Remove the unused cache lifetime setting (closes #69)

CacheConfig.CacheTTL was set to DefaultCacheTTL (24 hours) and never
read, so cached images never expired. Remove the field, the constant
and the line that set it. Cached source and transformed images stay
until eviction removes them to keep the cache within cache_max_bytes.

A new test caches a source and a transformed image, sets every time
pixa stores for them two days back (database rows, metadata files and
file times), and checks that both are still served from the cache
without a new upstream fetch.

Existing tests lose only the CacheTTL line of their cache config.

Model: opus-5-5

README.md

@@ -191,10 +191,11 @@ path under `/v1/` answers 200, in maintenance mode too.
   redirects to, is `localhost`, ends in `.localhost` or `.local`, or has an
   address in a blocked network (see `blocked_networks`); 429 over
   `image_requests_per_minute` (below); 415 when the upstream answers with a
-  `Content-Type` that is not one of the source formats (below), or for `orig` of
-  a source pixa cannot save in its own format; 502 when the upstream answered
-  with an error status, and for 5 minutes after that for the same source URL;
-  503 when pixa is busy or in maintenance mode; 500 for any other failure.
+  `Content-Type` that is not one of the source formats (below), or with an image
+  whose first bytes libvips reads as another format; 502 when the upstream
+  answered with an error status, and for 5 minutes after that for the same
+  source URL; 503 when pixa is busy or in maintenance mode; 500 for any other
+  failure.
 - `GET` or `HEAD` `/v1/e/<token>/<name>` — an image through an encrypted URL
   (see Encrypted URLs). Needs: nothing but the URL. Answers: 200; 304 when
   `If-None-Match` matches the image's `ETag`; 400 for a token that does not
@@ -265,7 +266,8 @@ once, is refused with 400.
 The source image may be JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP, AVIF or JPEG XL. The upstream's
 `Content-Type` must name its format, and the image's first bytes must match it.
 An upstream answering with any other `Content-Type`, SVG included, is refused
-with 415.
+with 415, and so is an image whose first bytes libvips reads as another format,
+such as an SVG whose first bytes pass the check for AVIF.
 
 With the format `auto`, pixa chooses the format for each request from its
 `Accept` header, in this order:

TODO.md

@@ -30,16 +30,27 @@ P2: security: per-origin rate limiting
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- 2026-10-13 the unused cache lifetime is removed (closes #69):
+  `CacheConfig.CacheTTL`, which pixad set to `DefaultCacheTTL` (24 hours), was
+  never read, so cached images never expired. The field and the constant are
+  removed. Cached source and transformed images stay until eviction removes them
+  to keep the cache within `cache_max_bytes`.
 - 2026-10-13 SVG sources are refused, and `orig` is never saved as JPEG in place
   of the source's own format (closes #68): the upstream fetch no longer accepts
   `image/svg+xml`, which libvips would render. Both image routes answer 415 for
   an upstream `Content-Type` that is not one of the source formats, SVG
-  included, where they answered 500. `orig` of a source in a format the image
-  processor cannot name is `ErrUnsupportedInputFormat`, also answered 415, where
-  it was saved as JPEG. `README.md` no longer lists SVG. The SVG detection in
-  `internal/magic` stays: the request path does not call it, and it goes with
-  the unused code of https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/pixa/issues/168. An SVG sent
-  under another image type still fails the first-bytes check and answers 500.
+  included, where they answered 500. Before decoding, the image processor
+  refuses with `ErrUnsupportedInputFormat`, also answered 415, any input that
+  govips' `DetermineImageType`, which picks the libvips loader from the first
+  bytes, does not name as a source format. That catches an SVG whose first bytes
+  pass the first-bytes check for another type, as an XML comment can make them
+  do for AVIF; an SVG whose first bytes do not pass that check answers 500, as
+  before, and so does a damaged image in a source format, whose first bytes
+  `DetermineImageType` names. `orig` is always the source's own format, where a
+  source the processor could not name was saved as JPEG. `README.md` no longer
+  lists SVG. The SVG detection in `internal/magic` stays: the request path does
+  not call it, and it goes with the unused code of
+  https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/pixa/issues/168.
 - 2026-10-12 per-client limit on the image routes (closes #236): the new setting
   `image_requests_per_minute` (`PIXA_IMAGE_REQUESTS_PER_MINUTE`), default 600,
   is how many `GET` and `HEAD` requests one client may send to `/v1/image/` and

