# Reduce number of changes to pack file. 3 messages from 2011-03-28 to 2011-03-28. Participants: Chandra Sukiman, Joshua Juran, Santi Béjar. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/26884 ## Chandra Sukiman, 2011-03-28 03:33 Subject: Reduce number of changes to pack file. Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/AANLkTimFKGrSCgBShtERaGfd%3D9y%2B%3Dq-aHsN3u5Lvf52v%40mail.gmail.com In-Reply-To: ``` Hi, I am using git with Dropbox (see http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1960799/using-gitdropbox-together-effectively). Basically I created a bare repository at dropbox and everyone uses that for central repository. As the repository size is getting bigger, sometime during the git gc, it will create a huge .pack file (300 mb) which need to be uploaded and downloaded by everyone. I tried to limit the size of the pack to 10m (pack.packSizeLimit = 10m), but when doing gc, what happens now is that most of the pack files will get re-arranged and modified. This will cause the same upload/download issue that I want to solve. Is there any way for git gc to reduce the number of file changed? Thank you Chandra ``` ## Joshua Juran, 2011-03-28 13:29 Subject: Re: Reduce number of changes to pack file. Message-ID: <3400B460-E01F-477C-AB14-5593BBF39419@gmail.com> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/3400B460-E01F-477C-AB14-5593BBF39419%40gmail.com In-Reply-To: ``` On Mar 27, 2011, at 8:33 PM, Chandra Sukiman wrote: > I am using git with Dropbox (see > http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1960799/using-gitdropbox-together-effectively) > . I don't see how this can end any way other than in pain. > As the repository size is getting bigger, sometime during the git gc, > it will create a huge .pack file (300 mb) which need to be uploaded > and downloaded by everyone. Thank you for making my point for me. :-) > I tried to limit the size of the pack to 10m (pack.packSizeLimit = > 10m), but when doing gc, what happens now is that most of the pack > files will get re-arranged and modified. This will cause the same > upload/download issue that I want to solve. :-) > Is there any way for git gc to reduce the number of file changed? I'm going to answer a completely different question: "Where should I host my Git repo?". The answer is, on (a) one of the free hosting services like GitHub (if your project is public), (b) one of the pay services (like GitHub), or (c) your own Unix server. I use (a) and (c). You shouldn't be hosting a Git repository on a file-based synchronization service. It's asking for trouble. Josh ``` ## Santi Béjar, 2011-03-28 13:40 Subject: Re: Reduce number of changes to pack file. Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/AANLkTik19360G7t_cjimCFOAURnuJEA3ztnu3VACWLNV%40mail.gmail.com In-Reply-To: ``` On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 5:33 AM, Chandra Sukiman wrote: > Hi, > > I am using git with Dropbox (see > http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1960799/using-gitdropbox-together-effectively). > Basically I created a bare repository at dropbox and everyone uses > that for central repository. > As the repository size is getting bigger, sometime during the git gc, > it will create a huge .pack file (300 mb) which need to be uploaded > and downloaded by everyone. > I tried to limit the size of the pack to 10m (pack.packSizeLimit = > 10m), but when doing gc, what happens now is that most of the pack > files will get re-arranged and modified. This will cause the same > upload/download issue that I want to solve. > > Is there any way for git gc to reduce the number of file changed? Yes, you can mark those packs you want to keep creating an empty file in .git/objects/packs/ with the name of the pack but with .keep as the extension, i.e.: .git/objects/pack/pack-f525c8673216b3302b4ec2b515e807a2dcfeff57.idx .git/objects/pack/pack-f525c8673216b3302b4ec2b515e807a2dcfeff57.keep .git/objects/pack/pack-f525c8673216b3302b4ec2b515e807a2dcfeff57.pack HTH, Santi > > Thank you > > Chandra > -- > To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe git" in > the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org > More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html > ```