Find a file
Jeff King 1a6d8b9148 do not discard revindex when re-preparing packfiles
When an object lookup fails, we re-read the objects/pack
directory to pick up any new packfiles that may have been
created since our last read. We also discard any pack
revindex structs we've allocated.

The discarding is a problem for the pack-bitmap code, which keeps
a pointer to the revindex for the bitmapped pack. After the
discard, the pointer is invalid, and we may read free()d
memory.

Other revindex users do not keep a bare pointer to the
revindex; instead, they always access it through
revindex_for_pack(), which lazily builds the revindex. So
one solution is to teach the pack-bitmap code a similar
trick. It would be slightly less efficient, but probably not
all that noticeable.

However, it turns out this discarding is not actually
necessary. When we call reprepare_packed_git, we do not
throw away our old pack list. We keep the existing entries,
and only add in new ones. So there is no safety problem; we
will still have the pack struct that matches each revindex.
The packfile itself may go away, of course, but we are
already prepared to handle that, and it may happen outside
of reprepare_packed_git anyway.

Throwing away the revindex may save some RAM if the pack
never gets reused (about 12 bytes per object). But it also
wastes some CPU time (to regenerate the index) if the pack
does get reused. It's hard to say which is more valuable,
but in either case, it happens very rarely (only when we
race with a simultaneous repack). Just leaving the revindex
in place is simple and safe both for current and future
code.