internal/handlers/handlers.go

@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ func (s *Handlers) WaitForProcessing(ctx context.Context) int {
 func newCacheConfig(cfg *config.Config, log *slog.Logger) imgcache.CacheConfig {
 	return imgcache.CacheConfig{
 		StateDir:           cfg.StateDir,
-		CacheTTL:           imgcache.DefaultCacheTTL,
 		NegativeTTL:        imgcache.DefaultNegativeTTL,
 		MaxBytes:           cfg.CacheMaxBytes,
 		UseDefaultMaxBytes: !cfg.CacheMaxBytesExplicit,

internal/handlers/handlers_internal_test.go

@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ func setupTestHandler(t *testing.T) *testFixtures {
 
 	cache, err := imgcache.NewCache(db, imgcache.CacheConfig{
 		StateDir:    tmpDir,
-		CacheTTL:    time.Hour,
 		NegativeTTL: 5 * time.Minute,
 	})
 	if err != nil {

internal/handlers/image_cache_control_internal_test.go

@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ func newSignedHostServer(
 
 	cache, err := imgcache.NewCache(setupTestDB(t), imgcache.CacheConfig{
 		StateDir:    t.TempDir(),
-		CacheTTL:    time.Hour,
 		NegativeTTL: 5 * time.Minute,
 	})
 	if err != nil {

internal/handlers/image_errors_internal_test.go

@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ func newImageRoute(t *testing.T, fetcher httpfetcher.Fetcher) http.Handler {
 
 	cache, err := imgcache.NewCache(setupTestDB(t), imgcache.CacheConfig{
 		StateDir:    t.TempDir(),
-		CacheTTL:    time.Hour,
 		NegativeTTL: 5 * time.Minute,
 	})
 	if err != nil {

internal/handlers/referer_blocklist_internal_test.go

@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ func newRefererRoutes(t *testing.T) (http.Handler, *Handlers, *countingFetcher)
 
 	cache, err := imgcache.NewCache(setupTestDB(t), imgcache.CacheConfig{
 		StateDir:    t.TempDir(),
-		CacheTTL:    time.Hour,
 		NegativeTTL: 5 * time.Minute,
 	})
 	if err != nil {

internal/imageprocessor/imageprocessor.go

@@ -137,9 +137,10 @@ var ErrInputDataTooLarge = errors.New("input data exceeds maximum allowed size")
 // not supported.
 var ErrUnsupportedOutputFormat = errors.New("unsupported output format")
 
-// ErrUnsupportedInputFormat is returned when the requested format is orig and
-// the input is in a format the processor cannot name, so it cannot be saved
-// in that format.
+// ErrUnsupportedInputFormat is returned, before the input is decoded, when
+// libvips reads the input's first bytes as another format than the source
+// formats, or as none: for example an SVG whose first bytes pass the
+// first-bytes check for AVIF.
 var ErrUnsupportedInputFormat = errors.New("unsupported input format")
 
 // ErrTooManyImages is returned when MaxConcurrentProcessing images are being
@@ -224,6 +225,17 @@ func (p *ImageProcessor) Process(
 		return nil, ErrInputDataTooLarge
 	}
 
+	// govips picks the libvips loader from the input's first bytes with
+	// DetermineImageType. Input whose first bytes it reads as no source
+	// format, such as SVG, which librsvg would render, is refused before
+	// libvips reads it.
+	inputFormat := p.detectFormat(vips.DetermineImageType(data))
+
+	sourceFormat, err := p.formatFromString(inputFormat)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	// Decode image
 	img, err := vips.NewImageFromBuffer(data)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -242,9 +254,6 @@ func (p *ImageProcessor) Process(
 	origWidth := img.Width()
 	origHeight := img.Height()
 
-	// Detect input format
-	inputFormat := p.detectFormat(img)
-
 	// Validate input dimensions to prevent DoS via decompression bombs
 	if origWidth > MaxInputDimension || origHeight > MaxInputDimension {
 		return nil, ErrInputTooLarge
@@ -261,14 +270,10 @@ func (p *ImageProcessor) Process(
 		}
 	}
 
-	// orig is the source's own format, and an error when the processor
-	// cannot name it; encode refuses an empty format
+	// orig is the source's own format; encode refuses an empty format
 	outputFormat := req.Format
 	if outputFormat == FormatOriginal {
-		outputFormat, err = p.formatFromString(inputFormat)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
+		outputFormat = sourceFormat
 	}
 
