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From: "Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
To: git@vger.kernel.org
Cc: Phillip Wood <phillip.wood123@gmail.com>,
	"D. Ben Knoble" <ben.knoble@gmail.com>,
	Harald Nordgren <haraldnordgren@gmail.com>,
	Harald Nordgren <haraldnordgren@gmail.com>
Subject: [PATCH v7 4/4] remote: default to --limited-fetch in a shallow repository
Date: Wed, 07 Oct 2026 21:56:04 +0000	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <c8fd073de34b6c63d0e9e9f41220fde36f5cd40e.1791410164.git.gitgitgadget@gmail.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <pull.2412.v7.git.git.1791410164.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>

From: Harald Nordgren <haraldnordgren@gmail.com>

Adding a second remote to a shallow, single-branch clone used to
still fetch every branch that remote has, since "git remote add"
always set up a wildcard remote.<name>.fetch refspec regardless of
how shallow the repository already was. That defeats the purpose of
having cloned shallow and single-branch in the first place, and can
make a plain "git fetch" on that remote hang or take a very long
time on a repository with many branches.

Turn --limited-fetch on by default when the repository is already
shallow and neither -t/--track nor --mirror was given, so that
adding a remote there does not by itself commit to following every
branch it has. --no-limited-fetch keeps the previous behavior for
whoever wants it.

Signed-off-by: Harald Nordgren <haraldnordgren@gmail.com>
---
 Documentation/git-remote.adoc |  8 ++++-
 builtin/remote.c              |  5 ++-
 t/t5505-remote.sh             | 60 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 3 files changed, 71 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/git-remote.adoc b/Documentation/git-remote.adoc
index 4255f8b3e6..80f8a4a183 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-remote.adoc
+++ b/Documentation/git-remote.adoc
@@ -52,6 +52,11 @@ Add a remote named _<name>_ for the repository at
 _<URL>_.  The command `git fetch <name>` can then be used to create and
 update remote-tracking branches `<name>/<branch>`.
 +
+If the repository is already a shallow repository (see linkgit:git-clone[1]
+`--depth`) and neither `-t`, `--mirror` nor `--no-limited-fetch` is given,
+`--limited-fetch` is turned on by default, so that `git fetch <name>` does
+not need to negotiate history for every branch the remote has.
++
 With `-f` option, `git fetch <name>` is run immediately after
 the remote information is set up.
 +
@@ -74,7 +79,8 @@ With `--limited-fetch` option, instead of a `remote.<name>.fetch` refspec
 that tracks all branches, `remote.<name>.refmap` is set up so that a
 refspec-less `git fetch <name>` only fetches branches our local branches
 are built on. See the `--refmap` entry in linkgit:git-fetch[1] for
-details.
+details. `--no-limited-fetch` explicitly disables this, overriding the
+shallow-repository default described above.
 +
 With `-m <master>` option, a symbolic-ref `refs/remotes/<name>/HEAD` is set
 up to point at remote's _<master>_ branch. See also the set-head command.
diff --git a/builtin/remote.c b/builtin/remote.c
index f036dd5d6f..0cf1126976 100644
--- a/builtin/remote.c
+++ b/builtin/remote.c
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include "rebase.h"
 #include "refs.h"
 #include "refspec.h"
+#include "shallow.h"
 #include "odb.h"
 #include "strvec.h"
 #include "commit-reach.h"
@@ -238,7 +239,9 @@ static int add(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix,
 
 	if (!mirror || mirror & MIRROR_FETCH) {
 		int use_limited_fetch = mirror == MIRROR_NONE && track.nr == 0 &&
-			limited_fetch == 1;
+			(limited_fetch == 1 ||
+			 (limited_fetch == -1 &&
+			  is_repository_shallow(the_repository)));
 
 		strbuf_reset(&buf);
 		if (use_limited_fetch) {
diff --git a/t/t5505-remote.sh b/t/t5505-remote.sh
index 0168d5abfe..f3b5905e9e 100755
--- a/t/t5505-remote.sh
+++ b/t/t5505-remote.sh
@@ -137,6 +137,66 @@ test_expect_success 'filters are listed by git remote -v only' '
 	test_grep ! "\[blob:none\]" out
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'add remote -t keeps an explicit refspec in a shallow repository' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -rf shallow-add" &&
+	git clone --no-local --depth=1 --branch main --single-branch \
+		one shallow-add &&
+	(
+		cd shallow-add &&
+		git remote add -t main upstream ../two &&
+		test_cmp_config "+refs/heads/main:refs/remotes/upstream/main" \
+			remote.upstream.fetch
+	)
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'add remote keeps the wildcard refspec in a full repository' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -rf full-add" &&
+	git clone --no-local one full-add &&
+	(
+		cd full-add &&
+		git remote add upstream ../two &&
+		test_cmp_config "+refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/upstream/*" \
+			remote.upstream.fetch
+	)
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'a remote added in a shallow repository defaults to --limited-fetch' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -rf shallow-add" &&
+	git clone --no-local --depth=1 --branch main --single-branch \
+		one shallow-add &&
+	(
+		cd shallow-add &&
+		git remote add upstream ../two &&
+		test_cmp_config "+refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/upstream/*" \
+			remote.upstream.refmap &&
+		test_must_fail git config get remote.upstream.fetch &&
+		git fetch upstream main &&
+		git branch --set-upstream-to=upstream/main &&
+		test_cmp_config upstream branch.main.remote &&
+		test_cmp_config refs/heads/main branch.main.merge &&
+		git fetch upstream &&
+		git for-each-ref --format="%(refname)" refs/remotes/upstream >actual &&
+		cat >expect <<-\EOF &&
+		refs/remotes/upstream/HEAD
+		refs/remotes/upstream/main
+		EOF
+		test_cmp expect actual
+	)
+'
+
+test_expect_success '--no-limited-fetch overrides the shallow-repository default' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -rf shallow-add" &&
+	git clone --no-local --depth=1 --branch main --single-branch \
+		one shallow-add &&
+	(
+		cd shallow-add &&
+		git remote add --no-limited-fetch upstream ../two &&
+		test_cmp_config "+refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/upstream/*" \
+			remote.upstream.fetch &&
+		test_must_fail git config get remote.upstream.refmap
+	)
+'
+
 test_expect_success '--limited-fetch works in a full repository too' '
 	test_when_finished "rm -rf full-add" &&
 	git clone --no-local one full-add &&
-- 
gitgitgadget

