messages: Be a lot more friendly about NEW in particular

And also add a couple of `please's.  Closes:#904448.

Signed-off-by: Ian Jackson <ijackson@chiark.greenend.org.uk>

diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 265ecb01747cb7ee986cfcf2fe8f052176aa2614..1fe13f4edc0679bf139fe9adb94df447aa72f760 100644 (file)
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ dgit (5.11~) unstable; urgency=medium
   * test suite: unset VISUAL, which interferes.  Closes:#904308.
   * apt-get method: when apt does not update release files,
     unconditionally print hint about noatime.  Closes:#851873.
+  * messages: Be a lot more friendly about NEW in particular,
+    and also add a couple of `please's.  Closes:#904448.
 
  --
 

diff --git a/dgit b/dgit
index 9c58fdf666d181fa07cbe44b14a8c7b1187438cc..0c55655a2917d22d5cefdcd3998057fa55874caf 100755 (executable)
--- a/dgit
+++ b/dgit
@@ -3992,7 +3992,7 @@ sub splitbrain_pseudomerge ($$$$) {
         $@ =~ s/^\n//; chomp $@;
        print STDERR <<END;
 $@
-| Not fast forward; maybe --overwrite is needed, see dgit(1)
+| Not fast forward; maybe --overwrite is needed ?  Please see dgit(1).
 END
        finish -1;
     }
@@ -5917,7 +5917,7 @@ sub quilt_fixup_multipatch ($$$) {
 failed to apply your git tree's patch stack (from debian/patches/) to
  the corresponding upstream tarball(s).  Your source tree and .orig
  are probably too inconsistent.  dgit can only fix up certain kinds of
- anomaly (depending on the quilt mode).  See --quilt= in dgit(1).
+ anomaly (depending on the quilt mode).  Please see --quilt= in dgit(1).
 END
     }
 

diff --git a/infra/dgit-repos-policy-debian b/infra/dgit-repos-policy-debian
index 990abd2b9b82f90f958bf44f91cca99b8c288772..e85e92c5ebf4531ccc20229c2f4004ba6a49b598 100755 (executable)
--- a/infra/dgit-repos-policy-debian
+++ b/infra/dgit-repos-policy-debian
@@ -334,10 +334,19 @@ sub action_push () {
     if (deliberately('include-questionable-history')) {
        return 0;
     }
-    die "\nPackage is in NEW and has not been accepted or rejected yet;".
-       " use a --deliberately option to specify whether you are".
-       " keeping or discarding the previously pushed history. ".
-       " Please RTFM dgit(1).\n\n";
+    die <<END;
+
+Package is in NEW and has not been accepted or rejected yet.
+Unfortunately, we cannot determine automatically what should happen.
+You will have to pass either --deliberately-not-fast-forward or
+--deliberately-include-questionable-history to specify whether you are
+keeping or discarding the previously pushed history.
+
+The choice is important, to ensure that your git history is both
+suitable for public distribution and as useful as possible.  Please
+see the descriptions of these options in dgit(1).
+
+END
 }
 
 sub action_push_confirm () {