00a09d57eb
Normally we try to avoid bumps of the whole-repository core.repositoryformatversion field. However, it is unavoidable if we want to safely change certain aspects of git in a backwards-incompatible way (e.g., modifying the set of ref tips that we must traverse to generate a list of unreachable, safe-to-prune objects). If we were to bump the repository version for every such change, then any implementation understanding version `X` would also have to understand `X-1`, `X-2`, and so forth, even though the incompatibilities may be in orthogonal parts of the system, and there is otherwise no reason we cannot implement one without the other (or more importantly, that the user cannot choose to use one feature without the other, weighing the tradeoff in compatibility only for that particular feature). This patch documents the existing repositoryformatversion strategy and introduces a new format, "1", which lets a repository specify that it must run with an arbitrary set of extensions. This can be used, for example: - to inform git that the objects should not be pruned based only on the reachability of the ref tips (e.g, because it has "clone --shared" children) - that the refs are stored in a format besides the usual "refs" and "packed-refs" directories Because we bump to format "1", and because format "1" requires that a running git knows about any extensions mentioned, we know that older versions of the code will not do something dangerous when confronted with these new formats. For example, if the user chooses to use database storage for refs, they may set the "extensions.refbackend" config to "db". Older versions of git will not understand format "1" and bail. Versions of git which understand "1" but do not know about "refbackend", or which know about "refbackend" but not about the "db" backend, will refuse to run. This is annoying, of course, but much better than the alternative of claiming that there are no refs in the repository, or writing to a location that other implementations will not read. Note that we are only defining the rules for format 1 here. We do not ever write format 1 ourselves; it is a tool that is meant to be used by users and future extensions to provide safety with older implementations. Signed-off-by: Jeff King <peff@peff.net> Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
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Git - the stupid content tracker
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"git" can mean anything, depending on your mood.
- random three-letter combination that is pronounceable, and not
actually used by any common UNIX command. The fact that it is a
mispronunciation of "get" may or may not be relevant.
- stupid. contemptible and despicable. simple. Take your pick from the
dictionary of slang.
- "global information tracker": you're in a good mood, and it actually
works for you. Angels sing, and a light suddenly fills the room.
- "goddamn idiotic truckload of sh*t": when it breaks
Git is a fast, scalable, distributed revision control system with an
unusually rich command set that provides both high-level operations
and full access to internals.
Git is an Open Source project covered by the GNU General Public
License version 2 (some parts of it are under different licenses,
compatible with the GPLv2). It was originally written by Linus
Torvalds with help of a group of hackers around the net.
Please read the file INSTALL for installation instructions.
See Documentation/gittutorial.txt to get started, then see
Documentation/giteveryday.txt for a useful minimum set of commands, and
Documentation/git-commandname.txt for documentation of each command.
If git has been correctly installed, then the tutorial can also be
read with "man gittutorial" or "git help tutorial", and the
documentation of each command with "man git-commandname" or "git help
commandname".
CVS users may also want to read Documentation/gitcvs-migration.txt
("man gitcvs-migration" or "git help cvs-migration" if git is
installed).
Many Git online resources are accessible from http://git-scm.com/
including full documentation and Git related tools.
The user discussion and development of Git take place on the Git
mailing list -- everyone is welcome to post bug reports, feature
requests, comments and patches to git@vger.kernel.org (read
Documentation/SubmittingPatches for instructions on patch submission).
To subscribe to the list, send an email with just "subscribe git" in
the body to majordomo@vger.kernel.org. The mailing list archives are
available at http://news.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git/,
http://marc.info/?l=git and other archival sites.
The maintainer frequently sends the "What's cooking" reports that
list the current status of various development topics to the mailing
list. The discussion following them give a good reference for
project status, development direction and remaining tasks.