[PATCH] negotiator/skipping.c: parse parents before queueing

[PATCH] negotiator/skipping.c: parse parents before queueing

[Taylor Blau]

From: Taylor Blau <ttaylorr@openai.com>

The skipping negotiator sorts its queue by commit date, but
`push_parent()` can add a parent before parsing it. Its date is still
zero, so old ref tips go ahead of it.

For example, suppose a topic branch is one commit ahead of master.
Skipping offers the topic tip and skips master's tip. Master's parent
then waits behind old ref tips. With enough old refs, negotiation can
end before we offer that recent common ancestor.

Parse each unseen parent before adding it to the queue, so the queue
uses its actual date. If parsing fails, leave the parent out of the
queue.

Signed-off-by: Taylor Blau <ttaylorr@openai.com>
---
 negotiator/skipping.c                |  5 ++++-
 t/t5552-skipping-fetch-negotiator.sh | 33 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 37 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/negotiator/skipping.c b/negotiator/skipping.c
index db90fa77b53..ed6e88b59b4 100644
--- a/negotiator/skipping.c
+++ b/negotiator/skipping.c
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ static void mark_common(struct data *data, struct commit *seen_commit)
  * entry has the correct flags and ttl.
  *
  * This function returns 1 if an entry was found or created, and 0 otherwise
- * (because the entry for this commit had already been popped).
+ * (because the commit could not be parsed or its entry had already been popped).
  */
 static int push_parent(struct data *data, struct entry *entry,
 		       struct commit *to_push)
@@ -151,6 +151,9 @@ static int push_parent(struct data *data, struct entry *entry,
 parent_found:
 		;
 	} else {
+		/* Parse the parent before using its date to order the queue. */
+		if (repo_parse_commit(the_repository, to_push))
+			return 0;
 		parent_entry = rev_list_push(data, to_push, 0);
 	}
 
diff --git a/t/t5552-skipping-fetch-negotiator.sh b/t/t5552-skipping-fetch-negotiator.sh
index 96e224168eb..7a0b9b32474 100755
--- a/t/t5552-skipping-fetch-negotiator.sh
+++ b/t/t5552-skipping-fetch-negotiator.sh
@@ -223,4 +223,37 @@ test_expect_success 'do not send "have" with ancestors of commits that server AC
 	have_sent b2.c1 b2.c0
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'recent ancestors are sent before old ref tips' '
+	rm -rf server client trace &&
+	git init server &&
+	test_tick=2000000000 &&
+	test_commit -C server --no-tag base &&
+	test_commit -C server --no-tag parent &&
+	test_commit -C server --no-tag main &&
+	git clone server client &&
+	test_commit -C server --no-tag to_fetch &&
+
+	git -C client checkout -b topic &&
+	test_commit -C client --no-tag topic &&
+
+	# These old tips have known dates, but the recent parent has no ref.
+	# Without parsing parents before queueing them, its date is zero and
+	# all of these tips are sent first, delaying it past the first batch.
+	for i in $(test_seq 32)
+	do
+		old=$(echo "old $i" |
+			GIT_AUTHOR_DATE="1000000000 +0000" \
+			GIT_COMMITTER_DATE="1000000000 +0000" \
+			git -C client commit-tree HEAD^{tree}) &&
+		git -C client update-ref refs/heads/old-$i "$old" || return 1
+	done &&
+
+	test_config -C client fetch.negotiationalgorithm skipping &&
+	trace_fetch client origin &&
+	git -C client rev-parse HEAD HEAD~2 >expect &&
+	sed -n "s/.*fetch> have //p" trace >haves &&
+	sed -n "1,2p" haves >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_done

base-commit: c51408889c3b372814bc20b9431c3b74d0d268eb
-- 
2.56.0.187.gdc3dfa3647c

Re: [PATCH] negotiator/skipping.c: parse parents before queueing

[Patrick Steinhardt]

On Mon, Oct 19, 2026 at 03:17:07PM -0500, Taylor Blau wrote:
> diff --git a/negotiator/skipping.c b/negotiator/skipping.c
> index db90fa77b53..ed6e88b59b4 100644
> --- a/negotiator/skipping.c
> +++ b/negotiator/skipping.c
> @@ -151,6 +151,9 @@ static int push_parent(struct data *data, struct entry *entry,
>  parent_found:
>  		;
>  	} else {
> +		/* Parse the parent before using its date to order the queue. */
> +		if (repo_parse_commit(the_repository, to_push))
> +			return 0;
>  		parent_entry = rev_list_push(data, to_push, 0);
>  	}

Why do you parse the commit in `push_parent()` instead of parsing it in
`rev_list_push()`? The latter would also cover the other two callsites
that call it, and to me it's not clear why they wouldn't want to parse
the commits before adding it to the queue.

