From: Liu Yubao <yubao.liu@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:19:52 GMT
Subject: Re: two questions about the format of loose object
Message-ID: <49349B48.9050603@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <m33ah8jfm2.fsf@localhost.localdomain>

Jakub Narebski wrote:
> Liu Yubao <yubao.liu@gmail.com> writes:
> 
>> cons:
>>
>> * old git client can't read loose objects in new format
>>   (People degrade git rarely and old git can read pack files
>>    generated by new git, so it's not a big problem)
> 
> You forgot about "dumb" protocols, namely HTTP and (deprecated) rsync
> (and IIRC also FTP), which doesn't generate packfiles, and would get
> loose object in format intelligible for old clients.
> 
> IIRC this was main reason why core.legacyHeaders = false was abandoned.
> 

The server can keep an old git or set core.uncompressedLooseObject = false.

Even the pack file format can be changed so that forward compatability will
be broken, I think it's unavoidable.

I'm not clear about the story of core.legacyHeaders, I'll dig the mail
list archive.

Thanks for reminding me of the dumb protocols.


Best regards,

Liu Yubao