Re: [PATCH] builtin/pack-objects.c: introduce `pack.extraCruftTips`

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Apr 20, 2023, 19:52 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqq1qkez5yg.fsf@gitster.g>
In-Reply-To: <ZEGSvfEkE5PhokKv@nand.local>

Taylor Blau <me@ttaylorr.com> writes:

Show 11 quoted lines

>> But it makes me wonder if it would make the life of end-users simpler
>> if we reserve a special ref hierarchy, say "refs/crufts/*", than
>> having to write a program for doing something like this.
>
> Ideally, yes. But I think there are certain instances where there are
> far too many (disconnected) objects that creating a reference for each
> part of the unreachable object graph that we want to keep is infeasible.
>
> Another way to think about pack.extraCruftTips is that the program
> invocation is acting like the refs/crufts hierarchy would if it existed,
> but without actually having to write all of those references down.

I do not need another way, actually.

If it is infeasible to keep track of what we want to keep from expiration because they are too numerous and disconnected, I have to wonder how a programatic way to enumerate them is feasible, especially the enumeration is for doing something useful.

You can write a program that enumerates all the loose objects and existing object names that appear in .idx files and such a program will cover "everything is too disconnected" case, but that does not count as a useful use case---disabling cruft expiration would achieve the same thing. Is there a less hand-wavy use case you have in mind?

THanks.