From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Tom Prince Subject: Re: git and time Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2006 21:26:55 -0600 Message-ID: <20060928032655.GB3650@socrates.priv> References: <20060928024938.46785.qmail@web51009.mail.yahoo.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-From: git-owner@vger.kernel.org Thu Sep 28 05:23:55 2006 Return-path: Envelope-to: gcvg-git@gmane.org Received: from vger.kernel.org ([209.132.176.167]) by ciao.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1GSmV8-0008L3-0A for gcvg-git@gmane.org; Thu, 28 Sep 2006 05:23:54 +0200 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S965245AbWI1DXq (ORCPT ); Wed, 27 Sep 2006 23:23:46 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S965250AbWI1DXq (ORCPT ); Wed, 27 Sep 2006 23:23:46 -0400 Received: from shawidc-mo1.cg.shawcable.net ([24.71.223.10]:57056 "EHLO pd4mo2so.prod.shaw.ca") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S965245AbWI1DXq (ORCPT ); Wed, 27 Sep 2006 23:23:46 -0400 Received: from pd3mr7so.prod.shaw.ca (pd3mr7so-qfe3.prod.shaw.ca [10.0.141.23]) by l-daemon (Sun ONE Messaging Server 6.0 HotFix 1.01 (built Mar 15 2004)) with ESMTP id <0J6A007R89FLAH20@l-daemon> for git@vger.kernel.org; Wed, 27 Sep 2006 21:23:45 -0600 (MDT) Received: from pn2ml6so.prod.shaw.ca ([10.0.121.150]) by pd3mr7so.prod.shaw.ca (Sun ONE Messaging Server 6.0 HotFix 1.01 (built Mar 15 2004)) with ESMTP id <0J6A00H0V9FL1D80@pd3mr7so.prod.shaw.ca> for git@vger.kernel.org; Wed, 27 Sep 2006 21:23:45 -0600 (MDT) Received: from socrates.priv ([68.148.44.50]) by l-daemon (Sun ONE Messaging Server 6.0 HotFix 1.01 (built Mar 15 2004)) with ESMTP id <0J6A00MDQ9FJLX11@l-daemon> for git@vger.kernel.org; Wed, 27 Sep 2006 21:23:45 -0600 (MDT) Received: from socrates.priv (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by socrates.priv (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id k8S3QtqD009531 for ; Wed, 27 Sep 2006 21:26:55 -0600 Received: (from cougar@localhost) by socrates.priv (8.13.4/8.13.4/Submit) id k8S3Qt2v009530 for git@vger.kernel.org; Wed, 27 Sep 2006 21:26:55 -0600 In-reply-to: <20060928024938.46785.qmail@web51009.mail.yahoo.com> To: git@vger.kernel.org Mail-followup-to: git@vger.kernel.org Content-disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.11-2006-05-17 Sender: git-owner@vger.kernel.org Precedence: bulk X-Mailing-List: git@vger.kernel.org Archived-At: On Wed, Sep 27, 2006 at 07:49:37PM -0700, Matthew L Foster wrote: > How does git ensure that the timestamp in a commit records when it was > actually created? Git doesn't try. Git would be perfectly happy if time(2) returned a random value each time. No part of git uses the time in any meaningful way, it just keeps a record of it to display. > I am not saying throw away creation time, just that local time is more > preferable and relevant and git/gitweb.cgi should not in any way > depend on time being configured correctly on each and every git > server. git and gitweb.cgi DO NOT in any way depend on time being configured correctly. If some machine has incorrectly configured time, then they will *correctly* display the strange time. > I think users of kernel.org's repo (or web interface) care > more about when change X was commited to it than when an author > created/emailed change X, but perhaps I am wrong or don't understand > git or both. Based on comments on this list, it appears that most people don't aren't interested in when exactly a given change hits kernel.org. Several people have pointed out ways to get at the information you want, but none of have seen a need for the information, and so haven't the motivation to implement. It might help if you gave a use case for the information you want. If you give us a problem that you think the information will solve, the list will probably be able to you how to get at the information you want. I think you have some misconception of how git works. Git is designed to not lose information. Once a commit is created it is immutable, regardless of whether the time is wrong, or the author, or the commit message, or any bugs in the commit. This is a *feature*. It means you need to go out of your way to destroy history. > -Matt Tom