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De-emphasise the symbolic link documentation.

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The fact that git has previously used symbolic links for representing
symbolic refs doesn't seem relevant to the current function of
git-symbolic-ref.  This patch makes less of a big deal about the
symbolic link history and instead focuses on what git does now.

Signed-off-by: Andy Parkins <andyparkins@gmail.com>
Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net>
This commit is contained in:
Andy Parkins 2006-11-30 10:50:28 +00:00 committed by Junio C Hamano
parent 4c81c213a4
commit 22b1c7ee01
1 changed files with 11 additions and 18 deletions
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29
Documentation/git-symbolic-ref.txt
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@ -19,29 +19,22 @@ argument to see on which branch your working tree is on.
Give two arguments, create or update a symbolic ref <name> to Give two arguments, create or update a symbolic ref <name> to
point at the given branch <ref>. point at the given branch <ref>.
Traditionally, `.git/HEAD` is a symlink pointing at A symbolic ref is a regular file that stores a string that
`refs/heads/master`. When we want to switch to another branch, begins with `ref: refs/`. For example, your `.git/HEAD` is
we did `ln -sf refs/heads/newbranch .git/HEAD`, and when we want a regular file whose contents is `ref: refs/heads/master`.
NOTES
-----
In the past, `.git/HEAD` was a symbolic link pointing at
`refs/heads/master`. When we wanted to switch to another branch,
we did `ln -sf refs/heads/newbranch .git/HEAD`, and when we wanted
to find out which branch we are on, we did `readlink .git/HEAD`. to find out which branch we are on, we did `readlink .git/HEAD`.
This was fine, and internally that is what still happens by This was fine, and internally that is what still happens by
default, but on platforms that do not have working symlinks, default, but on platforms that do not have working symlinks,
or that do not have the `readlink(1)` command, this was a bit or that do not have the `readlink(1)` command, this was a bit
cumbersome. On some platforms, `ln -sf` does not even work as cumbersome. On some platforms, `ln -sf` does not even work as
advertised (horrors). advertised (horrors). Therefore symbolic links are now deprecated
and symbolic refs are used by default.
A symbolic ref can be a regular file that stores a string that
begins with `ref: refs/`. For example, your `.git/HEAD` *can*
be a regular file whose contents is `ref: refs/heads/master`.
This can be used on a filesystem that does not support symbolic
links. Instead of doing `readlink .git/HEAD`, `git-symbolic-ref
HEAD` can be used to find out which branch we are on. To point
the HEAD to `newbranch`, instead of `ln -sf refs/heads/newbranch
.git/HEAD`, `git-symbolic-ref HEAD refs/heads/newbranch` can be
used.
Currently, .git/HEAD uses a regular file symbolic ref on Cygwin,
and everywhere else it is implemented as a symlink. This can be
changed at compilation time.
Author Author
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