From: Theodore Tso <tytso@mit.edu>
Date: Thu, 04 Jun 2026 14:27:05 GMT
Subject: Re: Is it intended behaviour that 'git gc' ignores the 'commitGraph.changedPaths' setting?
Message-ID: <zzxyeseps5rflyldmdlx54dkjlyu4v267wbpfb4xlrh4lahogf@3woimupgfm7v>
In-Reply-To: <aiF0aN9BwBvQffGL@pks.im>

On Thu, Jun 04, 2026 at 02:49:44PM +0200, Patrick Steinhardt wrote:
> So my recommendation would be to stop using git-gc(1) altogether -- I am
> biased as I have helped implementing the new maintenance strategy, but I
> would say that git-gc(1) is nowadays a legacy tool that inches closer
> towards the end of its life. Git's default maintenance nowadays uses
> git-maintenance(1) without using git-gc(1) at all anymore.

I wonder if we should add a tunable that makes "git gc" redirect to
"git maintenance run" or some such.  For those of us who like to
launch maintenance tasks at specific times (for example, before I
disconnect from the AC mains and get on a plane), "git gc" has a major
advantage --- it has fewer characters to type, and I'm lazy.  :-)

The other things to perhaps suggest is ways that developers can set up
rules like disabling git maintenace running while on battery, etc.
This might require OS-specific mechanisms for determining whether the
laptop is running on battery --- but I note that git-maintenance is
already hooked into systemd and launchctl for Linux and MacOS,
respectively, so there's precedent for that sort of thing.

Cheers,

					- Ted