Re: [PATCH 00/11] [RFC] Create 'core.size=large' setting to update config defaults

[Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>]

Derrick Stolee <stolee@gmail.com> writes:

>>  - perhaps we may eventually want to allow end users (via their
>>    ~/.gitconfig) and system administrators (via /etc/gitconfig)
>>    define such a macro setting (e.g. setting macro.largeRepoSetting
>>    sets pack.usebitmaps=true, pack.useSpars=true, etc.) *after* we
>>    figure out what we want to do to the other points in this list.
>>
>>  - even if we do not allow end users and system administrators futz
>>    with custom macros, can we specify the macros we ship without
>>    casting them in code?
>
> Are you suggesting that we allow some config values to be pulled from
> the repo contents?

Not at all.  As far as the configuration is concerned, what project
ships is tainted data that should not be used blindly.

What I had in mind is parallel to the idea of pushing "static struct
userdiff_driver builtin_drivers[]" out of the compiled-in code and
instead have a text file shipped in /usr/share/git/ somewhere.  So,
instead of having "core.size==large means these other four variables
are set to these values" in the code, we invent a general mechanism
to read such "macro" specification out of a text file, and that
would be the only code change---the specific "core.size==large
affects X, Y and Z" would not be in the code, but would be in the
text file we ship and read by the mechanism.

If the list of allowed "meta" configuration variables and the
configuration variables whose default each of them affects can be
expressed in our usual ".gitconfig" file format, then the system
administrators can add their own in /etc/gitconfig, too, to help
their users.

That is what I meant by the last item.  Note that I was "wondering
if it makes sense" and what I wrote above in this message is merely
clarifying what I meant---I am not making further/more arguments to
claim it is a good idea (at least not yet).

Thanks.