Re: [PATCH 05/16] odb: move MRU list of packfiles into `struct packfile_store`

> On Wed, Aug 20, 2025 at 05:44:36AM -0700, Karthik Nayak wrote:
> 
> > Question: for my understanding, so we maintain a list of `packed_git`
> > packfiles in `packfile_store.packs` and then the same list is
> > available in a MRU form in `packfile_store.mru`?
> > 
> > I assume this is to optimize searches to use the mru form? Is there a
> > reason to not pick the mru list?
> 
> Yeah, I believe you should find the same packfiles in the linked list
> currently formed by packed_git.next and the MRU list. When I introduced
> the MRU list long ago, I cowardly did not want to take the risk that
> somebody depended on the order of the original list, and left it in
> place.
> 
> I think it would _probably_ be OK to just keep a single list (and
> manipulate it to keep the MRU property). But whoever does should take a
> close look and make sure that is true. The biggest risk I can think of
> is that there could be some code iterating over the packfiles, coupled
> with object lookups in their loop body. If those lookups reorder the
> list, that would screw up the iteration.
> 
> IMHO it is probably better to do a change like that outside of Patrick's
> series. There already is a lot going on with moving fields around, and
> consolidating the lists can happen on top (and would be made easier for
> having pulled it out into two adjacent lists).