Signed-off-by: Jeff King <peff@peff.net>
Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
2014-01-16 14:33:46 -08:00
block-sha1
builtin pack-bitmap: implement optional name_hash cache 2013-12-30 12:19:23 -08:00
compat compat: add endianness helpers 2013-11-18 10:57:42 -08:00
contrib Merge branch 'bc/gnome-keyring' 2013-10-23 13:21:50 -07:00
Documentation pack-bitmap: implement optional name_hash cache 2013-12-30 12:19:23 -08:00
ewah ewah: compressed bitmap implementation 2013-12-30 12:17:20 -08:00
git-gui
gitk-git
gitweb Merge branch 'ab/gitweb-author-initials' 2013-09-17 11:42:27 -07:00
mergetools mergetools/diffmerge: support DiffMerge as a git mergetool 2013-10-13 16:00:57 -07:00
perl git-svn: fix termination issues for remote svn connections 2013-09-06 09:44:28 -07:00
po l10n: fr.po: 2135/2135 messages translated 2013-10-18 10:29:33 +08:00
ppc
t pack-bitmap: implement optional name_hash cache 2013-12-30 12:19:23 -08:00
templates sample pre-commit hook: use --bool when retrieving config var 2013-09-24 12:26:49 -07:00
vcs-svn
xdiff diff: add --ignore-blank-lines option 2013-06-19 15:17:45 -07:00
.gitattributes
.gitignore Merge branch 'jc/url-match' 2013-09-09 14:50:36 -07:00
.mailmap .mailmap: switch to Thomas Rast's personal address 2013-10-13 14:28:27 -07:00
abspath.c
aclocal.m4
advice.c Rename advice.object_name_warning to objectNameWarning 2013-07-31 15:20:07 -07:00
advice.h Merge branch 'jk/gcc-function-attributes' 2013-07-22 11:23:59 -07:00
alias.c
alloc.c
archive-tar.c
archive-zip.c Merge branch 'sb/archive-zip-double-assignment-fix' into maint 2013-07-19 10:40:53 -07:00
archive.c archive: convert to use parse_pathspec 2013-07-15 10:56:07 -07:00
archive.h archive: convert to use parse_pathspec 2013-07-15 10:56:07 -07:00
argv-array.c
argv-array.h Add the LAST_ARG_MUST_BE_NULL macro 2013-07-19 09:26:15 -07:00
attr.c
attr.h
base85.c
bisect.c list-objects: reduce one argument in mark_edges_uninteresting 2013-08-28 11:54:18 -07:00
bisect.h
blob.c
blob.h
branch.c Merge branch 'jh/checkout-auto-tracking' into maint 2013-10-23 13:32:50 -07:00
branch.h
builtin.h repack: rewrite the shell script in C 2013-09-17 13:34:50 -07:00
bulk-checkin.c stream_to_pack: xread does not guarantee to read all requested bytes 2013-08-20 11:20:53 -07:00
bulk-checkin.h
bundle.c
bundle.h
cache-tree.c Convert "struct cache_entry *" to "const ..." wherever possible 2013-07-09 09:12:48 -07:00
cache-tree.h Convert "struct cache_entry *" to "const ..." wherever possible 2013-07-09 09:12:48 -07:00
cache.h sha1_file: export git_open_noatime 2013-10-24 15:44:52 -07:00
check-builtins.sh
check-racy.c
check_bindir
color.c
color.h
column.c
column.h
combine-diff.c Merge branch 'tr/log-full-diff-keep-true-parents' into maint 2013-09-18 11:59:05 -07:00
command-list.txt builtin: add git-check-mailmap command 2013-07-13 10:19:37 -07:00
commit-slab.h commit-slab.h: Fix memory allocation and addressing 2013-07-29 08:44:29 -07:00
commit.c Merge branch 'tr/log-full-diff-keep-true-parents' into maint 2013-09-18 11:59:05 -07:00
commit.h Merge branch 'nd/fetch-into-shallow' into maint 2013-10-23 13:32:17 -07:00
config.c config.c: mark file-local function static 2013-10-14 16:00:37 -07:00
config.mak.in
config.mak.uname MinGW: Fix stat definitions to work with MinGW runtime version 4.0 2013-09-11 11:11:06 -07:00
configure.ac configure: fix option help message for --disable-pthreads 2013-06-28 10:49:26 -07:00
connect.c Merge branch 'nd/clone-local-with-colon' 2013-10-14 11:06:57 -07:00
connect.h cache.h: move remote/connect API out of it 2013-07-08 14:34:24 -07:00
connected.c
connected.h
convert.c typofix: in-code comments 2013-07-22 16:06:49 -07:00
convert.h typofix: in-code comments 2013-07-22 16:06:49 -07:00
copy.c
COPYING
credential-cache--daemon.c
credential-cache.c
credential-store.c
credential.c
credential.h
csum-file.c sha1write: make buffer const-correct 2013-10-24 15:44:18 -07:00
csum-file.h sha1write: make buffer const-correct 2013-10-24 15:44:18 -07:00
ctype.c
daemon.c Merge branch 'sb/misc-fixes' 2013-07-24 19:20:59 -07:00
date.c
decorate.c
decorate.h
delta.h
diff-delta.c create_delta_index: simplify condition always evaluating to true 2013-08-18 12:56:23 -07:00
