struct strbuf buffered_output; /* of finished children */
 };
 
-static int default_start_failure(struct child_process *cp,
-                                struct strbuf *err,
+static int default_start_failure(struct strbuf *err,
                                 void *pp_cb,
                                 void *pp_task_cb)
 {
-       int i;
-
-       strbuf_addstr(err, "Starting a child failed:");
-       for (i = 0; cp->argv[i]; i++)
-               strbuf_addf(err, " %s", cp->argv[i]);
-
        return 0;
 }
 
 static int default_task_finished(int result,
-                                struct child_process *cp,
                                 struct strbuf *err,
                                 void *pp_cb,
                                 void *pp_task_cb)
 {
-       int i;
-
-       if (!result)
-               return 0;
-
-       strbuf_addf(err, "A child failed with return code %d:", result);
-       for (i = 0; cp->argv[i]; i++)
-               strbuf_addf(err, " %s", cp->argv[i]);
-
        return 0;
 }
 
        pp->children[i].process.no_stdin = 1;
 
        if (start_command(&pp->children[i].process)) {
-               code = pp->start_failure(&pp->children[i].process,
-                                        &pp->children[i].err,
+               code = pp->start_failure(&pp->children[i].err,
                                         pp->data,
                                         &pp->children[i].data);
                strbuf_addbuf(&pp->buffered_output, &pp->children[i].err);
 
                code = finish_command(&pp->children[i].process);
 
-               code = pp->task_finished(code, &pp->children[i].process,
+               code = pp->task_finished(code,
                                         &pp->children[i].err, pp->data,
                                         &pp->children[i].data);
 
 
  * To send a signal to other child processes for abortion, return
  * the negative signal number.
  */
-typedef int (*start_failure_fn)(struct child_process *cp,
-                               struct strbuf *err,
+typedef int (*start_failure_fn)(struct strbuf *err,
                                void *pp_cb,
                                void *pp_task_cb);
 
  * the negative signal number.
  */
 typedef int (*task_finished_fn)(int result,
-                               struct child_process *cp,
                                struct strbuf *err,
                                void *pp_cb,
                                void *pp_task_cb);
  * (both stdout and stderr) is routed to stderr in a manner that output
  * from different tasks does not interleave.
  *
- * If start_failure_fn or task_finished_fn are NULL, default handlers
- * will be used. The default handlers will print an error message on
- * error without issuing an emergency stop.
+ * start_failure_fn and task_finished_fn can be NULL to omit any
+ * special handling.
  */
 int run_processes_parallel(int n,
                           get_next_task_fn,
 
        return 0;
 }
 
-static int fetch_start_failure(struct child_process *cp,
-                              struct strbuf *err,
+static int fetch_start_failure(struct strbuf *err,
                               void *cb, void *task_cb)
 {
        struct submodule_parallel_fetch *spf = cb;
        return 0;
 }
 
-static int fetch_finish(int retvalue, struct child_process *cp,
-                       struct strbuf *err, void *cb, void *task_cb)
+static int fetch_finish(int retvalue, struct strbuf *err,
+                       void *cb, void *task_cb)
 {
        struct submodule_parallel_fetch *spf = cb;
 
 
 }
 
 static int task_finished(int result,
-                        struct child_process *cp,
                         struct strbuf *err,
                         void *pp_cb,
                         void *pp_task_cb)