this post was submitted on 30 Jan 2025
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So creating a new repo on GitHub, you get a set of getting started steps. They changed the default branchname to "main" from "master" due to its connotations with slavery.

When I create a new repo now, the initial getting started steps recommend creating a branch named "master" as opposed to "main" as it was a while ago.

It's especially weird since the line git branch -M master is completely unnecessary, since git init still sets you up with a "master" branch.

Disclaimer: I have a bunch of private repos, and my default branchnames are pretty much all "master".

Is this a recent change?

Edit: Mystery solved, my default branchname is "master". Thanks [email protected] !

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[–] [email protected] 43 points 5 months ago (6 children)

God I wish. The change to "main" was pointless and unnecessary. It's almost like people want to find problems when there aren't any.

[–] [email protected] 47 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Americans and their silly performative outrage

[–] [email protected] 24 points 5 months ago

A form of art they have main-ered.

[–] [email protected] 29 points 5 months ago

I guess masterpieces are now mainpieces

[–] [email protected] 23 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

I like it, because it forced people not to assume master is the main branch. If something is common enough to almost be a standard, but it's not actually a standard, it's just waiting for disaster.

These assumptions cause unnecessary breakage, but people will make them unless forced not to.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 months ago (1 children)

If something is common enough to be a standard it's a standard.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

And yet not everyone used to use master, so scripts kept breaking for no good reason.

Either make it a standard, or stop assuming it's a standard. De-facto isn't good enough.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Having a magical standard fairy waive a wand isn't going to fix scripts, or stop them from breaking.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

What? If there's an actual standard, it will stop scripts from breaking, because the assumption that master is the main branch will always be true.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

I'll find something else to screw up and cause it to break, don't worry.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 5 months ago (5 children)

I prefer main simply because it faster to type. I propose main branches be renamed to "m"

[–] [email protected] 10 points 5 months ago (1 children)

My main branch is called HEAD.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 5 months ago
[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago

I demand trunk because https://trunkbaseddevelopment.com/ is a great branching strategy guide that anyone should read. It also explains how to release code or fix it in a good way.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

I like develop. Sounds nice and indicates things may be unstable.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

I don't think that's a good idea it's not descriptive enough in my opinion.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago

How about trunk to imply how to use it

[–] [email protected] 13 points 5 months ago

Honestly I feel like people who had an issue with this were just as much making an issue out of nothing. I personally also think that "master" is just as much a normal and valid name as "main", and to me the rename kinda felt like performative bullshit. But at the same time it's just a name, if it makes people happy I don't really care either. Nowadays I tend to use main, but it's not something I really pay attention to.