[PATCH] docs: document credential.helper allowed values

[PATCH] docs: document credential.helper allowed values

[brian m. carlson]

gitcredentials(7) already mentions several possible invocations that one
can use as the value for credential.helper.  However, many people are
not aware that there are other options than a simple credential helper
name, so let's place some explanatory text in the documentation for
credential.helper as well.

We still refer the user to gitcredential(7) for additional explanations
and helpful examples.

Signed-off-by: brian m. carlson <sandals@crustytoothpaste.net>
---
 Documentation/config/credential.txt | 10 +++++++---
 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/config/credential.txt b/Documentation/config/credential.txt
index 60fb3189e1..9d01641c28 100644
--- a/Documentation/config/credential.txt
+++ b/Documentation/config/credential.txt
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
 credential.helper::
 	Specify an external helper to be called when a username or
 	password credential is needed; the helper may consult external
-	storage to avoid prompting the user for the credentials. Note
-	that multiple helpers may be defined. See linkgit:gitcredentials[7]
-	for details.
+	storage to avoid prompting the user for the credentials. This is
+	normally the name of a credential helper with possible
+	arguments, but may also be an absolute path with arguments or, if
+	preceded by `!`, shell commands.
++
+Note that multiple helpers may be defined. See linkgit:gitcredentials[7]
+for details and examples.
 
 credential.useHttpPath::
 	When acquiring credentials, consider the "path" component of an http

Re: [PATCH] docs: document credential.helper allowed values

[Carlo Marcelo Arenas Belón]

On Tue, May 05, 2020 at 11:12:26PM +0000, brian m. carlson wrote:
> gitcredentials(7) already mentions several possible invocations that one
> can use as the value for credential.helper.  However, many people are
> not aware that there are other options than a simple credential helper
> name, so let's place some explanatory text in the documentation for
> credential.helper as well.
> 
> We still refer the user to gitcredential(7) for additional explanations
> and helpful examples.
> 
> Signed-off-by: brian m. carlson <sandals@crustytoothpaste.net>
> ---
>  Documentation/config/credential.txt | 10 +++++++---
>  1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/Documentation/config/credential.txt b/Documentation/config/credential.txt
> index 60fb3189e1..9d01641c28 100644
> --- a/Documentation/config/credential.txt
> +++ b/Documentation/config/credential.txt
> @@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
>  credential.helper::
>  	Specify an external helper to be called when a username or
>  	password credential is needed; the helper may consult external
> -	storage to avoid prompting the user for the credentials. Note
> -	that multiple helpers may be defined. See linkgit:gitcredentials[7]
> -	for details.
> +	storage to avoid prompting the user for the credentials. This is
> +	normally the name of a credential helper with possible
> +	arguments, but may also be an absolute path with arguments or, if
> +	preceded by `!`, shell commands.
> ++
> +Note that multiple helpers may be defined. See linkgit:gitcredentials[7]
> +for details and examples.

what about something even simpler, to encourage people to go see the full
range of options and hopeful find a fitting example in gitcredentials?

  "This is usually a credential helper application with possible arguments
   but might also be a simple shell one liner for the simplest uses"

with the Note following as you suggested.
 
Carlo

PS. I suspect a sample like the one you provided for smtp would be very
    useful there, specially if using an encrypted storage of sort.

Re: [PATCH] docs: document credential.helper allowed values

[Jeff King]

On Tue, May 05, 2020 at 11:12:26PM +0000, brian m. carlson wrote:

> gitcredentials(7) already mentions several possible invocations that one
> can use as the value for credential.helper.  However, many people are
> not aware that there are other options than a simple credential helper
> name, so let's place some explanatory text in the documentation for
> credential.helper as well.
> 
> We still refer the user to gitcredential(7) for additional explanations
> and helpful examples.

Yeah, this seems like an improvement to me.

-Peff