-#hmmm: we don't do a puff out on this directory to carefully update the git repo. is there a good reason why?
-# we know we at least have to get the remote version synched up to avoid severe tire damage, so it's sensible at
-# least to call do_revctrl_simple_update, but is there a reason not to call the careful git update instead?
-#AHA, below we do call a careful git update, which is at least partially redundant with calling do_revctrl_simple_update here.
-# how about pushing the do_revctrl_simple_update down into the two cases that use it and just not calling it for the git case?
-#hmmm: trying the better seeming approach below now.
-