Unclear repository update time: some inactive or archived repositories may get a recent "update time"

[sprappcom]

Description

internally hosted gitea instance mentioned my repo is updated 1 hour ago. i didnt do anything and there's no updated information inside the git.

Gitea Version

1.22

Can you reproduce the bug on the Gitea demo site?

Yes

Log Gist

No response

Screenshots

No response

Git Version

No response

Operating System

ubuntu 24.04

How are you running Gitea?

docker gitea instance. is there some backdoor to this?

Database

MySQL/MariaDB

[delvh]

Changing your repo settings also counts as "updated now".
Did you or your site admin perhaps change something there?

[techknowlogick]

Scheduled actions also mark repo as updated, issue comments, PRs, and many other interactions with the repo can mark a repo as updated.

[byCarlsJr]

Having the same issue. I'm browsing unauthenticated, yet repos are showing updated after I do so. When checking inside the repo, nothing has changed.

[yp05327]

Any operation which will update the record in DB of this repo will update the updated time. So it doesn't mean the code has been updated xxx ago

[Shuenhoy]

Just accessing some inactive repo will also update the updated time. I found this behavior pretty annoying. Is it possible to do the update at least only when something visible happens, e.g. issue comments, pr, setting changes mentioned above?

[lunny]

So we need to clarify which kind operations should be considered as updated.

• Change Repository's settings to enable/disable some features, convert from/to archive, public/private
• Rename the Repository or move to another owner
• Users added/removed from this repository
• Commits pushed/Tag pushed
• Branch created/deleted/renamed
• Issues/pull requests created/updated/label changed/project changed/assign changed/milestone changed/reviewer changed
• Comments created/updated
• Release created/deleted, Release attachments changed
• Actions run succeed/fail

[dsyx]

I recently discovered this phenomenon: when I just browsed the source code of some repositories through the web (without making any changes), the latest update time of some of the browsed repositories would show Updated 1 minutes ago under the Explore page. However, this is not the case for every browsed repository, which seems to be sporadic rather than inevitable.

Powered by Gitea Version: 1.22.4

[yp05327]

@dsyx
Maybe this is a related fix: #33120

@lunny
I think we can reopen this issue, as the topic here #32046 (comment) is not resolved.

[wxiaoguang]

XORM's design is quite hacky, it does too much unnecessary things for developers. Actually it should never auto update anything.

[dsyx]

@yp05327
I haven't studied the source code of gitea, but shouldn't the most recent update time be synchronized with the last git commit?

[yp05327]

@dsyx
I mean some actions might unexpectedly change the update time which should be fixed, and one has been.
But the others listed in #32046 (comment), I have tried some of them, actually these behaviors will change the update time. Maybe more or not, but at least the listed things should be reconsidered, which is the main topic of this issue I think. So I asked @lunny to reopen it.
Only sync time with commit seems a reasonable consideration, maybe GitHub is same? But I have no idea about how to provide a good solution in Gitea now.

[techknowlogick]

but shouldn't the most recent update time be synchronized with the last git commit?

Actions being run (including scheduled runs), issues/prs/comments being created, and other interactions that aren't git push also update the time.

There was an issue with a minor release where viewing the repo did update that time, but IIRC it was quickly patched. it is possible the version you are/were on included that issue. Are you able to update to the latest stable version (at the time of writing it it 1.22.6)?

[wxiaoguang]

There was an issue with a minor release where viewing the repo did update that time, but IIRC it was quickly patched. it is possible the version you are/were on included that issue. Are you able to update to the latest stable version (at the time of writing it it 1.22.6)?

I do not know what "issue" you refer to. If you mean #33119, that issue is unlikely in 1.22 and the "quick patch" is also only in 1.23/main.

[dsyx]

@techknowlogick
I have upgraded gittea to 1.22.6 and the problem seems to have been solved.
Thanks.

[julmb]

I am running 1.23.1, and merely viewing the main page of a repository bumped its "updated" time to the current time. This is not covered by the options given in #32046 (comment).

It seems to only happen when viewing repositories that have not been interacted with for a long time. It only happens on the first access, subsequent accesses do not further update the "updated" time.

[wxiaoguang]

The bug was never really resolved. See https://gitea.com/gitea

(root problem is #32046 (comment), and also #32046 (comment))

[lunny]

After some tests on Github, looks like only git related operations(push commits, create/delete branches, create/delete tags) will update the time. I think we can follow this behaviour.

[julmb]

After some tests on Github, looks like only git related operations(push commits, create/delete branches, create/delete tags) will update the time. I think we can follow this behaviour.

As far as I'm concerned, I would be totally okay if other clear "write" operations (open issue, comment on PR, etc.) would also bump the "updated" time. It is just strange that simply viewing a repository page can do that.

[lunny]

After some tests on Github, looks like only git related operations(push commits, create/delete branches, create/delete tags) will update the time. I think we can follow this behaviour.

As far as I'm concerned, I would be totally okay if other clear "write" operations (open issue, comment on PR, etc.) would also bump the "updated" time. It is just strange that simply viewing a repository page can do that.

I have sent #34388 to follow GH's behavior. What do you think about that?

[julmb]

Only updating on git write operations is a reasonable and straightforward way of doing things, so I would also be happy with that.