Subject: Re: [PATCH 2/2] config: clear the executable bits (if any) on $GIT_DIR/config

From: Junio C Hamano <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 10:49:35 -0800

Michael Haggerty <[email-masked]> writes:

> There is no reason for $GIT_DIR/config to be executable, plus this
> change will help clean up repositories affected by the bug that was
> fixed by the previous commit.

I do not think we want to do this.

It is a welcome bugfix to create $GIT_DIR/config without executable
bit when and only when we create it.  It is very much in line with
"There is no reason for $GIT_DIR/config to be executable"---we do
not need to make it executable ourselves, so we shouldn't, but we
did which was a bug we want to fix in patch 1/2 you posted.

But with the "preserve existing permissions" fix we did earlier, the
end users are now allowed to flip the executable bit on for their
own purpose, and dropping it without knowing why they are doing so
is simply rude.  And honestly, Git do *not* even want to know why
the users want to flip the bit.

So I would suggest not to spend any cycle or any code complexity to
"repair" existing repositories.  Having that bit on does not hurt
anybody.  Those who found it curious can flip that bit off and then
Git with "preserve existing permissions" fix will keep that bit off
from then on.