      parent reply	other threads:[~2026-10-07 21:56 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 55+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2026-09-19 14:47 [PATCH] fetch: add config to avoid fetching every branch in shallow repo Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-09-21 13:28 ` Phillip Wood
2026-09-21 21:45   ` Harald Nordgren
2026-09-22 13:00     ` Harald Nordgren
2026-09-22 14:53       ` Phillip Wood
2026-09-22 15:37         ` Harald Nordgren
2026-09-23 15:14           ` Phillip Wood
2026-09-22 17:11   ` Junio C Hamano
2026-09-22 21:40     ` Harald Nordgren
2026-09-23 15:19     ` Phillip Wood
2026-09-23 15:34       ` Junio C Hamano
2026-09-23 16:55         ` D. Ben Knoble
2026-09-23 19:50           ` Junio C Hamano
2026-09-24 17:10             ` D. Ben Knoble
2026-09-24 18:02               ` Junio C Hamano
2026-09-23 20:35 ` [PATCH v2] fetch: avoid fetching every branch of a new remote in a " Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-09-23 21:38   ` Junio C Hamano
2026-09-25 10:49 ` [PATCH v3 0/4] " Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-09-25 10:49   ` [PATCH v3 1/4] fetch: add remote.<name>.refmap Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-09-25 22:38     ` Junio C Hamano
2026-09-25 10:50   ` [PATCH v3 2/4] fetch: infer branches to fetch from a refmap-only remote Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-09-25 23:26     ` Junio C Hamano
2026-09-25 10:50   ` [PATCH v3 3/4] remote: add "git remote add --limited-fetch" Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-09-25 10:50   ` [PATCH v3 4/4] remote: default to --limited-fetch in a shallow repository Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-09-29  9:19 ` [PATCH v4 0/4] fetch: avoid fetching every branch of a new remote in a shallow repo Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-09-29  9:19   ` [PATCH v4 1/4] fetch: add remote.<name>.refmap Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-09-29  9:19   ` [PATCH v4 2/4] fetch: infer branches to fetch from a refmap-only remote Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-09-29  9:27     ` Harald Nordgren
2026-09-29 20:17     ` Junio C Hamano
2026-09-29  9:19   ` [PATCH v4 3/4] remote: add "git remote add --limited-fetch" Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-09-29  9:19   ` [PATCH v4 4/4] remote: default to --limited-fetch in a shallow repository Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-09-29 19:36   ` [PATCH v4 0/4] fetch: avoid fetching every branch of a new remote in a shallow repo Junio C Hamano
2026-10-02  7:13 ` [PATCH v5 " Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-10-02  7:13   ` [PATCH v5 1/4] fetch: add remote.<name>.refmap Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-10-02  7:13   ` [PATCH v5 2/4] fetch: infer branches to fetch from a refmap-only remote Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-10-02  7:13   ` [PATCH v5 3/4] remote: add "git remote add --limited-fetch" Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-10-02 16:28     ` Junio C Hamano
2026-10-02  7:13   ` [PATCH v5 4/4] remote: default to --limited-fetch in a shallow repository Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-10-04  8:31 ` [PATCH v6 0/4] fetch: avoid fetching every branch of a new remote in a shallow repo Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-10-04  8:31   ` [PATCH v6 1/4] fetch: add remote.<name>.refmap Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-10-04  8:31   ` [PATCH v6 2/4] fetch: infer branches to fetch from a refmap-only remote Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-10-04  8:31   ` [PATCH v6 3/4] remote: add "git remote add --limited-fetch" Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-10-04  8:31   ` [PATCH v6 4/4] remote: default to --limited-fetch in a shallow repository Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-10-04 17:17   ` [PATCH v6 0/4] fetch: avoid fetching every branch of a new remote in a shallow repo Junio C Hamano
2026-10-04 19:51     ` Harald Nordgren
2026-10-05 12:17       ` Junio C Hamano
2026-10-05 18:09         ` Harald Nordgren
2026-10-07 21:56 ` [PATCH v7 " Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-10-07 21:56   ` [PATCH v7 1/4] fetch: add remote.<name>.refmap Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-10-07 21:56   ` [PATCH v7 2/4] fetch: infer branches to fetch from a refmap-only remote Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-10-08 16:59     ` Junio C Hamano
2026-10-09  7:05       ` Harald Nordgren
2026-10-09  8:09       ` Harald Nordgren
2026-10-07 21:56   ` [PATCH v7 3/4] remote: add "git remote add --limited-fetch" Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget
2026-10-07 21:56   ` Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget [this message]

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