diff-lib.c Merge branch 'jl/submodule-mv' 2013-09-09 14:36:15 -07:00
diff-no-index.c Merge branch 'dw/diff-no-index-doc' 2013-09-17 11:42:44 -07:00
diff.c Merge branch 'mg/more-textconv' 2013-10-23 13:21:31 -07:00
diff.h Merge branch 'mg/more-textconv' 2013-10-23 13:21:31 -07:00
diffcore-break.c
diffcore-delta.c
diffcore-order.c
diffcore-pickaxe.c Merge branch 'rs/pickaxe-simplify' 2013-07-12 12:04:17 -07:00
diffcore-rename.c
diffcore.h
dir.c Merge branch 'jc/ls-files-killed-optim' into maint 2013-10-23 13:33:08 -07:00
dir.h Merge branch 'jc/ls-files-killed-optim' 2013-09-11 15:03:28 -07:00
editor.c editor: use canonicalized absolute path 2013-07-29 12:15:27 -07:00
entry.c Merge branch 'nd/const-struct-cache-entry' 2013-07-22 11:24:01 -07:00
environment.c Merge branch 'nd/git-dir-pointing-at-gitfile' into maint 2013-10-17 15:45:55 -07:00
exec_cmd.c
exec_cmd.h Add the LAST_ARG_MUST_BE_NULL macro 2013-07-19 09:26:15 -07:00
fast-import.c Merge branch 'bk/refs-multi-update' 2013-09-20 12:36:12 -07:00
fetch-pack.c Merge branch 'nd/fetch-into-shallow' into maint 2013-10-23 13:32:17 -07:00
fetch-pack.h cache.h: move remote/connect API out of it 2013-07-08 14:34:24 -07:00
fmt-merge-msg.h
fsck.c
fsck.h
generate-cmdlist.sh
gettext.c
gettext.h
git-add--interactive.perl add--interactive: fix external command invocation on Windows 2013-09-04 10:35:25 -07:00
git-am.sh am: replace uses of --resolved with --continue 2013-06-27 09:37:12 -07:00
git-archimport.perl
git-bisect.sh
git-compat-util.h Windows: do not redefine _WIN32_WINNT 2013-09-11 14:50:19 -07:00
git-cvsexportcommit.perl
git-cvsimport.perl
git-cvsserver.perl Merge branch 'jc/cvsserver-perm-bit-fix' into maint 2013-10-17 15:45:58 -07:00
git-difftool--helper.sh
git-difftool.perl
git-filter-branch.sh Merge branch 'lc/filter-branch-too-many-refs' 2013-10-17 15:55:12 -07:00
git-instaweb.sh
git-lost-found.sh
git-merge-octopus.sh
git-merge-one-file.sh
git-merge-resolve.sh
git-mergetool--lib.sh mergetool--lib: Fix typo in the merge/difftool help 2013-10-14 16:28:38 -07:00
git-mergetool.sh
git-p4.py Merge branch 'ks/p4-view-spec' 2013-09-18 11:44:50 -07:00
git-parse-remote.sh
git-pull.sh Merge branch 'fc/trivial' 2013-09-17 11:42:34 -07:00
git-quiltimport.sh
git-rebase--am.sh
git-rebase--interactive.sh Merge branch 'es/rebase-i-no-abbrev' into maint 2013-10-17 15:45:50 -07:00
git-rebase--merge.sh
git-rebase.sh Merge branch 'mm/rebase-continue-freebsd-WB' into maint 2013-09-26 12:41:14 -07:00
git-relink.perl
git-remote-testgit.sh transport-helper: add no-private-update capability 2013-09-03 11:57:53 -07:00
git-request-pull.sh request-pull: improve error message for invalid revision args 2013-07-17 12:30:58 -07:00
git-send-email.perl send-email: don't call methods on undefined values 2013-09-10 08:49:22 -07:00
git-sh-i18n.sh
git-sh-setup.sh Merge branch 'jc/reflog-doc' 2013-10-18 13:50:12 -07:00
git-stash.sh Revert "git stash: avoid data loss when "git stash save" kills a directory" 2013-08-14 09:53:43 -07:00
git-submodule.sh Merge branch 'bc/submodule-status-ignored' 2013-09-24 23:36:08 -07:00
git-svn.perl git-svn: Warn about changing default for --prefix in Git v2.0 2013-10-12 22:30:53 +00:00
GIT-VERSION-GEN Git 1.8.4.1 2013-09-26 15:01:41 -07:00
git-web--browse.sh web--browse: support /usr/bin/cygstart on Cygwin 2013-06-21 09:05:15 -07:00
git.c Merge branch 'sb/repack-in-c' 2013-10-18 13:49:57 -07:00
git.rc
git.spec.in
gpg-interface.c
gpg-interface.h
graph.c
graph.h
grep.c
grep.h
hash.c
hash.h
help.c cygwin: Remove the Win32 l/stat() implementation 2013-07-18 10:44:17 -07:00
help.h
hex.c
http-backend.c Merge branch 'bc/http-backend-allow-405' into maint 2013-10-17 15:46:00 -07:00
http-fetch.c
http-push.c Merge branch 'nd/fetch-into-shallow' 2013-09-20 12:25:32 -07:00
http-walker.c
http.c Merge branch 'jc/url-match' 2013-09-09 14:50:36 -07:00
http.h
ident.c format-patch: print in-body "From" only when needed 2013-09-20 11:09:51 -07:00
imap-send.c imap-send: use Apple's Security framework for base64 encoding 2013-07-30 08:53:24 -07:00
INSTALL
khash.h pack-bitmap: add support for bitmap indexes 2013-12-30 12:19:22 -08:00
kwset.c typofix: in-code comments 2013-07-22 16:06:49 -07:00
kwset.h
