When using the git plugin, the console output might be mind-boggling because it does not gives enough details. The plugin has support for more verbosity in the console log by starting Jenkins with the java parameter -Dhudson.plugins.git.GitSCM.verbose="true"

The relevant code in GitSCM.java :

public static boolean VERBOSE = Boolean.getBoolean(GitSCM.class.getName() + ".verbose");

This has already saved me a lot of time once I have discovered this switch.

Would it be possible to add an option to enable this globally and another option to enable verbosity on a per job basis? I guess the default will be non verbose.