Re: [PATCH 01/22] t3204: test deleting references when lock files already exist

From: Jeff King <peff@peff.net>
Date: Apr 1, 2014, 19:53 UTC
Message-ID: <20140401195338.GA21715@sigill.intra.peff.net>
In-Reply-To: <1396367910-7299-2-git-send-email-mhagger@alum.mit.edu>

On Tue, Apr 01, 2014 at 05:58:09PM +0200, Michael Haggerty wrote:

Show 11 quoted lines

> When deleting a reference, it might be that another process already
> holds the lock on the loose reference file and/or the packed-refs
> file.  In those cases, there is no alternative but for the delete to
> fail.  Verify that in such cases the reference values are left
> unchanged.
> 
> But in fact, when the packed-refs file lock cannot be acquired, the
> loose reference file is deleted anyway, potentially leaving the
> reference with a changed value (its packed value, which might even
> point at an object that has been garbage collected).  Thus one of the
> new tests is marked test_expect_failure.

Nice find. If I understand correctly, the problem is at the plumbing level, and this could also be demonstrated with update-ref?

I don't think it is a big deal, but I was thrown for a minute by the use of "git branch" (as in, "is this something special with branches, or is this about all refs?").

-Peff