 	// Encode to target format
@@ -412,10 +417,9 @@ func (p *ImageProcessor) acquireSlot(ctx context.Context) (func(), error) {
 	}
 }
 
-// detectFormat returns the format string from a vips image.
-func (p *ImageProcessor) detectFormat(img *vips.ImageRef) string {
-	format := img.Format()
-	switch format {
+// detectFormat returns the format string for a govips image type.
+func (p *ImageProcessor) detectFormat(imageType vips.ImageType) string {
+	switch imageType {
 	case vips.ImageTypeJPEG:
 		return "jpeg"
 	case vips.ImageTypePNG:

internal/imageprocessor/orig_format_internal_test.go

@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/davidbyttow/govips/v2/vips"
 )
 
-// TestImageProcessor_OrigOfUnnamedFormatRefused verifies that orig of an
-// input in a format the processor decodes but cannot name, here TIFF, is
-// an error, and not the image saved as JPEG.
+// TestImageProcessor_OrigOfUnnamedFormatRefused verifies that orig of a TIFF
+// input, which is not a source format, is refused with
+// ErrUnsupportedInputFormat before it is decoded, and not saved as JPEG.
 func TestImageProcessor_OrigOfUnnamedFormatRefused(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 

internal/imgcache/cache.go

@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ const metaCacheSize = 10000
 // CacheConfig holds cache configuration.
 type CacheConfig struct {
 	StateDir    string
-	CacheTTL    time.Duration
 	NegativeTTL time.Duration
 
 	// MaxBytes is the disk cache size limit in bytes that eviction

internal/imgcache/cache_internal_test.go

@@ -102,7 +102,6 @@ func setupTestCache(t *testing.T) *Cache {
 
 	cache, err := NewCache(db, CacheConfig{
 		StateDir:    tmpDir,
-		CacheTTL:    time.Hour,
 		NegativeTTL: 5 * time.Minute,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
@@ -241,7 +240,6 @@ func TestCache_NegativeCacheExpiry(t *testing.T) {
 	// Very short negative TTL for testing
 	cache, err := NewCache(db, CacheConfig{
 		StateDir:    tmpDir,
-		CacheTTL:    time.Hour,
 		NegativeTTL: 1 * time.Millisecond,
 	})
 	if err != nil {

internal/imgcache/eviction_internal_test.go

@@ -70,7 +70,6 @@ func newEvictionTestCache(t *testing.T, maxBytes int64) (*Cache, string) {
 	// backwards compatibility with existing fixtures.
 	cache, err := NewCache(db, CacheConfig{
 		StateDir:         tmpDir,
-		CacheTTL:         time.Hour,
 		NegativeTTL:      5 * time.Minute,
 		MaxBytes:         maxBytes,
 		DisableDiskCache: maxBytes == 0,

internal/imgcache/module.go

@@ -4,6 +4,5 @@ import "time"
 
 // CacheConfig defaults.
 const (
-	DefaultCacheTTL    = 24 * time.Hour
 	DefaultNegativeTTL = 5 * time.Minute
 )

internal/imgcache/negative_cache_internal_test.go

@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ func TestNegativeCache_StoreAndCheck(t *testing.T) {
 
 	cache, err := NewCache(db, CacheConfig{
 		StateDir:    dir,
-		CacheTTL:    time.Hour,
 		NegativeTTL: 5 * time.Minute,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
@@ -63,7 +62,6 @@ func TestNegativeCache_Expired(t *testing.T) {
 
 	cache, err := NewCache(db, CacheConfig{
 		StateDir:    dir,
-		CacheTTL:    time.Hour,
 		NegativeTTL: 1 * time.Millisecond, // very short TTL
 	})
 	if err != nil {

