"Kristoffer Haugsbakk" <code@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes: > On Fri, Feb 9, 2024, at 18:30, Junio C Hamano wrote: >> So, now, let's be productive. When somebody who does not know much >> about Git tries to commit without configuring anything and hits the >> error, what is a more appropriate message to guide who does not know >> what he or she does not know? >> >> The user claims that "committer identity unknown, please tell me who >> you are" were not helpful enough. Would it make it more helpful if >> we append how to "tell who they are" after that message, perhaps >> with "git config" on user.email and user.name variables, or >> something? >> >> Or do we need three-way switch that does >> >> if (neither is known) { >> printf("neither author or committer is known"); >> } else if (author is known but committer is not known) { >> printf("author is known but committer is not"): >> } else if (author is not known but committer is known) { >> printf("committer is known but author is not"): >> } else { >> return happy; >> } >> >> printf("please tell us who you are..."); >> >> perhaps? > > I think a three-way switch looks good. With the amendment that it steers > you towards `user.*` instead of setting both `author.*` and > `committer.*`. > > Something like > > • Author is set, not committer > • Message: author is set but not committer: you might want to set > *user* instead (prints suggested config) > > I can try to make a patch later. Wait. I didn't realize this when I wrote the message you are responding to, but we *do* already suggest settig user.* variables. If the user chose to ignore that, then there isn't much we can do to help, is there? Puzzled, but I'll stop here.