Doing so in `rev_list_push()` would also bring it in line with the
default negotiator.

There's also another call to `repo_parse_commit()` in `get_rev()`. Once
we start parsing the commit in `rev_list_push()` we could drop that call
as we'd know that every commit in the queue is parsed already.

> diff --git a/t/t5552-skipping-fetch-negotiator.sh b/t/t5552-skipping-fetch-negotiator.sh
> index 96e224168eb..7a0b9b32474 100755
> --- a/t/t5552-skipping-fetch-negotiator.sh
> +++ b/t/t5552-skipping-fetch-negotiator.sh
> @@ -223,4 +223,37 @@ test_expect_success 'do not send "have" with ancestors of commits that server AC
>  	have_sent b2.c1 b2.c0
>  '
>  
> +test_expect_success 'recent ancestors are sent before old ref tips' '
> +	rm -rf server client trace &&
> +	git init server &&
> +	test_tick=2000000000 &&
> +	test_commit -C server --no-tag base &&
> +	test_commit -C server --no-tag parent &&
> +	test_commit -C server --no-tag main &&
> +	git clone server client &&
> +	test_commit -C server --no-tag to_fetch &&
> +
> +	git -C client checkout -b topic &&
> +	test_commit -C client --no-tag topic &&
> +
> +	# These old tips have known dates, but the recent parent has no ref.
> +	# Without parsing parents before queueing them, its date is zero and
> +	# all of these tips are sent first, delaying it past the first batch.
> +	for i in $(test_seq 32)
> +	do
> +		old=$(echo "old $i" |
> +			GIT_AUTHOR_DATE="1000000000 +0000" \
> +			GIT_COMMITTER_DATE="1000000000 +0000" \
> +			git -C client commit-tree HEAD^{tree}) &&
> +		git -C client update-ref refs/heads/old-$i "$old" || return 1
> +	done &&
> +
> +	test_config -C client fetch.negotiationalgorithm skipping &&
> +	trace_fetch client origin &&
> +	git -C client rev-parse HEAD HEAD~2 >expect &&
> +	sed -n "s/.*fetch> have //p" trace >haves &&
> +	sed -n "1,2p" haves >actual &&

Nit: `head -n2 haves >actual`

Thanks!

Patrick

Re: [PATCH] negotiator/skipping.c: parse parents before queueing

[Junio C Hamano]

Patrick Steinhardt <ps@pks.im> writes:

> On Mon, Oct 19, 2026 at 03:17:07PM -0500, Taylor Blau wrote:
>> diff --git a/negotiator/skipping.c b/negotiator/skipping.c
>> index db90fa77b53..ed6e88b59b4 100644
>> --- a/negotiator/skipping.c
>> +++ b/negotiator/skipping.c
>> @@ -151,6 +151,9 @@ static int push_parent(struct data *data, struct entry *entry,
>>  parent_found:
>>  		;
>>  	} else {
>> +		/* Parse the parent before using its date to order the queue. */
>> +		if (repo_parse_commit(the_repository, to_push))
>> +			return 0;
>>  		parent_entry = rev_list_push(data, to_push, 0);
>>  	}
>
> Why do you parse the commit in `push_parent()` instead of parsing it in
> `rev_list_push()`? The latter would also cover the other two callsites
> that call it, and to me it's not clear why they wouldn't want to parse
> the commits before adding it to the queue.
>
> Doing so in `rev_list_push()` would also bring it in line with the
> default negotiator.
>
> There's also another call to `repo_parse_commit()` in `get_rev()`. Once
> we start parsing the commit in `rev_list_push()` we could drop that call
> as we'd know that every commit in the queue is parsed already.

Thanks for noticing this.

