Re: [PATCH 1/2] Doc: explain submodule.alternateErrorStrategy

[Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>]

Jonathan Tan <jonathantanmy@google.com> writes:

> Commit 31224cbdc7 ("clone: recursive and reference option triggers
> submodule alternates", 2016-08-17) taught Git to support the
> configuration options "submodule.alternateLocation" and
> "submodule.alternateErrorStrategy" on a superproject.
> ...
> The "submodule.alternateErrorStrategy" option determines what happens
> if that alternate cannot be referenced. However, it is not clear that
> the clone proceeds as if no alternate was specified when that option is
> not set to "die" (as can be seen in the tests in 31224cbdc7). Therefore,
> document it accordingly.

Given that for everyday use (cf. sha1-file.c::link_alt_odb_entry())
of an alternate is best-effort basis, I have a feeling that it was a
design mistake to have the "error strategy" configuration option in
the first place, and "clone --reference-if-able" was the result of
the same design mistake.  We would have been better off if we made
these the best-effort features as well.

But the ship has sailed long ago---so I think these two are the best
we can do at this point.  Perhaps flipping the default to warn may
be a longer term improvement, too.