git-debrebase - delta queue rebase tool for Debian packaging
+=head1 SYNOPSYS
+
+ git-debrebase [<options...>] [-- <git-rebase options...>]
+ git-debrebase [<options...>] <operation> [<operation options...>
+
=head1 INTRODUCTION
git-debrebase is a tool for representing in git,
This is the command line reference.
Please read the tutorial
L<dgit-maint-debrebase(5)>.
-
For background, theory of operation,
and definitions of the terms used here,
see L<git-debrebase(5)>.
+If no operation is specified,
+git-debrebase launders the branch and rebases the Debian delta queue.
+See below.
+
=head1 PRINCIPAL OPERATIONS
=over
so neither helps with this, nor checks it.
L<git-archive(1)>, L<dgit(1)> and L<gbp(1)> may be able to help.
+This subcommand has -v0 in its name because we are not yet sure
+that its command line syntax is optimal.
+We may want to introduce an incompatible replacement syntax
+under the name C<new-upstream>.
+
+=item git-debrebase convert-from-gbp [<upstream-commitish>]
+
+Cnnverts a gbp patches-unapplied branch
+(not a gbp pq patch queue branch)
+into a git-debrebase interchange branch.
+
+This is done by generating a new anchor merge,
+converting the quilt patches as a delta queue,
+and dropping the patches from the tree.
+
+The upstream commitish should correspond to
+the gbp upstream branch.
+It is a problem if it is not an ancestor of HEAD,
+or if the history between the upstream and HEAD
+contains commits which make changes to upstream files.
+
+It is also a problem if the specified upstream
+has a debian/ subdirectory.
+This check exists to detect certain likely user errors,
+but if this situation is true and expected,
+forcing it is fine.
+
+The result is a well-formed git-debrebase interchange branch.
+The result is also fast-forward from the gbp branch.
+
+Note that it is dangerous not to know whether you are
+dealing with a gbp patches-unappled branch containing quilt patches,
+or a git-debrebase interchange branch.
+At worst,
+using the wrong tool for the branch format might result in
+a dropped patch queue!
+
+=back
+
+=head1 UNDERLYING AND SUPPLEMENTARY OPERATIONS
+
+=over
+
+=item git-debrebase breakwater
+
+Prints the breakwater tip commitid.
+Fails if your HEAD branch is not laundered.
+
+=item git-debrebase convert-to-gbp
+
+Converts a laundered branch into a
+gbp patches-unapplied branch containing quilt patches.
+The result is not fast forward from the interchange branch,
+and any ffq-prev is deleted.
+
+This is provided mostly for the test suite
+and for unusual situations.
+It should only be used with a care and
+with a proper understanding of the underlying theory.
+
+Be sure to not accidentally treat the result as
+a git-debrebase branch,
+or you will drop all the patches!
+
=back
=head1 UNSTITCHING AND LAUNDERING
=head2 Establish the current branch's ffq-prev
-If it is not yet recorded, we
-check that the current branch is ahead of relevant
+If it is not yet recorded,
+git-debrebase checks that the current branch is ahead of relevant
remote tracking branches.
The remote tracking branches checked by default are
obtained from the git config.
-In each case it is a problem if we are behind the checked remote,
-or if we have diverged from it.
-All the checks are local:
+In each case it is a problem if
+the local HEAD is behind the checked remote,
+or if local HEAD has diverged from it.
+All the checks are done locally using the remote tracking refs:
git-debrebase does not fetch anything from anywhere.
-We check the branch we would merge from
+git-debrebase checks the branch that git would merge from
(remote.<branch>.merge, remote.<branch>.remote)
-and the branch we would push to
+and the branch git would push to
(remote.<branch>.pushRemote etc.).
For local dgit suite branches
-we check the corresponding tracking remote.
-If we are on C<master>, we check remotes/dgit/dgit/sid.
+it checks the corresponding tracking remote.
+If you are on C<master>, it checks remotes/dgit/dgit/sid.
The resulting ref names to check are filtered through
branch.<branch>.ffq-ffrefs,
which is a semicolon-separated list of glob patterns,
If these checks pass,
or are forced,
-we then record the current tip as ffq-prev.
+git-debrebse then records the current tip as ffq-prev.
=head2 Examine the branch
-Analyse the current HEAD's history to find the anchor
+git-debrebase
+analyses the current HEAD's history to find the anchor
in its breakwater,
and the most recent breakwater tip.
This rewrite will always succeed, by construction.
The result is the laundered branch.
-=head1 UNDERLYING AND SUPPLEMENTARY OPERATIONS
-
-=over
-
-=item git-debrebase breakwater
-
-Prints the breakwater tip commitid.
-Fails if your HEAD branch is not laundered.
-
-=back
-
=head1 SEE ALSO
git-debrebase(1),