From: "Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
To: git@vger.kernel.org
Cc: Harald Nordgren <haraldnordgren@gmail.com>,
Harald Nordgren <haraldnordgren@gmail.com>
Subject: [PATCH 2/2] push: suggest <remote> <branch> for a slash slip
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2026 11:10:19 +0000 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <ea1412b1107f485cf52c953e387a513d95d82b53.1781262619.git.gitgitgadget@gmail.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <pull.2331.git.git.1781262619.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
From: Harald Nordgren <haraldnordgren@gmail.com>
"git push origin/main" is treated as a repository and dies with
"'origin/main' does not appear to be a git repository", with no hint
that a space was meant instead of a slash.
When the argument is not an existing path or configured remote but its
part before the first slash names one, suggest the intended
"git push <remote> <branch>" form. The suggestion is shown as advice so
it can be silenced with advice.pushRepoLooksLikeRef.
Signed-off-by: Harald Nordgren <haraldnordgren@gmail.com>
---
Documentation/config/advice.adoc | 5 +++++
advice.c | 1 +
advice.h | 1 +
builtin/push.c | 26 +++++++++++++++++++++++++-
t/t5529-push-errors.sh | 31 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
5 files changed, 63 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
diff --git a/Documentation/config/advice.adoc b/Documentation/config/advice.adoc
index 257db58918..fa77a5110e 100644
--- a/Documentation/config/advice.adoc
+++ b/Documentation/config/advice.adoc
@@ -90,6 +90,11 @@ all advice messages.
Shown when linkgit:git-push[1] rejects a forced update of
a branch when its remote-tracking ref has updates that we
do not have locally.
+ pushRepoLooksLikeRef::
+ Shown when the repository given to linkgit:git-push[1] is not
+ a configured remote but looks like a `<remote>/<branch>` ref,
+ suggesting that the remote and branch be given as separate
+ arguments.
pushUnqualifiedRefname::
Shown when linkgit:git-push[1] gives up trying to
guess based on the source and destination refs what
diff --git a/advice.c b/advice.c
index 0018501b7b..63bf8b0c5f 100644
--- a/advice.c
+++ b/advice.c
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ static struct {
[ADVICE_PUSH_NON_FF_CURRENT] = { "pushNonFFCurrent" },
[ADVICE_PUSH_NON_FF_MATCHING] = { "pushNonFFMatching" },
[ADVICE_PUSH_REF_NEEDS_UPDATE] = { "pushRefNeedsUpdate" },
+ [ADVICE_PUSH_REPO_LOOKS_LIKE_REF] = { "pushRepoLooksLikeRef" },
[ADVICE_PUSH_UNQUALIFIED_REF_NAME] = { "pushUnqualifiedRefName" },
[ADVICE_PUSH_UPDATE_REJECTED] = { "pushUpdateRejected" },
[ADVICE_PUSH_UPDATE_REJECTED_ALIAS] = { "pushNonFastForward" }, /* backwards compatibility */
diff --git a/advice.h b/advice.h
index 8def280688..66f6cd6a77 100644
--- a/advice.h
+++ b/advice.h
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ enum advice_type {
ADVICE_PUSH_NON_FF_CURRENT,
ADVICE_PUSH_NON_FF_MATCHING,
ADVICE_PUSH_REF_NEEDS_UPDATE,
+ ADVICE_PUSH_REPO_LOOKS_LIKE_REF,
ADVICE_PUSH_UNQUALIFIED_REF_NAME,
ADVICE_PUSH_UPDATE_REJECTED,
ADVICE_PUSH_UPDATE_REJECTED_ALIAS,
diff --git a/builtin/push.c b/builtin/push.c
index 6021b71d66..c21febadbe 100644
--- a/builtin/push.c
+++ b/builtin/push.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
#include "advice.h"
#include "branch.h"
#include "config.h"
+#include "dir.h"
#include "environment.h"
#include "gettext.h"
#include "hex.h"
@@ -744,6 +745,29 @@ int cmd_push(int argc,
if (repo) {
if (!add_remote_or_group(repo, &remote_group)) {
+ const char *slash = strchr(repo, '/');
+ struct remote *r;
+
+ /*
+ * A "<remote>/<branch>" argument that does not name
+ * a path is likely a slip for the separate
+ * "<remote> <branch>" form, so suggest that instead.
+ */
+ if (slash && slash[1] && !file_exists(repo)) {
+ struct strbuf name = STRBUF_INIT;
+
+ strbuf_add(&name, repo, slash - repo);
+ if (remote_is_configured(remote_get(name.buf), 0)) {
+ int code = die_message(_("'%s' is not a valid push target"), repo);
+ advise_if_enabled(ADVICE_PUSH_REPO_LOOKS_LIKE_REF,
+ _("Did you mean to use: git push %s %s?"),
+ name.buf, slash + 1);
+ strbuf_release(&name);
+ exit(code);
+ }
+ strbuf_release(&name);
+ }
+
/*
* Not a configured remote name or group name.
* Try treating it as a direct URL or path, e.g.
@@ -753,7 +777,7 @@ int cmd_push(int argc,
* from the URL so the loop below can handle it
* identically to a named remote.
*/
- struct remote *r = pushremote_get(repo);
+ r = pushremote_get(repo);
if (!r)
die(_("bad repository '%s'"), repo);
string_list_append(&remote_group, r->name);
diff --git a/t/t5529-push-errors.sh b/t/t5529-push-errors.sh
index 80b06a0cd2..cfb294305d 100755
--- a/t/t5529-push-errors.sh
+++ b/t/t5529-push-errors.sh
@@ -54,6 +54,37 @@ test_expect_success 'detect empty remote with targeted refspec' '
grep "fatal: bad repository ${SQ}${SQ}" stderr
'
+test_expect_success 'suggest <remote> <branch> for a <remote>/<branch> slip' '
+ test_must_fail git push origin/main 2>stderr &&
+ grep "${SQ}origin/main${SQ} is not a valid push target" stderr &&
+ grep "hint: Did you mean to use: git push origin main?" stderr &&
+ test_must_fail git -c advice.pushRepoLooksLikeRef=false push origin/main 2>stderr &&
+ ! grep "Did you mean" stderr
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'suggest <remote> <branch> when the branch has slashes' '
+ test_must_fail git push origin/feature/x 2>stderr &&
+ grep "hint: Did you mean to use: git push origin feature/x?" stderr
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'no suggestion when prefix is not a configured remote' '
+ test_must_fail git push not-a-remote/main 2>stderr &&
+ ! grep "Did you mean" stderr
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'no suggestion for a trailing slash with no branch' '
+ test_must_fail git push origin/ 2>stderr &&
+ ! grep "Did you mean" stderr
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'no suggestion when the argument is an existing path' '
+ test_when_finished "rm -rf origin" &&
+ git init --bare origin/main &&
+ git push origin/main HEAD:refs/heads/pushed 2>stderr &&
+ ! grep "Did you mean" stderr &&
+ git -C origin/main rev-parse --verify refs/heads/pushed
+'
+
test_expect_success 'detect ambiguous refs early' '
git branch foo &&
git tag foo &&
--
gitgitgadget
prev parent reply other threads:[~2026-06-12 11:10 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 3+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-06-12 11:10 [PATCH 0/2] branch/push: suggest intended form when remote/branch slip given Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-06-12 11:10 ` [PATCH 1/2] branch: suggest <remote>/<branch> on upstream slip Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-06-12 11:10 ` Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget [this message]
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