Subject: Re: [PATCH 1/4] usage: help the user help themselves

From: Junio C Hamano <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2025 14:14:10 -0700

"Kristoffer Haugsbakk" <[email-masked]> writes:

>> usage: help the user help themselves
>
> I think I’ll change the area to the more pointed:
>
>     you-still-use-that??:

Ah, that makes sense.

> On Wed, Aug 27, 2025, at 18:29, [email-masked] wrote:
>> @@ -377,12 +378,22 @@ void bug_fl(const char *file, int line, const char *fmt, ...)
>>
>>  NORETURN void you_still_use_that(const char *command_name)
>>  {
>> +	struct strbuf percent_encoded = STRBUF_INIT;
>> +	strbuf_add_percentencode(&percent_encoded,
>> +				 command_name,
>> +				 STRBUF_ENCODE_SLASH);
>> +
>>  	fprintf(stderr,
>>  		_("'%s' is nominated for removal.\n"
>> -		  "If you still use this command, please add an extra\n"
>> -		  "option, '--i-still-use-this', on the command line\n"
>> -		  "and let us know you still use it by sending an e-mail\n"
>> -		  "to <[email-masked]>.  Thanks.\n"),
>> -		command_name);
>> +		  "If you still use this command, here's what you can do:\n"
>> +		  "\n"
>> +		  "- read https://git-scm.com/docs/BreakingChanges.html\n"
>> +		  "- check if anyone has discussed this on the mailing\n"
>> +		  "  list and if they came up with something that can\n"
>> +		  "  help you: https://lore.kernel.org/git/?q=%s\n"
>> +		  "- send an email to <[email-masked]>\n"
>
> Maybe (thinking out loud) this should retain some part of the “let us
> know you still use this” spirit:
>
>     - send an email to <[email-masked]> and let us know
>       that you still use this command

We do not actually want to bother individual users about reporting.

We may want to catch third-party tools (like we heard a problem with
Jenkins from its users), so

    - notify <[email-masked]> mailing list if you are a lead
      developer of a widely used tool, especially if you heard a
      breakage report on your tool from your users due to this
      message.

perhaps?  If we know that version A of tool X (or older) hasn't
migrated, users of the same tool will see the same breakage, and
some of them may come to this list.  If we know about their problem
ahead of time, we'd be better prepared to give them a definitive
"Yes, we know version A of tool X (or older) still uses it, and the
developer of tool X is aware of the problem."

Hopefully ;-)