Re: git gc == git garbage-create from removed branch

 On Fri, 04 May 2012 09:37:21 +0200, Andreas Ericsson [off-list ref] wrote:

On 05/03/2012 08:38 PM, Hallvard Breien Furuseth wrote:

quoted

After removing a branch, 'git gc' explodes all objects
which were only in that branch.  Git filled up my disk that
way when I had cherry-picked from a big remote repo and then
did git remote rm.  Tested with Git 1.7.10.1 and 1.7.1.

That's by design. It's added to save people who accidentally
delete a branch or for some other reason really want to keep the
objects they're about to delete.

 Keeping old objects for a while is by design, which I appreciate.

 Consuming gigabytes of disk space for this is a design bug.  Git should
 pack such objects when they breed too fast, just like other objects.

 If that's a hard design issue to get around, git gc should at least
 catch this and stop unless the user forces gc with some option.
 Users should not need to know that in certain circumstances, gc will
 ravenously eat their disk space without even giving advance notice.

Use 'git gc --prune=now' with a recent* git and you'll avoid the
problem.

 I don't want to prune.  Old objects have indeed saved me from
 accidents, as you mention.

 But it's good to know I don't need to throw away the reflog too.
 Thanks.

 Hallvard