From 2faf0f0256cbf4cef447202276ca57d36e1d9380 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Harald Nordgren Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2026 18:02:24 +0000 Subject: [PATCH 1/2] branch: suggest / on upstream slip When setting the upstream of the current branch to the 'main' branch of the remote 'origin', i.e., $ git branch --set-upstream-to origin/main it is easy to mistakenly write $ git branch --set-upstream-to origin main That is parsed as a request to set the upstream of the local branch 'main' to 'origin'. When 'main' does not exist, the command dies with: fatal: branch 'main' does not exist pointing at a branch the user never meant to name. When 'main' does exist, it instead dies with: fatal: the requested upstream branch 'origin' does not exist leaving the user equally puzzled. When the operated-on branch is missing and '/' names a real remote-tracking ref, suggest the intended form: $ git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/main The suggestion is gated on '/' existing so it only appears when a slipped slash is the likely explanation. Signed-off-by: Harald Nordgren Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano --- builtin/branch.c | 32 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ t/t3200-branch.sh | 38 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 70 insertions(+) diff --git a/builtin/branch.c b/builtin/branch.c index 1572a4f9ef..dede60d27b 100644 --- a/builtin/branch.c +++ b/builtin/branch.c @@ -706,6 +706,29 @@ static int edit_branch_description(const char *branch_name) return 0; } +static void die_if_upstream_looks_like_remote(const char *new_upstream, const char *branch_name) +{ + struct strbuf remote_ref = STRBUF_INIT; + int code; + + if (strchr(new_upstream, '/') || + !remote_is_configured(remote_get(new_upstream), 0)) + return; + + strbuf_addf(&remote_ref, "refs/remotes/%s/%s", new_upstream, branch_name); + if (!refs_ref_exists(get_main_ref_store(the_repository), remote_ref.buf)) { + strbuf_release(&remote_ref); + return; + } + + code = die_message(_("--set-upstream-to takes a single / argument")); + advise_if_enabled(ADVICE_SET_UPSTREAM_FAILURE, + _("Did you mean to use: git branch --set-upstream-to=%s/%s?"), + new_upstream, branch_name); + strbuf_release(&remote_ref); + exit(code); +} + int cmd_branch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix, @@ -957,6 +980,15 @@ int cmd_branch(int argc, if (!refs_ref_exists(get_main_ref_store(the_repository), branch->refname)) { if (!argc || branch_checked_out(branch->refname)) die(_("no commit on branch '%s' yet"), branch->name); + /* + * Check the advice up front to avoid the ref + * lookups when the hint is off. The helper still + * calls advise_if_enabled() so the hint carries the + * standard "disable this message" instructions. + */ + if (argc == 1 && + advice_enabled(ADVICE_SET_UPSTREAM_FAILURE)) + die_if_upstream_looks_like_remote(new_upstream, argv[0]); die(_("branch '%s' does not exist"), branch->name); } diff --git a/t/t3200-branch.sh b/t/t3200-branch.sh index e7829c2c4b..e2682a83a0 100755 --- a/t/t3200-branch.sh +++ b/t/t3200-branch.sh @@ -1022,6 +1022,44 @@ test_expect_success '--set-upstream-to fails on a missing dst branch' ' test_cmp expect err ' +test_expect_success '--set-upstream-to suggests / on slip' ' + test_when_finished "git remote remove slip-remote" && + git remote add slip-remote . && + git update-ref refs/remotes/slip-remote/slip-feature HEAD && + test_must_fail git branch --set-upstream-to slip-remote slip-feature 2>err && + test_grep "takes a single / argument" err && + test_grep "hint: Did you mean to use: git branch --set-upstream-to=slip-remote/slip-feature?" err && + test_must_fail git -c advice.setUpstreamFailure=false \ + branch --set-upstream-to slip-remote slip-feature 2>err && + test_grep ! "Did you mean" err +' + +test_expect_success '--set-upstream-to does not suggest when no matching remote ref' ' + test_when_finished "git remote remove slip-remote" && + git remote add slip-remote . && + test_must_fail git branch --set-upstream-to slip-remote no-such-branch 2>err && + test_grep "branch ${SQ}no-such-branch${SQ} does not exist" err && + test_grep ! "Did you mean" err +' + +test_expect_success '--set-upstream-to to a local branch is not mistaken for a slip' ' + git branch slip-local-upstream && + git branch slip-local-target && + git branch --set-upstream-to=slip-local-upstream slip-local-target 2>err && + test_grep ! "Did you mean" err && + echo refs/heads/slip-local-upstream >expect && + git config branch.slip-local-target.merge >actual && + test_cmp expect actual +' + +test_expect_success '--set-upstream-to slip suggestion keeps a slashed branch name' ' + test_when_finished "git remote remove slip-remote" && + git remote add slip-remote . && + git update-ref refs/remotes/slip-remote/slip/feature HEAD && + test_must_fail git branch --set-upstream-to slip-remote slip/feature 2>err && + test_grep "hint: Did you mean to use: git branch --set-upstream-to=slip-remote/slip/feature?" err +' + test_expect_success '--set-upstream-to fails on a missing src branch' ' test_must_fail git branch --set-upstream-to does-not-exist main 2>err && test_grep "the requested upstream branch '"'"'does-not-exist'"'"' does not exist" err From a85a43c4802c124a504c42c63129a97d7f8346c1 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Harald Nordgren Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2026 18:02:25 +0000 Subject: [PATCH 2/2] push: suggest for a slash slip When pushing the 'main' branch to the remote 'origin', i.e., $ git push origin main it is easy to mistakenly write $ git push origin/main That is parsed as the repository to push to, and since 'origin/main' is neither a configured remote nor a path it dies with: fatal: 'origin/main' does not appear to be a git repository Often 'origin/main' does not exist as a repository, so the command fails without doing any harm, but it gives no hint that a space was meant instead of a slash and can leave the user puzzled. When the argument is not an existing path or configured remote but its part before the first slash names one, suggest the intended ' ' form: $ git push origin main The suggestion is shown as advice so it can be silenced with advice.pushRepoLooksLikeRef. Signed-off-by: Harald Nordgren Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano --- Documentation/config/advice.adoc | 5 +++++ advice.c | 1 + advice.h | 1 + builtin/push.c | 37 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++- t/t5529-push-errors.sh | 31 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 5 files changed, 74 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 `/` 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..1b2ad3b8df 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" @@ -662,6 +663,29 @@ static int push_multiple(struct string_list *list, return result; } +static void die_if_repo_looks_like_ref(const char *repo) +{ + const char *slash = strchr(repo, '/'); + struct strbuf name = STRBUF_INIT; + int code; + + if (!slash || !slash[1] || file_exists(repo)) + return; + + strbuf_add(&name, repo, slash - repo); + if (!remote_is_configured(remote_get(name.buf), 0)) { + strbuf_release(&name); + return; + } + + 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); +} + int cmd_push(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix, @@ -744,6 +768,17 @@ int cmd_push(int argc, if (repo) { if (!add_remote_or_group(repo, &remote_group)) { + struct remote *r; + + /* + * Check the advice up front to avoid the remote + * lookup when the hint is off. The helper still + * calls advise_if_enabled() so the hint carries the + * standard "disable this message" instructions. + */ + if (advice_enabled(ADVICE_PUSH_REPO_LOOKS_LIKE_REF)) + die_if_repo_looks_like_ref(repo); + /* * Not a configured remote name or group name. * Try treating it as a direct URL or path, e.g. @@ -753,7 +788,7 @@ 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..2294645902 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 for a / slip' ' + test_must_fail git push origin/main 2>stderr && + test_grep "${SQ}origin/main${SQ} is not a valid push target" stderr && + test_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 && + test_grep ! "Did you mean" stderr +' + +test_expect_success 'suggest when the branch has slashes' ' + test_must_fail git push origin/feature/x 2>stderr && + test_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 && + test_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 && + test_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 && + test_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 &&