@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 from git.stats import Stats
 from git.utils import dashify
 from git.utils import touch
+from git.remote import Remote
 
 
 __all__ = [ name for name, obj in locals().items()
 
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 import ConfigParser as cp
 from git.odict import OrderedDict
 import inspect
+import cStringIO
 
 class _MetaParserBuilder(type):
 	"""
@@ -221,15 +222,88 @@ def optionxform(self, optionstr):
 		"""
 		return optionstr
 
+	def _read(self, fp, fpname):
+		"""
+		A direct copy of the py2.4 version of the super class's _read method
+		to assure it uses ordered dicts. Had to change one line to make it work.
+		
+		Future versions have this fixed, but in fact its quite embarassing for the 
+		guys not to have done it right in the first place !
+		
+		Removed big comments to make it more compact.
+		
+		Made sure it ignores initial whitespace as git uses tabs
+		"""
+		cursect = None							  # None, or a dictionary
+		optname = None
+		lineno = 0
+		e = None								  # None, or an exception
+		while True:
+			line = fp.readline()
+			if not line:
+				break
+			lineno = lineno + 1
+			# comment or blank line?
+			if line.strip() == '' or line[0] in '#;':
+				continue
+			if line.split(None, 1)[0].lower() == 'rem' and line[0] in "rR":
+				# no leading whitespace
+				continue
+			else:
+				# is it a section header?
+				mo = self.SECTCRE.match(line)
+				if mo:
+					sectname = mo.group('header')
+					if sectname in self._sections:
+						cursect = self._sections[sectname]
+					elif sectname == cp.DEFAULTSECT:
+						cursect = self._defaults
+					else:
+						# THE ONLY LINE WE CHANGED !
+						cursect = OrderedDict((('__name__', sectname),))
+						self._sections[sectname] = cursect
+					# So sections can't start with a continuation line
+					optname = None
+				# no section header in the file?
+				elif cursect is None:
+					raise cp.MissingSectionHeaderError(fpname, lineno, line)
+				# an option line?
+				else:
+					mo = self.OPTCRE.match(line)
+					if mo:
+						optname, vi, optval = mo.group('option', 'vi', 'value')
+						if vi in ('=', ':') and ';' in optval:
+							pos = optval.find(';')
+							if pos != -1 and optval[pos-1].isspace():
+								optval = optval[:pos]
+						optval = optval.strip()
+						if optval == '""':
+							optval = ''
+						optname = self.optionxform(optname.rstrip())
+						cursect[optname] = optval
+					else:
+						if not e:
+							e = cp.ParsingError(fpname)
+						e.append(lineno, repr(line))
+					# END  
+				# END ? 
+			# END ?
+		# END while reading 
+		# if any parsing errors occurred, raise an exception
+		if e:
+			raise e
+	
+	
 	def read(self):
 		"""
-		Reads the data stored in the files we have been initialized with
+		Reads the data stored in the files we have been initialized with. It will 
+		ignore files that cannot be read, possibly leaving an empty configuration
 		
 		Returns
 			Nothing
 		
 		Raises
-			IOError if not all files could be read
+			IOError if a file cannot be handled
 		"""
 		if self._is_initialized:
 			return
@@ -244,7 +318,10 @@ def read(self):
 			close_fp = False
 			# assume a path if it is not a file-object
 			if not hasattr(file_object, "seek"):
-				fp = open(file_object)
+				try:
+					fp = open(file_object)
+				except IOError,e:
+					continue
 				close_fp = True
 			# END fp handling
 
 
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ class Reference(LazyMixin, Iterable):
 	Represents a named reference to any object
 	"""
 	__slots__ = ("repo", "path")
+	_common_path_default = "refs"
 
 	def __init__(self, repo, path, object = None):
 		"""
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ def object(self):
 		return Object.new(self.repo, self.path)
 
 	@classmethod
-	def iter_items(cls, repo, common_path = "refs", **kwargs):
+	def iter_items(cls, repo, common_path = None, **kwargs):
 		"""
 		Find all refs in the repository
 
@@ -84,7 +85,9 @@ def iter_items(cls, repo, common_path = "refs", **kwargs):
 
 		``common_path``
 			Optional keyword argument to the path which is to be shared by all
-			returned Ref objects
+			returned Ref objects.
+			Defaults to class specific portion if None assuring that only 
+			refs suitable for the actual class are returned.
 
 		``kwargs``
 			Additional options given as keyword arguments, will be passed
@@ -100,7 +103,10 @@ def iter_items(cls, repo, common_path = "refs", **kwargs):
 
 		options = {'sort': "committerdate",
 				   'format': "%(refname)%00%(objectname)%00%(objecttype)%00%(objectsize)"}
-				   
+		
+		if common_path is None:
+			common_path = cls._common_path_default
+		
 		options.update(kwargs)
 
 		output = repo.git.for_each_ref(common_path, **options)
@@ -157,7 +163,8 @@ class Head(Reference):
 		>>> head.commit.id
 		'1c09f116cbc2cb4100fb6935bb162daa4723f455'
 	"""
-
+	_common_path_default = "refs/heads"
+	
 	@property
 	def commit(self):
 		"""
@@ -166,20 +173,6 @@ def commit(self):
 		"""
 		return self.object
 
-	@classmethod
-	def iter_items(cls, repo, common_path = "refs/heads", **kwargs):
-		"""
-		Returns
-			Iterator yielding Head items
-			
-		For more documentation, please refer to git.base.Ref.list_items
-		"""
-		return super(Head,cls).iter_items(repo, common_path, **kwargs)
-
-	def __repr__(self):
-		return '<git.Head "%s">' % self.name
-		
-		
 
 class TagRef(Reference):
 	"""
@@ -197,6 +190,7 @@ class TagRef(Reference):
 	"""
 
 	__slots__ = tuple()
+	_common_path_default = "refs/tags"
 
 	@property
 	def commit(self):
@@ -223,16 +217,35 @@ def tag(self):
 			return self.object
 		return None
 
-	@classmethod
-	def iter_items(cls, repo, common_path = "refs/tags", **kwargs):
+		
+# provide an alias
+Tag = TagRef
+
+class RemoteRef(Head):
+	"""
+	Represents a reference pointing to a remote head.
+	"""
+	_common_path_default = "refs/remotes"
+	
+	@property
+	def remote_name(self):
 		"""
 		Returns
-			Iterator yielding commit items
-			
-		For more documentation, please refer to git.base.Ref.list_items
+			Name of the remote we are a reference of, such as 'origin' for a reference
+			named 'origin/master'
 		"""
-		return super(TagRef,cls).iter_items(repo, common_path, **kwargs)
-		
+		tokens = self.path.split('/')
+		# /refs/remotes/<remote name>/<branch_name>
+		return tokens[2]
 
-# provide an alias
-Tag = TagRef
+	@property
+	def remote_branch(self):
+		"""
+		Returns
+			Name of the remote branch itself, i.e. master.
+			
+		NOTE: The returned name is usually not qualified enough to uniquely identify
+		a branch
+		"""
+		tokens = self.path.split('/')
+		return '/'.join(tokens[3:])