Re: [PATCH] negotiator/skipping.c: parse parents before queueing

[Taylor Blau]

On Wed, Oct 21, 2026 at 08:49:27AM +0200, Patrick Steinhardt wrote:
> On Mon, Oct 19, 2026 at 03:17:07PM -0500, Taylor Blau wrote:
> > diff --git a/negotiator/skipping.c b/negotiator/skipping.c
> > index db90fa77b53..ed6e88b59b4 100644
> > --- a/negotiator/skipping.c
> > +++ b/negotiator/skipping.c
> > @@ -151,6 +151,9 @@ static int push_parent(struct data *data, struct entry *entry,
> >  parent_found:
> >  		;
> >  	} else {
> > +		/* Parse the parent before using its date to order the queue. */
> > +		if (repo_parse_commit(the_repository, to_push))
> > +			return 0;
> >  		parent_entry = rev_list_push(data, to_push, 0);
> >  	}
>
> Why do you parse the commit in `push_parent()` instead of parsing it in
> `rev_list_push()`? The latter would also cover the other two callsites
> that call it, and to me it's not clear why they wouldn't want to parse
> the commits before adding it to the queue.
>
> Doing so in `rev_list_push()` would also bring it in line with the
> default negotiator.

I originally wrote it this way because the skipping negotiator's version
of `rev_list_push()` returns a pointer to an 'entry' struct, whereas the
default negotiator's simply returns void. But the only caller that needs
to learn to handle a NULL return value from that function is simply
`push_parent()` itself, since the other two callers already disregard
the return value.

I agree that performing the parse in `rev_list_push()` makes more sense
from both an ergonomic and consistency perspective, so I have moved it
there for the next round.

> There's also another call to `repo_parse_commit()` in `get_rev()`. Once
> we start parsing the commit in `rev_list_push()` we could drop that call
> as we'd know that every commit in the queue is parsed already.

That makes sense. The commit struct comes from the queue, and we know
that the queue always has fully-parsed commits, so there is no need to
re-parse it (even though the second and subsequent calls are noops).
I've removed it.

> > +	sed -n "s/.*fetch> have //p" trace >haves &&
> > +	sed -n "1,2p" haves >actual &&
>
> Nit: `head -n2 haves >actual`

Thanks, I realized when responding here that we don't even need the
'haves' intermediate file, so we can replace this and the above line
with:

    sed -n "s/.*fetch> have //p" trace | head -n 2 >actual &&

Thanks for reviewing!

Thanks,
Taylor

[PATCH v2] negotiator/skipping.c: parse parents before queueing

[Taylor Blau]

From: Taylor Blau <ttaylorr@openai.com>

The skipping negotiator sorts its queue by commit date, but callers
which push commits onto that queue, such as `push_parent()`, can add a
parent before parsing it. When an unparsed commit enters the queue, its
date is still zero, so old ref tips may sort ahead of it.

For example, suppose a topic branch is one commit ahead of master.
Skipping offers the topic tip and skips master's tip. Master's parent
then waits behind old ref tips. With enough old refs, negotiation can
end before we offer that recent common ancestor.

Parse each unseen parent before adding it to the queue, so the queue
uses its actual date. If parsing fails, leave the parent out of the
queue.

Since the sole caller of `prio_queue_put()` ensures that commits are
fully parsed before pushing them onto the queue, we can avoid a noop
call to `repo_parse_commit()` within `get_rev()`.

Note that unlike the default negotiator, the skipping negotiator's
version of `rev_list_push()` returns a pointer to an 'entry' struct. As
a consequence, callers must be prepared to handle a NULL return value.
The caller in `push_parent()` gains a NULL-ness check, and the remaining
two callers continue to ignore the return value from `rev_list_push()`.

