Re: [PATCH] update-server-info: avoid needless overwrites

[Eric Wong <e@80x24.org>]

Jeff King <peff@peff.net> wrote:
> Yeah, I think there's sort of an open question here of who is calling
> update-server-info when nothing got updated. I think the only place we
> call it automatically is via receive-pack, but I'd guess Eric runs it as
> part of public-inbox scripts.

Correct.  post-update doesn't get run because public-inbox
relies on fast-import.  I have mirrors using "git fetch", which
also doesn't call post-update, either so I was calling
update-server-info in my mirror script.

Since more people have taken an interest in mirroring things,
I figured I'd make "public-inbox-index" (the script which
updates the Xapian and SQLite indices) call update-server-info
itself.

That way, it's simpler to mirror (v1) inboxes:

  git fetch && git update-server-info && public-inbox-index

becomes:

  git fetch && public-inbox-index

That's a huge savings in cognitive overhead.

So, my eventual goal for this is we get to the point where any
git operation which changes refs will automatically update
info/refs if it exists.

Ditto for objects/info/packs on any pack changes.

This, like my bitmap-by-default change is among the things
I'm trying to make it easier for more users to start
self-hosting (including mirroring) any type of git repo.

Anyways, I am far from knowledgeable about the locking
discussion for git, though :x

> That's my reading, too, but I didn't want to be responsible for
> regressing some obscure case. At least Eric seems to _use_
> update-server-info. ;)

I also have something else on my mind for abusing info files with :>
(another email)