requestspull

Requestspull refers to the Git command git request-pull, a utility that generates a pull request message for use in traditional email-based collaboration workflows. It does not modify repositories or apply changes by itself; instead, it produces a ready-to-send text block that describes a patch series and explains how the recipient can fetch and pull the changes.

Usage and syntax

The typical syntax is: git request-pull <from> <url> [<to>]. The <from> argument designates the starting point of the patch set (a commit, tag, or other reference), <url> is the repository that contains the changes to be pulled, and <to> is an optional designation for the destination repository or branch. The command compares the specified starting point with the current HEAD to identify the changes that would be pulled.

Output and contents

The command prints a narrative showing what changes exist since the <from> point, followed by a patch series (diffs) corresponding to the commits reachable from HEAD but not from <from>. It also provides guidance on how the recipient can fetch or apply the patches, typically by cloning the repository or pulling from the given URL and applying the diffs with standard Git commands such as git fetch, git am, or git pull in a suitable workflow.

Context and use

Request-pull originated in early distributed workflows, notably in projects that relied on email-based patch submission. While modern platforms offer integrated pull requests and merge requests, git request-pull remains a lightweight, source-control-native way to solicit a code contribution without using a hosted issue tracker. It is commonly used in kernel development and other projects that favor email-based collaboration.

See also

Git commands related to patch generation and application include git format-patch, git am, and git fetch.

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