Re: git-config: replaces ~/.gitconfig symlink with real file

[Johannes Schindelin <Johannes.Schindelin@gmx.de>]

Hi,

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007, Fredrik Tolf wrote:

> Johannes Schindelin <Johannes.Schindelin@gmx.de> writes:
> 
> > On Mon, 16 Jul 2007, Bradford Smith wrote:
> >
> >> So, I guess I need to add a GIT_CONFIG_HOME environment variable.  If I 
> >> get that done, I'll send a patch to the list including doc updates.
> >
> > Alternatively, you could actually not ignore my hint at readlink(2) and 
> > have a proper fix, instead of playing games with environment variables.
> 
> Wouldn't it be nicer to avoid a lot of the complexity in checking 
> symlinks, environment variables and what not, and just overwrite the 
> file in place (with open(..., O_TRUNC | O_CREAT))? Does it happen 
> terribly often that git-config crashes in the middle and leaves the file 
> broken?

No, it does not.  But when it does, I am not only annoyed.  I am PISSED!

The way we do it is the only safe way to do it, and I gladly spend some 
extra cycles for that.  Too often, a small hard disk glitch (or just an 
empty laptop battery!) took some important data into the void.  Too often, 
I _cursed_ at the machine, even if it was the programmers' fault.

Ciao,
Dscho