Signed-off-by: Taylor Blau <ttaylorr@openai.com>
---
 negotiator/skipping.c                |  8 +++++--
 t/t5552-skipping-fetch-negotiator.sh | 32 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 38 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/negotiator/skipping.c b/negotiator/skipping.c
index db90fa77b53..0ae5f28d353 100644
--- a/negotiator/skipping.c
+++ b/negotiator/skipping.c
@@ -66,6 +66,9 @@ static struct entry *rev_list_push(struct data *data, struct commit *commit, int
 	struct entry *entry;
 	commit->object.flags |= mark | SEEN;
 
+	if (repo_parse_commit(the_repository, commit))
+		return NULL;
+
 	CALLOC_ARRAY(entry, 1);
 	entry->commit = commit;
 	prio_queue_put(&data->rev_list, entry);
@@ -125,7 +128,7 @@ static void mark_common(struct data *data, struct commit *seen_commit)
  * entry has the correct flags and ttl.
  *
  * This function returns 1 if an entry was found or created, and 0 otherwise
- * (because the entry for this commit had already been popped).
+ * (because the commit could not be parsed or its entry had already been popped).
  */
 static int push_parent(struct data *data, struct entry *entry,
 		       struct commit *to_push)
@@ -152,6 +155,8 @@ static int push_parent(struct data *data, struct entry *entry,
 		;
 	} else {
 		parent_entry = rev_list_push(data, to_push, 0);
+		if (!parent_entry)
+			return 0;
 	}
 
 	if (entry->commit->object.flags & (COMMON | ADVERTISED)) {
@@ -194,7 +199,6 @@ static const struct object_id *get_rev(struct data *data)
 		if (!(commit->object.flags & COMMON) && !entry->ttl)
 			to_send = commit;
 
-		repo_parse_commit(the_repository, commit);
 		for (p = commit->parents; p; p = p->next)
 			parent_pushed |= push_parent(data, entry, p->item);
 
diff --git a/t/t5552-skipping-fetch-negotiator.sh b/t/t5552-skipping-fetch-negotiator.sh
index 96e224168eb..7479424ca94 100755
--- a/t/t5552-skipping-fetch-negotiator.sh
+++ b/t/t5552-skipping-fetch-negotiator.sh
@@ -223,4 +223,36 @@ test_expect_success 'do not send "have" with ancestors of commits that server AC
 	have_sent b2.c1 b2.c0
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'recent ancestors are sent before old ref tips' '
+	rm -rf server client trace &&
+	git init server &&
+	test_tick=2000000000 &&
+	test_commit -C server --no-tag base &&
+	test_commit -C server --no-tag parent &&
+	test_commit -C server --no-tag main &&
+	git clone server client &&
+	test_commit -C server --no-tag to_fetch &&
+
+	git -C client checkout -b topic &&
+	test_commit -C client --no-tag topic &&
+
+	# These old tips have known dates, but the recent parent has no ref.
+	# Without parsing parents before queueing them, its date is zero and
+	# all of these tips are sent first, delaying it past the first batch.
+	for i in $(test_seq 32)
+	do
+		old=$(echo "old $i" |
+			GIT_AUTHOR_DATE="1000000000 +0000" \
+			GIT_COMMITTER_DATE="1000000000 +0000" \
+			git -C client commit-tree HEAD^{tree}) &&
+		git -C client update-ref refs/heads/old-$i "$old" || return 1
+	done &&
+
+	test_config -C client fetch.negotiationalgorithm skipping &&
+	trace_fetch client origin &&
+	git -C client rev-parse HEAD HEAD~2 >expect &&
+	sed -n "s/.*fetch> have //p" trace | head -n 2 >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_done

Range-diff against v1:
1:  cfb16d16d8c ! 1:  9e9ae442333 negotiator/skipping.c: parse parents before queueing
    @@ Metadata
      ## Commit message ##
         negotiator/skipping.c: parse parents before queueing
     
    -    The skipping negotiator sorts its queue by commit date, but
    -    `push_parent()` can add a parent before parsing it. Its date is still
    -    zero, so old ref tips go ahead of it.
    +    The skipping negotiator sorts its queue by commit date, but callers
    +    which push commits onto that queue, such as `push_parent()`, can add a
    +    parent before parsing it. When an unparsed commit enters the queue, its
    +    date is still zero, so old ref tips may sort ahead of it.
     
         For example, suppose a topic branch is one commit ahead of master.
         Skipping offers the topic tip and skips master's tip. Master's parent
    @@ Commit message
         uses its actual date. If parsing fails, leave the parent out of the
         queue.
     
