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Re: [PATCH 1/2] http: use unique tempfiles for packfile URI downloads

From
Taylor Blau <ttaylorr@openai.com>
Date
Jul 14, 2026, 04:07 UTC
Message-ID
<alW2EnNR21VmkESW@com-79390>
In-Reply-To
<alWXwAGWgXSXoRJv@com-76773>
On Mon, Jul 13, 2026 at 06:58:24PM -0700, Ted Nyman wrote:
Show 18 quoted lines
> > While that does sound like a safe and correct approach, stepping
> > back briefly, would it not be wasteful for the second process to
> > download the same packfile that the first has already started
> > downloading?
>
> Yes. If two fetches overlap, the second download is redundant.
>
> > Are there better ways for these processes to coordinate with each
> > other? Instead of appending to the file, what if the second process
> > uses a predictable temporary name (which we already use) to open a
> > new file with O_CREAT | O_EXCL to avoid this redundant work?
>
> Using the existing pack-<hash>.pack.temp name with O_CREAT | O_EXCL
> would prevent concurrent writes, but EEXIST alone would not
> distinguish an in-progress download from one left by an earlier
> failed or interrupted invocation. The existing .pack.temp name is not
> covered by the tmp_* pruning path, so simply waiting for it to
> disappear could leave a fetch stuck after a crash.

Exactly. If two processes are downloading the same pack at the same time to different locations, the effort is of course redundant. But I don't think we can reliably distinguish between that case and one where an earlier process died in the middle of downloading a pack but was unable to clean up after itself.

Thanks, Taylor

Previous: Ted NymanNext: Jeff King
Message 5 of 57 in “packfile URIs: support concurrent downloads”
  1. 0/2 packfile URIs: support concurrent downloadsTed Nyman, Jul 13, 2026
  2. 1/2 http: use unique tempfiles for packfile URI downloadsTed Nyman, Jul 13, 2026
  3. Junio C HamanoJul 14, 2026
  4. Ted NymanJul 14, 2026
  5. Taylor BlauJul 14, 2026
  6. Jeff KingJul 14, 2026
  7. Junio C HamanoJul 14, 2026
  8. Ted NymanJul 14, 2026
  9. Taylor BlauJul 14, 2026
  10. Jeff KingJul 14, 2026
  11. Jeff KingJul 14, 2026
  12. 2/2 fetch-pack: accept "pack" output for packfile URIsTed Nyman, Jul 13, 2026
  13. Jeff KingJul 14, 2026
  14. Jeff KingJul 14, 2026
  15. Ted NymanJul 14, 2026
  16. Jeff KingJul 14, 2026
  17. Taylor BlauJul 14, 2026
  18. 0/2 packfile URIs: support concurrent downloadsTed Nyman, Jul 20, 2026
  19. 1/2 http: avoid concurrent appends to partial packsTed Nyman, Jul 20, 2026
  20. Junio C HamanoJul 21, 2026
  21. 2/2 fetch-pack: accept "pack" output for packfile URIsTed Nyman, Jul 20, 2026
  22. 0/3 packfile URIs: support concurrent downloadsTed Nyman, Jul 21, 2026
  23. 1/3 http-fetch: correct --index-pack-arg documentationTed Nyman, Jul 21, 2026
  24. 2/3 http: avoid concurrent appends to partial packsTed Nyman, Jul 21, 2026
  25. 3/3 fetch-pack: accept "pack" output for packfile URIsTed Nyman, Jul 21, 2026
  26. Junio C HamanoJul 24, 2026
  27. Jeff KingJul 25, 2026
  28. Jeff KingJul 25, 2026
  29. Jeff KingJul 25, 2026
  30. Jeff KingJul 25, 2026
  31. Junio C HamanoJul 25, 2026
  32. 0/3 packfile URIs: support concurrent downloadsTed Nyman, Jul 24, 2026
  33. 1/3 http-fetch: correct --index-pack-arg documentationTed Nyman, Jul 24, 2026
  34. Taylor BlauJul 24, 2026
  35. 2/3 http: avoid concurrent appends to partial packsTed Nyman, Jul 24, 2026
  36. 3/3 fetch-pack: accept "pack" output for packfile URIsTed Nyman, Jul 24, 2026
  37. Taylor BlauJul 24, 2026
  38. 0/3 packfile URIs: support concurrent downloadsTed Nyman, Jul 26, 2026
  39. 1/3 http-fetch: correct --index-pack-arg documentationTed Nyman, Jul 26, 2026
  40. 2/3 http: avoid concurrent appends to partial packsTed Nyman, Jul 26, 2026
  41. Jeff KingJul 26, 2026
  42. Ted NymanJul 26, 2026
  43. Jeff KingJul 26, 2026
  44. 3/3 fetch-pack: accept "pack" output for packfile URIsTed Nyman, Jul 26, 2026
  45. Jeff KingJul 26, 2026
  46. 0/6 packfile URIs: support concurrent downloadsTed Nyman, Jul 27, 2026
  47. 1/6 http-fetch: correct --index-pack-arg documentationTed Nyman, Jul 27, 2026
  48. 2/6 http: avoid closing index-pack input twiceTed Nyman, Jul 27, 2026
  49. Jeff KingAug 1, 2026
  50. 3/6 http: accept HTTP 416 for complete partial packsTed Nyman, Jul 27, 2026
  51. Jeff KingAug 1, 2026
  52. 4/6 http: avoid concurrent appends to partial packsTed Nyman, Jul 27, 2026
  53. 5/6 http: permit unlinking partial packs on WindowsTed Nyman, Jul 27, 2026
  54. 6/6 fetch-pack: accept "pack" output for packfile URIsTed Nyman, Jul 27, 2026
  55. Junio C HamanoJul 29, 2026
  56. Jeff KingAug 1, 2026
  57. Junio C HamanoAug 8, 2026

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