Command Reference

git-request-pull Tutorial

Generate a pull summary that tells maintainers what to fetch from which base and branch, useful in email-driven or traditional maintainer workflows.

Who This Is For
  • Developers who already know basic commit and branch actions
  • Readers who want to understand command boundaries and risk
Prerequisites
  • A basic mental model of worktree, index, and commits
  • Comfort reading `git status` and a small commit graph
Common Risks
  • Using local cleanup commands on already shared history
  • Continuing to rewrite before confirming a recovery path

The short version

git request-pull creates a text summary describing what maintainers should pull and from which base.

Best-fit scenarios

  • mailing-list or patch-style contribution flow
  • repositories without hosted-platform PR usage
  • workflows needing explicit base + remote + range context

Typical command

git request-pull origin/main https://example.com/repo.git feature/my-change

Output typically includes:

  • base commit context
  • target repository URL
  • commit summary/range details

What this command does not do

  • it does not create a GitHub/GitLab PR
  • it does not push branches
  • it does not notify maintainers automatically

It only produces a shareable pull-summary text.

Recommended workflow

  1. ensure your branch is pushed to accessible remote
  2. generate and review request-pull output
  3. send via agreed communication channel
Wrong base selection misleads review scope

request-pull is only as accurate as your chosen base and remote context.

Common mistakes

Mistake 1: treating it as a hosted PR replacement

It is a summary generator, not a platform PR action. git request-pull generates a pull request summary message for maintainers. It does not create a hosted-platform PR — instead, it produces a text summary describing what changes exist between two points in your repository, which you can send to a maintainer via email or other communication channels.

Mistake 2: sending summary before branch is available remotely

Maintainers cannot fetch what you referenced.

  • Generate a summary for a maintainer showing what commits exist between their branch and yours: git request-pull origin/main <url> <branch>.
  • Include the summary in an email to request that a maintainer pull your changes from a public repository.
  • Document the exact range of changes being proposed, including the commit log, for review before a merge.

Mistake 3: sending without verifying URL/base details

Small metadata mistakes create large review friction.

Pull request summary generationrequest-pull reads commit history between two refs and generates a text summary describing the proposed changes, suitable for communication with maintainers.
Input
Base ref (e.g., origin/main)Your branchRepository URL
Output
Text summary with commit logChange description for maintainers
This command generates a summary message, not a hosted-platform PR. It must still fit your team's communication flow.

Good follow-up reads

  1. git-send-email
  2. git-format-patch
  3. fork upstream sync
  • This command creates a pull request summary message, not a hosted-platform PR — it must still be delivered through your team's communication channel.
  • The URL you provide should point to a repository the maintainer can actually fetch from; otherwise the summary is not actionable.
  • If the base ref does not exist in the target repository, the summary may describe changes the maintainer cannot apply cleanly.
  • request-pull verifies that the specified commits are reachable from your repository before generating the summary, catching mismatches early.

Related Reads

CommandsCore
git init Tutorial
CommandsCore
git clone Tutorial
CommandsCore
git status Tutorial

Previous / Next

Previousgit-send-email TutorialCommandsNextgit-archive TutorialCommands