    +    Since the sole caller of `prio_queue_put()` ensures that commits are
    +    fully parsed before pushing them onto the queue, we can avoid a noop
    +    call to `repo_parse_commit()` within `get_rev()`.
    +
    +    Note that unlike the default negotiator, the skipping negotiator's
    +    version of `rev_list_push()` returns a pointer to an 'entry' struct. As
    +    a consequence, callers must be prepared to handle a NULL return value.
    +    The caller in `push_parent()` gains a NULL-ness check, and the remaining
    +    two callers continue to ignore the return value from `rev_list_push()`.
    +
         Signed-off-by: Taylor Blau <ttaylorr@openai.com>
    -    Signed-off-by: Taylor Blau <me@ttaylorr.com>
     
      ## negotiator/skipping.c ##
    +@@ negotiator/skipping.c: static struct entry *rev_list_push(struct data *data, struct commit *commit, int
    + 	struct entry *entry;
    + 	commit->object.flags |= mark | SEEN;
    + 
    ++	if (repo_parse_commit(the_repository, commit))
    ++		return NULL;
    ++
    + 	CALLOC_ARRAY(entry, 1);
    + 	entry->commit = commit;
    + 	prio_queue_put(&data->rev_list, entry);
     @@ negotiator/skipping.c: static void mark_common(struct data *data, struct commit *seen_commit)
       * entry has the correct flags and ttl.
       *
    @@ negotiator/skipping.c: static void mark_common(struct data *data, struct commit
      static int push_parent(struct data *data, struct entry *entry,
      		       struct commit *to_push)
     @@ negotiator/skipping.c: static int push_parent(struct data *data, struct entry *entry,
    - parent_found:
      		;
      	} else {
    -+		/* Parse the parent before using its date to order the queue. */
    -+		if (repo_parse_commit(the_repository, to_push))
    -+			return 0;
      		parent_entry = rev_list_push(data, to_push, 0);
    ++		if (!parent_entry)
    ++			return 0;
      	}
      
    + 	if (entry->commit->object.flags & (COMMON | ADVERTISED)) {
    +@@ negotiator/skipping.c: static const struct object_id *get_rev(struct data *data)
    + 		if (!(commit->object.flags & COMMON) && !entry->ttl)
    + 			to_send = commit;
    + 
    +-		repo_parse_commit(the_repository, commit);
    + 		for (p = commit->parents; p; p = p->next)
    + 			parent_pushed |= push_parent(data, entry, p->item);
    + 
     
      ## t/t5552-skipping-fetch-negotiator.sh ##
     @@ t/t5552-skipping-fetch-negotiator.sh: test_expect_success 'do not send "have" with ancestors of commits that server AC
    @@ t/t5552-skipping-fetch-negotiator.sh: test_expect_success 'do not send "have" wi
     +	test_config -C client fetch.negotiationalgorithm skipping &&
     +	trace_fetch client origin &&
     +	git -C client rev-parse HEAD HEAD~2 >expect &&
    -+	sed -n "s/.*fetch> have //p" trace >haves &&
    -+	sed -n "1,2p" haves >actual &&
    ++	sed -n "s/.*fetch> have //p" trace | head -n 2 >actual &&
     +	test_cmp expect actual
     +'
     +

base-commit: c51408889c3b372814bc20b9431c3b74d0d268eb
-- 
2.56.0.187.g9e9ae442333

Re: [PATCH] negotiator/skipping.c: parse parents before queueing

[Junio C Hamano]

Taylor Blau <ttaylorr@openai.com> writes:

> Thanks, I realized when responding here that we don't even need the
> 'haves' intermediate file, so we can replace this and the above line
> with:
>
>     sed -n "s/.*fetch> have //p" trace | head -n 2 >actual &&

Looks good enough.  Thanks.

I wondered if we can avoid pipes, but the best I could come up with
was this:

    sed -n '/.*fetch> have /{s///p;x;/./q;H;}' trace >actual

which is not exactly readable.  Even folks on process/fork starved
platforms would not appreciate it X-<.

