From: Jeff King Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 02:05:10 +0000 (-0400) Subject: Documentation/git-gc: improve description of --auto X-Git-Tag: v1.5.4-rc0~339 X-Git-Url: http://git.tremily.us/?a=commitdiff_plain;h=d7e56dbc4f60f6bd238e8612783541d89f006fb7;p=git.git Documentation/git-gc: improve description of --auto This patch tries to make the description of --auto a little more clear for new users, especially those referred by the "git-gc --auto" notification message. It also cleans up some grammatical errors and typos in the original description, as well as rewording for clarity. Signed-off-by: Jeff King Signed-off-by: Shawn O. Pearce --- diff --git a/Documentation/git-gc.txt b/Documentation/git-gc.txt index 83843a549..872056ea0 100644 --- a/Documentation/git-gc.txt +++ b/Documentation/git-gc.txt @@ -45,18 +45,23 @@ OPTIONS few hundred changesets or so. --auto:: - With this option, `git gc` checks if there are too many - loose objects in the repository and runs - gitlink:git-repack[1] with `-d -l` option to pack them. - The threshold for loose objects is set with `gc.auto` configuration - variable, and can be disabled by setting it to 0. Some - Porcelain commands use this after they perform operation - that could create many loose objects automatically. - Additionally, when there are too many packs are present, - they are consolidated into one larger pack by running - the `git-repack` command with `-A` option. The - threshold for number of packs is set with - `gc.autopacklimit` configuration variable. + With this option, `git gc` checks whether any housekeeping is + required; if not, it exits without performing any work. + Some git commands run `git gc --auto` after performing + operations that could create many loose objects. ++ +Housekeeping is required if there are too many loose objects or +too many packs in the repository. If the number of loose objects +exceeds the value of the `gc.auto` configuration variable, then +all loose objects are combined into a single pack using +`git-repack -d -l`. Setting the value of `gc.auto` to 0 +disables automatic packing of loose objects. ++ +If the number of packs exceeds the value of `gc.autopacklimit`, +then existing packs (except those marked with a `.keep` file) +are consolidated into a single pack by using the `-A` option of +`git-repack`. Setting `gc.autopacklimit` to 0 disables +automatic consolidation of packs. Configuration -------------