internal/imgcache/service_internal_test.go

@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ package imgcache
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"io"
+	"os"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -430,6 +432,172 @@ func TestService_Get_Caching(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestService_Get_ServesSourceAndVariantCachedTwoDaysAgo caches a source and
+// a variant of it and sets back two days every time pixa stored for them.
+// For the source: fetched_at in source_metadata, fetched_at and
+// last_accessed_at in source_content, the fetched_at in its metadata file,
+// and the access and modification times of its file and of its metadata
+// file. For the variant: created_at and last_accessed_at in variant_content,
+// the created_at in its .meta file, and the access and modification times of
+// its file and of its .meta file. It then checks that the variant is still
+// served from the cache and that a new variant is made from the cached source
+// without fetching it again.
+//
+// Left at the present: the files' status change and birth times, which a
+// program cannot set, and the times of the directories holding the files,
+// which other entries share. The source's stored response headers are empty,
+// as the mock fetcher sends none. expires_at, etag and last_modified in
+// source_metadata and in the metadata file are never written, nor are the
+// request_cache and output_content tables.
+func TestService_Get_ServesSourceAndVariantCachedTwoDaysAgo(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	svc, fixtures := SetupTestService(t)
+	variant := photoVariant(fixtures, 85, FitCover)
+
+	resp, err := svc.Get(t.Context(), variant)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Get() first request error = %v", err)
+	}
+
+	_ = resp.Content.Close()
+
+	twoDaysAgo := time.Now().AddDate(0, 0, -2)
+	backdateSource(t, svc.cache, variant, twoDaysAgo)
+	backdateVariant(t, svc.cache, variant, twoDaysAgo)
+
+	resp, err = svc.Get(t.Context(), variant)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Get() of the cached variant error = %v", err)
+	}
+
+	_ = resp.Content.Close()
+
+	if resp.CacheStatus != CacheHit {
+		t.Errorf("cached variant CacheStatus = %q, want %q",
+			resp.CacheStatus, CacheHit)
+	}
+
+	// Another quality is a new variant, made from the cached source
+	resp, err = svc.Get(t.Context(), photoVariant(fixtures, 40, FitCover))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Get() of a new variant error = %v", err)
+	}
+
+	_ = resp.Content.Close()
+
+	fetches := readCacheStatsCounters(t, svc.cache).upstreamFetchCount
+	if fetches != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("upstream fetches = %d, want 1", fetches)
+	}
+}
+
+// backdateSource sets every time pixa stored for req's cached source to when,
+// as listed on TestService_Get_ServesSourceAndVariantCachedTwoDaysAgo.
+func backdateSource(
+	t *testing.T, cache *Cache, req *ImageRequest, when time.Time,
+) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	pathHash := HashPath(req.SourcePath + "?" + req.SourceQuery)
+
+	meta, err := cache.srcMetadata.Load(req.SourceHost, pathHash)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("reading the source's metadata file: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	meta.FetchedAt = when.Unix()
+
+	err = cache.srcMetadata.Store(req.SourceHost, pathHash, meta)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("writing the source's metadata file: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	dbTime := when.UTC().Format(sqliteTimestampFormat)
+
+	updateOneRow(t, cache, `
+		UPDATE source_metadata SET fetched_at = ?
+		WHERE source_host = ? AND source_path = ? AND source_query = ?
+	`, dbTime, req.SourceHost, req.SourcePath, req.SourceQuery)
+	updateOneRow(t, cache,
+		`UPDATE source_content SET fetched_at = ? WHERE content_hash = ?`,
+		dbTime, meta.ContentHash)
+	setSourceLastAccessed(t, cache, ContentHash(meta.ContentHash), when)
+
+	for _, path := range []string{
+		cache.srcContent.hashToPath(ContentHash(meta.ContentHash)),
+		cache.srcMetadata.metaPath(req.SourceHost, pathHash),
+	} {
+		err = os.Chtimes(path, when, when)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("setting back the times of %s: %v", path, err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// backdateVariant sets every time pixa stored for the cached variant req asks
+// for to when, as listed on
+// TestService_Get_ServesSourceAndVariantCachedTwoDaysAgo.
+func backdateVariant(
+	t *testing.T, cache *Cache, req *ImageRequest, when time.Time,
+) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	key := CacheKey(req)
+
+	content, size, contentType, err := cache.variants.LoadWithMeta(key)
+	if err != nil || contentType == "" {
+		t.Fatalf("reading the variant's .meta file: content type %q, error %v",
+			contentType, err)
+	}
+
+	_ = content.Close()
+
+	meta, err := json.Marshal(VariantMeta{
+		ContentType: contentType,
+		Size:        size,
+		CreatedAt:   when.Unix(),
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("encoding the variant's .meta file: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	path := cache.variants.keyToPath(key)
+
+	err = os.WriteFile(path+variantMetaSuffix, meta, StorageFilePerm)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("writing the variant's .meta file: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	updateOneRow(t, cache,
+		`UPDATE variant_content SET created_at = ? WHERE cache_key = ?`,
+		when.UTC().Format(sqliteTimestampFormat), string(key))
+	setVariantLastAccessed(t, cache, key, when)
+
+	for _, file := range []string{path, path + variantMetaSuffix} {
+		err = os.Chtimes(file, when, when)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("setting back the times of %s: %v", file, err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// updateOneRow runs the UPDATE statement query and fails the test unless it
+// changed exactly one row.
+func updateOneRow(t *testing.T, cache *Cache, query string, args ...any) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	result, err := cache.db.ExecContext(t.Context(), query, args...)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("%s: %v", query, err)
+	}
+
+	rows, err := result.RowsAffected()
+	if err != nil || rows != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("%s: rows = %d, error = %v, want 1 row", query, rows, err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestService_Get_DifferentSizes(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 

