]:
> > > > On Fri, Aug 18, 2017 at 03:06:37PM -0700, Jonathan Nieder wrote:
> > > >> Mike Hommey wrote:
> > > 
> > > >>> The reason for the <helper>:: prefix is that it matches the <helper>::
> > > >>> prefix used for remote helpers.
> > > >>>
> > > >>> Now, there are a few caveats:
> > > [...]
> > > >>> - msys likes to completely fuck up command lines when they contain ::.
> > > >>>   For remote helpers, the alternative that works is
> > > >>>   <helper>://<host>/etc.
> > > >>
> > > >> Hm --- is there a bug already open about this (e.g. in the Git for
> > > >> Windows project or in msys) where I can read more?
> > > >
> > > > It's entirely an msys problem. Msys has weird rules to translate between
> > > > unix paths and windows paths on the command line, and botches everything
> > > > as a consequence. That's by "design".
> > > >
> > > > http://www.mingw.org/wiki/Posix_path_conversion
> > > >
> > > > (Particularly, see the last two entries)
> > > >
> > > > That only happens when calling native Windows programs from a msys
> > > > shell.
> > > 
> > > Cc-ing the Git for Windows mailing list as an FYI.
> > > 
> > > I have faint memories that some developers on that project have had to
> > > delve deep into Msys path modification rules.  It's possible they can
> > > give us advice (e.g. about <helper>::<url> having been a bad choice of
> > > syntax in the first place :)).
> > 
> > I think it is safe to assume that :: is not part of any Unix-y path. That
> > is why the MSYS2 runtime does not try to play games with it by converting
> > it to a Windows path.
> > 
> > (And indeed, I just tested this, an argument of the form
> > "a::file://b/x/y/z" is not converted to a "Windows path")
> 
> Note that there are people out there using msys, *and* git for windows,
> although I don't know if such people exist outside Mozilla.

Note that I am maintainer of Git for Windows, not of any setup that uses
MSys. Please do not even try to put more stuff on my plate.

Thanks,
Johannes