Closes#1013.
## Background
While trying to use `tea` from a non-interactive context I hit a friction point: after `tea login add` succeeded, plain `git push` over HTTPS still prompted for credentials. I filed #1013 as a feature request to add credential helper integration — then found, on reading the source, that the integration **already exists**:
- `tea login add` accepts `--helper` (alias `-j`), which calls `task.SetupHelper` to register a credential helper in `~/.gitconfig`.
- `tea login helper get` correctly implements git's credential protocol, reading the request from stdin and returning `protocol`/`host`/`username`/`password` lines.
- `tea login helper setup` does the same for every configured login.
I verified end-to-end that this works as advertised: after `tea login helper setup`, an HTTPS `git push` against a configured Gitea host authenticates silently using the stored token, no prompts, with `GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0` set as a safety check.
So the feature is fine. The problem is that nobody can find it:
| Surface | Before | Issue |
|---|---|---|
| Flag name on `tea login add` | `--helper` (alias `-j`) | Generic; nothing tying it to git or credentials |
| Flag usage text | `"Add helper"` | Says nothing |
| `tea login helper` command | `Hidden: true` | Not in `tea login --help` |
| `tea login helper` usage | `"Git helper"` | Says nothing |
| `tea login helper` description | `"Git helper"` | Same string again |
| `store/erase` subcommand description | `"Command drops"` | Sentence fragment, no meaning |
| `setup` subcommand description | `"Setup helper to tea authenticate"` | Awkward, doesn't explain what it touches |
| `get` subcommand description | `"Get token to auth"` | Doesn't mention git, stdin, or the credential protocol |
| Mention in `tea login add --help` | None | Feature is invisible |
## What this patch does
Purely cosmetic / documentation changes — **no behavior changes**:
1. Renames `--helper` to `--git-credentials`, keeping `--helper` and `-j` as aliases so existing scripts and muscle memory keep working.
2. Removes `Hidden: true` from `tea login helper` so it appears in `tea login --help`.
3. Rewrites every placeholder `Usage` and `Description` string in the helper command tree to describe what the thing actually does.
4. Expands the top-level `Description` of `tea login add` to mention the option and explain what it does.
5. Prints a one-line hint after a successful non-helper login: `Tip: pass --git-credentials (or run 'tea login helper setup') to authenticate 'git push' and 'git clone' over HTTPS with this token.`
The credential helper protocol implementation, `SetupHelper`'s gitconfig writes, and the `get`/`store`/`setup` action functions are all unchanged.
## Help output after the patch
```
$ tea login --help
COMMANDS:
...
helper, git-credential Act as a git credential helper for stored Gitea logins
...
$ tea login helper --help
NAME:
tea logins helper - Act as a git credential helper for stored Gitea logins
DESCRIPTION:
Speaks git's credential helper protocol so that HTTPS push and clone
operations against your configured Gitea instances authenticate silently
using the tokens tea already stores.
Typical use is automatic: 'tea login add --git-credentials' (or 'tea login
helper setup' for existing logins) registers '!tea login helper' as a
credential helper in ~/.gitconfig. Git then invokes the 'get' subcommand
when it needs credentials for a configured host.
COMMANDS:
store, erase No-op (git credential protocol store/erase)
setup Register tea as a git credential helper for every configured login
get Return the stored token for a URL (git credential protocol)
```
## Open questions for the reviewer
A few choices in here that are subjective — happy to change any of them:
- **Flag name**: `--git-credentials` was the first clear name I tried. `--credential-helper` and `--git-helper` are also reasonable. Or keep `--helper` as canonical and just fix its usage text.
- **Canonical subcommand name**: I kept `helper` as canonical with `git-credential` as alias, matching what was already there. Could flip this — `gh` uses `gh auth git-credential` as canonical with no `helper` form.
- **Should `--git-credentials` default to true?** Most users probably want it on; the current opt-in design surprises them. But flipping the default is a behavior change so I left it alone here.
- **Should the hint be silenced by an env var or a config flag?** I left it always-on for the people who need to see it; can gate it if it bothers automation users.
- **Teardown on `tea login delete`** would parallel the setup behavior, but is genuinely a separate change. Not in this PR.
---
This patch was authored interactively with an AI assistant, driven and reviewed by a human (Tyler / @dinsmoor) every step.
*pull request created by Tyler's lovingly wrangled demon machine <3*
---------
Co-authored-by: Lunny Xiao <xiaolunwen@gmail.com>
Reviewed-on: https://gitea.com/gitea/tea/pulls/1014
Reviewed-by: Lunny Xiao <xiaolunwen@gmail.com>
Co-authored-by: Tyler <tyler@dinsmoor.us>
Co-committed-by: Tyler <tyler@dinsmoor.us>