Re: [PATCH v2] negotiator/skipping.c: parse parents before queueing

[Junio C Hamano]

Taylor Blau <ttaylorr@openai.com> writes:

> From: Taylor Blau <ttaylorr@openai.com>
>
> The skipping negotiator sorts its queue by commit date, but callers
> which push commits onto that queue, such as `push_parent()`, can add a
> parent before parsing it. When an unparsed commit enters the queue, its
> date is still zero, so old ref tips may sort ahead of it.
>
> For example, suppose a topic branch is one commit ahead of master.
> Skipping offers the topic tip and skips master's tip. Master's parent
> then waits behind old ref tips. With enough old refs, negotiation can
> end before we offer that recent common ancestor.
>
> Parse each unseen parent before adding it to the queue, so the queue
> uses its actual date. If parsing fails, leave the parent out of the
> queue.
>
> Since the sole caller of `prio_queue_put()` ensures that commits are
> fully parsed before pushing them onto the queue, we can avoid a noop
> call to `repo_parse_commit()` within `get_rev()`.
>
> Note that unlike the default negotiator, the skipping negotiator's
> version of `rev_list_push()` returns a pointer to an 'entry' struct. As
> a consequence, callers must be prepared to handle a NULL return value.
> The caller in `push_parent()` gains a NULL-ness check, and the remaining
> two callers continue to ignore the return value from `rev_list_push()`.
>
> Signed-off-by: Taylor Blau <ttaylorr@openai.com>
> ---
>  negotiator/skipping.c                |  8 +++++--
>  t/t5552-skipping-fetch-negotiator.sh | 32 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>  2 files changed, 38 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/negotiator/skipping.c b/negotiator/skipping.c
> index db90fa77b53..0ae5f28d353 100644
> --- a/negotiator/skipping.c
> +++ b/negotiator/skipping.c
> @@ -66,6 +66,9 @@ static struct entry *rev_list_push(struct data *data, struct commit *commit, int
>  	struct entry *entry;
>  	commit->object.flags |= mark | SEEN;
>  
> +	if (repo_parse_commit(the_repository, commit))
> +		return NULL;
> +
>  	CALLOC_ARRAY(entry, 1);
>  	entry->commit = commit;
>  	prio_queue_put(&data->rev_list, entry);
> @@ -125,7 +128,7 @@ static void mark_common(struct data *data, struct commit *seen_commit)
>   * entry has the correct flags and ttl.
>   *
>   * This function returns 1 if an entry was found or created, and 0 otherwise
> - * (because the entry for this commit had already been popped).
> + * (because the commit could not be parsed or its entry had already been popped).
>   */
>  static int push_parent(struct data *data, struct entry *entry,
>  		       struct commit *to_push)
> @@ -152,6 +155,8 @@ static int push_parent(struct data *data, struct entry *entry,
>  		;
>  	} else {
>  		parent_entry = rev_list_push(data, to_push, 0);
> +		if (!parent_entry)
> +			return 0;
>  	}
>  
>  	if (entry->commit->object.flags & (COMMON | ADVERTISED)) {
> @@ -194,7 +199,6 @@ static const struct object_id *get_rev(struct data *data)
>  		if (!(commit->object.flags & COMMON) && !entry->ttl)
>  			to_send = commit;
>  
> -		repo_parse_commit(the_repository, commit);
>  		for (p = commit->parents; p; p = p->next)
>  			parent_pushed |= push_parent(data, entry, p->item);

Moving the parsing to rev_list_push() means that when a commit
cannot be parsed, it is marked as 'SEEN' and NULL is returned.  The
caller, push_parent(), notices this NULL return and naturally
returns without pushing the parent.  However, when the same
unparsable commit is encountered again (perhaps as a parent of
another commit), push_parent() sees that it is already 'SEEN' and
looks for it in the priority queue.  It will fail to find it and
trigger BUG("missing parent in priority queue").

Perhaps rev_list_push() should mark the commit as 'SEEN' only after
repo_parse_commit() succeeds?

While this issue only arises with a corrupt repository or when a
promisor remote goes offline, a failure to parse should not trigger
a BUG(), which should be reserved for programming errors.

Thanks.

Re: [PATCH v2] negotiator/skipping.c: parse parents before queueing

[Taylor Blau]

On Thu, Oct 22, 2026 at 03:34:25PM -0700, Junio C Hamano wrote:
> Perhaps rev_list_push() should mark the commit as 'SEEN' only after
> repo_parse_commit() succeeds?

