Re: [Question] check_repository_format_gently() is not side-effect-free

From: Tian Yuchen <cat@malon.dev>
Date: Mar 20, 2026, 16:26 UTC
Message-ID: <4d2001cc-ab9e-4595-88a4-fc650518ab3c@malon.dev>
In-Reply-To: <abzkC9uLwZz_nmgv@pks.im>

Hi Patrick,

On 3/20/26 14:07, Patrick Steinhardt wrote:

Show 9 quoted lines

> Yes, I think that the whole of "setup.c" is something we will want to
> refactor eventually so that it does not modify global state anymore. So
> it's not only `check_repository_format_gently()`, but also lots of other
> functionality in that file. The motivation is not only being able to set
> up multiple repositories, but also making the code overall easier to
> understand.
> 
> That being said, I'll give a small warning that it's probably
> non-trivial to refactor this subystem 🙂

Thanks for the reply!

It’s true — setup.c seems utterly baffling to me. I thought I understood it before, but the more closely I look at it, the more I realize there are details everywhere that require careful attention.

I won't drop a break-the-world patch out of nowhere. I'll keep learning until I'm able to do so ;)

Thanks,

Yuchen