levenshtein.c
levenshtein.h
LGPL-2.1
line-log.c Merge branch 'jl/submodule-mv' 2013-09-09 14:36:15 -07:00
line-log.h range-set: publish API for re-use by git-blame -L 2013-08-06 14:27:20 -07:00
line-range.c line-range: reject -L line numbers less than 1 2013-08-06 14:48:55 -07:00
line-range.h line-range: teach -L/RE/ to search relative to anchor point 2013-08-06 14:36:34 -07:00
list-objects.c Merge branch 'nd/fetch-into-shallow' 2013-09-20 12:25:32 -07:00
list-objects.h list-objects: reduce one argument in mark_edges_uninteresting 2013-08-28 11:54:18 -07:00
ll-merge.c
ll-merge.h
lockfile.c lockfile: fix buffer overflow in path handling 2013-07-07 10:29:28 -07:00
log-tree.c log: use true parents for diff even when rewriting 2013-08-01 10:25:48 -07:00
log-tree.h
mailmap.c Merge branch 'jc/strcasecmp-pure-inline' 2013-09-24 23:28:13 -07:00
mailmap.h
Makefile pack-objects: implement bitmap writing 2013-12-30 12:19:22 -08:00
match-trees.c
merge-blobs.c
merge-blobs.h
merge-recursive.c Merge branch 'jk/diff-algo' 2013-10-14 10:59:51 -07:00
merge-recursive.h
merge.c
mergesort.c
mergesort.h
name-hash.c name-hash: stop storing trailing '/' on paths in index_state.dir_hash 2013-09-17 10:08:07 -07:00
notes-cache.c
notes-cache.h
notes-merge.c remove diff_tree_{setup,release}_paths 2013-07-15 10:56:09 -07:00
notes-merge.h
notes-utils.c
notes-utils.h typofix: commit is spelled with two ems 2013-09-04 15:30:03 -07:00
notes.c
notes.h many small typofixes 2013-07-29 12:32:25 -07:00
object.c Merge branch 'mg/more-textconv' 2013-10-23 13:21:31 -07:00
object.h Merge branch 'mg/more-textconv' 2013-10-23 13:21:31 -07:00
pack-bitmap-write.c pack-bitmap: implement optional name_hash cache 2013-12-30 12:19:23 -08:00
pack-bitmap.c pack-bitmap: implement optional name_hash cache 2013-12-30 12:19:23 -08:00
pack-bitmap.h pack-bitmap: implement optional name_hash cache 2013-12-30 12:19:23 -08:00
pack-check.c
pack-objects.c pack-objects: refactor the packing list 2013-10-24 15:44:48 -07:00
pack-objects.h pack-objects: implement bitmap writing 2013-12-30 12:19:22 -08:00
pack-revindex.c do not discard revindex when re-preparing packfiles 2014-01-16 14:33:46 -08:00
pack-revindex.h do not discard revindex when re-preparing packfiles 2014-01-16 14:33:46 -08:00
pack-write.c pack-objects: implement bitmap writing 2013-12-30 12:19:22 -08:00
pack.h
pager.c pager: turn on "cat" optimization for DEFAULT_PAGER 2013-09-03 10:36:12 -07:00
parse-options-cb.c
parse-options.c parse-options: add OPT_CMDMODE() 2013-07-30 12:23:31 -07:00
parse-options.h Merge branch 'sb/parseopt-boolean-removal' 2013-09-04 12:39:03 -07:00
patch-delta.c
patch-ids.c
patch-ids.h
path.c Merge branch 'jl/submodule-mv' 2013-09-09 14:36:15 -07:00
pathspec.c Merge branch 'nd/magic-pathspec' 2013-09-09 14:50:44 -07:00
pathspec.h Merge branch 'nd/magic-pathspec' 2013-09-09 14:50:44 -07:00
pkt-line.c
pkt-line.h
preload-index.c convert read_cache_preload() to take struct pathspec 2013-07-15 10:56:08 -07:00
pretty.c format-patch: print in-body "From" only when needed 2013-09-20 11:09:51 -07:00
prio-queue.c
prio-queue.h
progress.c
progress.h
prompt.c
prompt.h
quote.c quote: remove sq_quote_print() 2013-07-30 08:13:38 -07:00
quote.h quote: remove sq_quote_print() 2013-07-30 08:13:38 -07:00
reachable.c
reachable.h
read-cache.c Merge branch 'es/name-hash-no-trailing-slash-in-dirs' 2013-10-17 15:55:16 -07:00
README
reflog-walk.c
reflog-walk.h
refs.c refs.c: spell NULL pointer as NULL 2013-10-14 16:10:50 -07:00
refs.h refs: add update_refs for multiple simultaneous updates 2013-09-04 11:10:28 -07:00
RelNotes Start preparing for 1.8.4.2 2013-10-17 15:50:45 -07:00
remote-curl.c Merge branch 'jc/push-cas' 2013-09-09 14:30:29 -07:00
remote-testsvn.c
remote.c Merge branch 'jx/branch-vv-always-compare-with-upstream' 2013-09-20 12:26:57 -07:00
remote.h Merge branch 'jc/push-cas' 2013-09-09 14:30:29 -07:00
replace_object.c
rerere.c Merge branch 'jl/submodule-mv' 2013-09-09 14:36:15 -07:00
rerere.h rerere: convert to use parse_pathspec 2013-07-15 10:56:07 -07:00
resolve-undo.c Merge branch 'jl/submodule-mv' 2013-09-09 14:36:15 -07:00
resolve-undo.h convert unmerge_cache to take struct pathspec 2013-07-15 10:56:08 -07:00
