From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
To: Kaartic Sivaraam <kaartic.sivaraam@gmail.com>
Cc: Git mailing list <git@vger.kernel.org>,
Karthik Nayak <karthik.188@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [RFC PATCH 2/3] setup: introduce new helper 'is_git_directory_verbose'
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2026 15:11:57 -0700 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <xmqqcxu2z4cy.fsf@gitster.g> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20260924120502.2642141-3-kaartic.sivaraam@gmail.com> (Kaartic Sivaraam's message of "Thu, 24 Sep 2026 17:32:20 +0530")
Kaartic Sivaraam <kaartic.sivaraam@gmail.com> writes:
> Introduce a new helper is_git_directory_verbose() as a
> counterpart to the existing is_git_directory().
>
> is_git_directory_verbose() also populates an optional
> string strbuf with reasoning around why the given suspect
> is not a valid git directory. This strbuf in turn can be
> used to improve the error reporting which is currently blunt:
>
> fatal: not a git repository
>
> This is not helpful as the user does not get any hint about "why"
> the repository is not considered valid.
>
> Call-site(s) will be made to use this helper in a follow-up commit.
>
> Signed-off-by: Kaartic Sivaraam <kaartic.sivaraam@gmail.com>
> ---
> setup.c | 152 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++---------------
> 1 file changed, 112 insertions(+), 40 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/setup.c b/setup.c
> index 0d157ac254..b3b53a1cfc 100644
> --- a/setup.c
> +++ b/setup.c
> @@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ int get_common_dir_noenv(struct strbuf *sb, const char *gitdir)
> return ret;
> }
>
> -static int validate_headref(const char *path)
> +static int validate_headref(const char *path, struct strbuf *err)
> {
> struct stat st;
> char buffer[256];
> @@ -356,14 +356,32 @@ static int validate_headref(const char *path)
> int fd;
> ssize_t len;
>
> - if (lstat(path, &st) < 0)
> + if (lstat(path, &st) < 0) {
> + if (err)
> + strbuf_addf(
> + err, _("could not stat HEAD at '%s'"), path
> + );
> return -1;
> + }
>
> /* Make sure it is a "refs/.." symlink */
> if (S_ISLNK(st.st_mode)) {
> len = readlink(path, buffer, sizeof(buffer)-1);
> if (len >= 5 && !memcmp("refs/", buffer, 5))
> return 0;
> + if (len == -1 && err)
> + strbuf_addf(
> + err,
> + _("could not read the symlink HEAD at '%s'"),
> + path
> + );
> + else if (err)
> + strbuf_addf(
> + err,
> + _("HEAD is a symlink ('%s') but target"
> + " lives outside refs/"),
> + path
> + );
> return -1;
> }
All of the above (and below---ellided) look fairly funny way to
indent them. If you are trying ot match the style used in the
existing code around the same area, I wouldn't complain, but I
didn't look beyond what is visible in the patch.
> + }
> + else {
Style: "} else {" go on a single line.
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2026-09-24 22:11 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 20+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-09-24 12:02 [RFC PATCH 0/3] Improve error reporting to mention "why" a directory is not a repository Kaartic Sivaraam
2026-09-24 12:02 ` [RFC PATCH 1/3] t0009: add tests to cover more error reporting scenarios Kaartic Sivaraam
2026-09-24 22:08 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-09-25 13:46 ` Kaartic Sivaraam
2026-09-24 12:02 ` [RFC PATCH 2/3] setup: introduce new helper 'is_git_directory_verbose' Kaartic Sivaraam
2026-09-24 22:11 ` Junio C Hamano [this message]
2026-09-25 17:51 ` Kaartic Sivaraam
2026-09-24 12:02 ` [RFC PATCH 3/3] setup: communicate why a directory is not a valid git directory Kaartic Sivaraam
2026-09-24 22:16 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-09-25 14:33 ` Kaartic Sivaraam
2026-09-29 10:25 ` [RFC PATCH v2 0/4] Improve error reporting to mention "why" a directory is not a repository Kaartic Sivaraam
2026-09-29 10:25 ` [RFC PATCH v2 1/4] setup: normalize an if-else to follow our convention Kaartic Sivaraam
2026-09-29 10:25 ` [RFC PATCH v2 2/4] t0009: add tests to cover more error reporting scenarios Kaartic Sivaraam
2026-09-29 10:25 ` [RFC PATCH v2 3/4] setup: introduce new helper 'is_git_directory_verbose' Kaartic Sivaraam
2026-09-30 16:03 ` Patrick Steinhardt
2026-10-05 12:14 ` Kaartic Sivaraam
2026-09-30 18:32 ` Junio C Hamano
2026-09-29 10:25 ` [RFC PATCH v2 4/4] setup: communicate why a directory is not a valid git directory Kaartic Sivaraam
2026-09-30 16:03 ` Patrick Steinhardt
2026-10-05 12:29 ` Kaartic Sivaraam
Reply instructions:
You may reply publicly to this message via plain-text email
using any one of the following methods:
* Save the following mbox file, import it into your mail client,
and reply-to-all from there: mbox
Avoid top-posting and favor interleaved quoting:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_style#Interleaved_style
* Reply using the --to, --cc, and --in-reply-to
switches of git-send-email(1):
git send-email \
--in-reply-to=xmqqcxu2z4cy.fsf@gitster.g \
--to=gitster@pobox.com \
--cc=git@vger.kernel.org \
--cc=kaartic.sivaraam@gmail.com \
--cc=karthik.188@gmail.com \
/path/to/YOUR_REPLY
https://kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/git-send-email.html
* If your mail client supports setting the In-Reply-To header
via mailto: links, try the mailto: link
Be sure your reply has a Subject: header at the top and a blank line
before the message body.
This is a public inbox, see mirroring instructions
for how to clone and mirror all data and code used for this inbox