gitolite/contrib/adc/repo-deletion.mkd

## deleting repos safely

**NOTE**: this page is about deleting [user-created repos][wcr].  It is
**not** about deleting "normal" repos (the kind that are specified in the
gitolite.conf file itself) -- to delete those read [here][dnr].

[wcr]: http://sitaramc.github.com/gitolite/doc/wildcard-repositories.html
[dnr]: http://sitaramc.github.com/gitolite/doc/3-faq-tips-etc.html#_deleting_a_repo

(see [this thread][thr] on the gitolite mailing list)

[thr]: http://groups.google.com/group/gitolite/browse_thread/thread/fb9cf5a464b6dfee

By default, the old 'rmrepo' ADC (admin-defined command) just went and deleted
the repo -- no questions asked!  Sometimes, that could be a disaster -- you
lose the whole thing in one mad moment of typo-ing or frustration.  Ouch.

This has been replaced by 2 families of ADCs.  I say "families" because each
has one main command and 2 ancillary ones.  Admins can choose to install
either, both, or neither family of commands.

Local settings for these ADCs can be found in the common settings file
"adc.common-functions".

1.  'rm' will remove the repo.  If `USE_LOCK_UNLOCK` is set, rm will refuse to
    remove a locked repo.  All repos are locked by default, and you have to
    explicitly 'unlock' a repo to remove it.  You can also 'lock' it again
    instead of removing it of course.

    There's also `ARE_YOU_SURE`, for situations where a simple warning
    suffices.

    You can also use both these flags if you wish.

2.  'trash' will move the repo to a safe location.  There are settings for
    where this location is and what suffix is added to the repo name.  You can
    'list-trash' to see what trash you have collected, and you can 'restore'
    one of the listed repos.

    It's easy to automatically clean out the trash occasionally.  By default,
    entries in the trash look like this:

        foo/r1/2010-10-22_13:14:24
        foo/r1/2010-10-22_13:14:50

    This shows a repo foo/r1 that was created and trashed twice.

    Since the date appears in the name, you can use it with a cutoff to clean
    up old repos.  Untested example:

        cutoff=`date -I -d '28 days ago'`
        find $TRASH_CAN -type d -name "20??-??-??_*" | while read r
        do
            d=`basename $r`
            [[ $d < $cutoff ]] && rm -rf $r
        done

    Put this in cron to run once a day and that should be it.