revision.c revision: allow setting custom limiter function 2013-10-24 15:44:52 -07:00
revision.h revision: allow setting custom limiter function 2013-10-24 15:44:52 -07:00
run-command.c Merge branch 'tr/fd-gotcha-fixes' 2013-07-22 11:23:13 -07:00
run-command.h Add the LAST_ARG_MUST_BE_NULL macro 2013-07-19 09:26:15 -07:00
send-pack.c push --force-with-lease: tie it all together 2013-07-22 22:33:21 -07:00
send-pack.h
sequencer.c refs: report ref type from lock_any_ref_for_update 2013-08-30 14:57:28 -07:00
sequencer.h
server-info.c
setup.c Merge branch 'jl/submodule-mv' 2013-09-09 14:36:15 -07:00
sh-i18n--envsubst.c
sha1-array.c
sha1-array.h
sha1-lookup.c sha1-lookup: handle duplicate keys with GIT_USE_LOOKUP 2013-08-24 22:31:20 -07:00
sha1-lookup.h
sha1_file.c do not discard revindex when re-preparing packfiles 2014-01-16 14:33:46 -08:00
sha1_name.c Merge branch 'fc/at-head' 2013-09-20 12:38:10 -07:00
shallow.c shallow: add setup_temporary_shallow() 2013-08-28 11:51:54 -07:00
shell.c Merge branch 'tr/protect-low-3-fds' 2013-07-22 11:23:35 -07:00
shortlog.h
show-index.c
sideband.c
sideband.h
sigchain.c
sigchain.h
strbuf.c
strbuf.h
streaming.c Merge branch 'jk/cat-file-batch-optim' 2013-07-24 19:21:21 -07:00
streaming.h
string-list.c
string-list.h
submodule.c Merge branch 'jl/some-submodule-config-are-not-boolean' into maint 2013-09-18 11:59:35 -07:00
submodule.h rm: delete .gitmodules entry of submodules removed from the work tree 2013-08-06 14:11:00 -07:00
symlinks.c
tag.c
tag.h
tar.h
test-chmtime.c Merge branch 'js/test-ln-s-add' 2013-06-20 16:02:18 -07:00
test-ctype.c
test-date.c
test-delta.c
test-dump-cache-tree.c Convert "struct cache_entry *" to "const ..." wherever possible 2013-07-09 09:12:48 -07:00
test-genrandom.c
test-index-version.c
test-line-buffer.c
test-match-trees.c use 'tree-ish' instead of 'treeish' 2013-09-04 15:02:56 -07:00
test-mergesort.c
test-mktemp.c
test-parse-options.c
test-path-utils.c path-utils test: rename mingw_path function to print_path 2013-10-14 07:32:53 -07:00
test-prio-queue.c
test-read-cache.c
test-regex.c
test-revision-walking.c
test-run-command.c
test-scrap-cache-tree.c
test-sha1.c test-sha1: add a binary output mode 2013-08-22 16:39:46 -07:00
test-sha1.sh
test-sigchain.c
test-string-list.c
test-subprocess.c
test-svn-fe.c
test-urlmatch-normalization.c builtin/config.c: compilation fix 2013-08-09 09:20:38 -07:00
test-wildmatch.c
thread-utils.c
thread-utils.h
trace.c add missing "format" function attributes 2013-07-09 22:23:04 -07:00
transport-helper.c Merge branch 'mm/mediawiki-dumb-push-fix' 2013-09-12 14:41:41 -07:00
transport.c Merge branch 'jc/transport-do-not-use-connect-twice-in-fetch' 2013-09-09 14:50:37 -07:00
transport.h Merge branch 'jc/transport-do-not-use-connect-twice-in-fetch' 2013-09-09 14:50:37 -07:00
tree-diff.c pathspec: support :(literal) syntax for noglob pathspec 2013-07-15 10:56:09 -07:00
tree-walk.c Merge branch 'jl/submodule-mv' 2013-09-09 14:36:15 -07:00
tree-walk.h
tree.c Merge branch 'jk/free-tree-buffer' 2013-09-17 11:37:33 -07:00
tree.h Merge branch 'jk/free-tree-buffer' 2013-09-17 11:37:33 -07:00
unimplemented.sh
unix-socket.c
unix-socket.h
unpack-trees.c employ new explicit "exists in index?" API 2013-09-17 10:07:37 -07:00
unpack-trees.h
upload-pack.c Merge branch 'nd/fetch-into-shallow' into maint 2013-10-23 13:32:17 -07:00
url.c
url.h
urlmatch.c urlmatch.c: recompute pointer after append_normalized_escapes 2013-09-12 15:27:01 -07:00
urlmatch.h config: add generic callback wrapper to parse section.<url>.key 2013-07-31 14:58:42 -07:00
usage.c
userdiff.c
userdiff.h
utf8.c
utf8.h add missing "format" function attributes 2013-07-09 22:23:04 -07:00
varint.c
varint.h
version.c
version.h
walker.c
walker.h
wildmatch.c
wildmatch.h
wrap-for-bin.sh wrap-for-bin: make bin-wrappers chainable 2013-07-08 08:55:34 -07:00
wrapper.c wrapper.c: only define gitmkstemps if needed 2013-10-14 16:16:00 -07:00
write_or_die.c
ws.c
wt-status.c status: show commit sha1 in "You are currently cherry-picking" message 2013-10-11 10:42:45 -07:00
wt-status.h status: show commit sha1 in "You are currently cherry-picking" message 2013-10-11 10:42:45 -07:00
xdiff-interface.c
xdiff-interface.h
zlib.c