internal/imgcache/stats_internal_test.go

@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ func TestStats_HitRateIsRatio(t *testing.T) {
 
 	cache, err := NewCache(db, CacheConfig{
 		StateDir:    dir,
-		CacheTTL:    time.Hour,
 		NegativeTTL: 5 * time.Minute,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
@@ -91,7 +90,6 @@ func TestStats_ZeroCounts(t *testing.T) {
 
 	cache, err := NewCache(db, CacheConfig{
 		StateDir:    dir,
-		CacheTTL:    time.Hour,
 		NegativeTTL: 5 * time.Minute,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
@@ -120,7 +118,6 @@ func TestStats_LogsFailedCountQueries(t *testing.T) {
 
 	cache, err := NewCache(db, CacheConfig{
 		StateDir:    t.TempDir(),
-		CacheTTL:    time.Hour,
 		NegativeTTL: 5 * time.Minute,
 		Logger:      slog.New(slog.NewJSONHandler(&logBuf, nil)),
 	})
@@ -162,7 +159,6 @@ func TestIncrementStats_LogsFailedUpdates(t *testing.T) {
 
 	cache, err := NewCache(db, CacheConfig{
 		StateDir:    t.TempDir(),
-		CacheTTL:    time.Hour,
 		NegativeTTL: 5 * time.Minute,
 		Logger:      slog.New(slog.NewJSONHandler(&logBuf, nil)),
 	})
@@ -232,7 +228,6 @@ func TestStats_DisabledCacheReportsNoItems(t *testing.T) {
 
 	disabled, err := NewCache(enabled.db, CacheConfig{
 		StateDir:         t.TempDir(),
-		CacheTTL:         time.Hour,
 		NegativeTTL:      5 * time.Minute,
 		DisableDiskCache: true,
 	})

internal/imgcache/testutil_internal_test.go

@@ -185,7 +185,6 @@ func SetupTestService(
 
 	cache, err := NewCache(db, CacheConfig{
 		StateDir:    tmpDir,
-		CacheTTL:    time.Hour,
 		NegativeTTL: 5 * time.Minute,
 	})
 	if err != nil {

internal/server/svg_as_avif_internal_test.go

@@ -38,14 +38,7 @@ func TestImageProxyRefusesSVGServedAsAVIF(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("encurl.NewGenerator: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	targets := []string{
-		"/v1/image/" + upstreamHost + "/drawing.avif/32x24.png",
-		"/v1/image/" + upstreamHost + "/drawing.avif/64x48.orig",
-	}
-
-	for _, format := range []imgcache.ImageFormat{
-		imgcache.FormatPNG, imgcache.FormatOriginal,
-	} {
+	encryptedURL := func(format imgcache.ImageFormat) string {
 		token, err := generator.Generate(&encurl.Payload{
 			SourceHost: upstreamHost, SourcePath: "/drawing.avif",
 			Width: 32, Height: 24, Format: format,
@@ -54,10 +47,15 @@ func TestImageProxyRefusesSVGServedAsAVIF(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Fatalf("encurl Generate: %v", err)
 		}
 
-		targets = append(targets, "/v1/e/"+token+"/drawing."+string(format))
+		return "/v1/e/" + token + "/drawing." + string(format)
 	}
 
-	for _, target := range targets {
+	for _, target := range []string{
+		"/v1/image/" + upstreamHost + "/drawing.avif/32x24.png",
+		"/v1/image/" + upstreamHost + "/drawing.avif/64x48.orig",
+		encryptedURL(imgcache.FormatPNG),
+		encryptedURL(imgcache.FormatOriginal),
+	} {
 		rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
 		s.ServeHTTP(rec, httptest.NewRequestWithContext(
 			t.Context(), http.MethodGet, target, nil))