I considered this but ultimately decided against it, since the default
negotiator does:

    static void rev_list_push(struct negotiation_state *ns,
                              struct commit *commit, int mark)
    {
        if (!(commit->object.flags & mark)) {
            commit->object.flags |= mark;

            if (repo_parse_commit(the_repository, commit))
                return;

    /* ... */

There are various callers of rev_list_push() in the default negotiator,
but all include SEEN in the provided 'mark'.

Thanks,
Taylor

Re: [PATCH] negotiator/skipping.c: parse parents before queueing

[Taylor Blau]

On Thu, Oct 22, 2026 at 02:46:44PM -0700, Junio C Hamano wrote:
> I wondered if we can avoid pipes, but the best I could come up with
> was this:
>
>     sed -n '/.*fetch> have /{s///p;x;/./q;H;}' trace >actual

Yeah, I wondered something similar, but figured that writing it out
would be fairly inscrutable. Seems like it was ;-).

Thanks,
Taylor

Re: [PATCH v2] negotiator/skipping.c: parse parents before queueing

[Junio C Hamano]

Taylor Blau <ttaylorr@openai.com> writes:

> On Thu, Oct 22, 2026 at 03:34:25PM -0700, Junio C Hamano wrote:
>> Perhaps rev_list_push() should mark the commit as 'SEEN' only after
>> repo_parse_commit() succeeds?
>
> I considered this but ultimately decided against it, since the default
> negotiator does:
> ...
> There are various callers of rev_list_push() in the default negotiator,
> but all include SEEN in the provided 'mark'.

It is understandable that we do not want to widen the scope of the
patch by adding a preparatory "fix the existing ones" step, but I do
not think "the existing ones make the same mistake" is particularly
a good excuse to add new one.  Would a hybrid approach to (1) avoid
copying a mistake to new code and (2) document near the new code and/or
in the log message that the difference is deliberate and fixing existing
ones are #leftoverbits and not addressed in this commit?

Re: [PATCH v2] negotiator/skipping.c: parse parents before queueing

[Taylor Blau]

On Fri, Oct 23, 2026 at 07:30:58AM -0700, Junio C Hamano wrote:
> Taylor Blau <ttaylorr@openai.com> writes:
>
> > On Thu, Oct 22, 2026 at 03:34:25PM -0700, Junio C Hamano wrote:
> >> Perhaps rev_list_push() should mark the commit as 'SEEN' only after
> >> repo_parse_commit() succeeds?
> >
> > I considered this but ultimately decided against it, since the default
> > negotiator does:
> > ...
> > There are various callers of rev_list_push() in the default negotiator,
> > but all include SEEN in the provided 'mark'.
>
> It is understandable that we do not want to widen the scope of the
> patch by adding a preparatory "fix the existing ones" step, but I do
> not think "the existing ones make the same mistake" is particularly
> a good excuse to add new one.

I think that's fair. For what it's worth, when writing it my thought
process was "let's be as consistent as possible with the most
battle-tested negotiator" as opposed to "this is broken, let's repeat
the breakage elsewhere".

But looking at it more closely, I think you're right that there is a bug
here in the default negotiator. So...

> Would a hybrid approach to (1) avoid copying a mistake to new code and
> (2) document near the new code and/or in the log message that the
> difference is deliberate and fixing existing ones are #leftoverbits
> and not addressed in this commit?

I think a hybrid approach is fine, though I am happy to fix the default
negotiator alongside this series. I have a patch for it locally, but I'm
happy to send either depending on your preference.

Thanks,
Taylor

Re: [PATCH v2] negotiator/skipping.c: parse parents before queueing

[Junio C Hamano]

Taylor Blau <ttaylorr@openai.com> writes:

> But looking at it more closely, I think you're right that there is a bug
> here in the default negotiator. So...
>
>> Would a hybrid approach to (1) avoid copying a mistake to new code and
>> (2) document near the new code and/or in the log message that the
>> difference is deliberate and fixing existing ones are #leftoverbits
>> and not addressed in this commit?
>
> I think a hybrid approach is fine, though I am happy to fix the default
> negotiator alongside this series. I have a patch for it locally, but I'm
> happy to send either depending on your preference.

If you have a clear grasp of the existing bug and the fix is
straightforward, let's do the fix as part of this series.

Thanks.