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

	Git - the stupid content tracker

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

"git" can mean anything, depending on your mood.

 - random three-letter combination that is pronounceable, and not
   actually used by any common UNIX command.  The fact that it is a
   mispronunciation of "get" may or may not be relevant.
 - stupid. contemptible and despicable. simple. Take your pick from the
   dictionary of slang.
 - "global information tracker": you're in a good mood, and it actually
   works for you. Angels sing, and a light suddenly fills the room.
 - "goddamn idiotic truckload of sh*t": when it breaks

Git is a fast, scalable, distributed revision control system with an
unusually rich command set that provides both high-level operations
and full access to internals.

Git is an Open Source project covered by the GNU General Public
License version 2 (some parts of it are under different licenses,
compatible with the GPLv2). It was originally written by Linus
Torvalds with help of a group of hackers around the net.

Please read the file INSTALL for installation instructions.

See Documentation/gittutorial.txt to get started, then see
Documentation/everyday.txt for a useful minimum set of commands, and
Documentation/git-commandname.txt for documentation of each command.
If git has been correctly installed, then the tutorial can also be
read with "man gittutorial" or "git help tutorial", and the
documentation of each command with "man git-commandname" or "git help
commandname".

CVS users may also want to read Documentation/gitcvs-migration.txt
("man gitcvs-migration" or "git help cvs-migration" if git is
installed).

Many Git online resources are accessible from http://git-scm.com/
including full documentation and Git related tools.

The user discussion and development of Git take place on the Git
mailing list -- everyone is welcome to post bug reports, feature
requests, comments and patches to git@vger.kernel.org (read
Documentation/SubmittingPatches for instructions on patch submission).
To subscribe to the list, send an email with just "subscribe git" in
the body to majordomo@vger.kernel.org. The mailing list archives are
available at http://news.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git/,
http://marc.info/?l=git and other archival sites.

The maintainer frequently sends the "What's cooking" reports that
list the current status of various development topics to the mailing
list.  The discussion following them give a good reference for
project status, development direction and remaining tasks.