{"thread":{"id":"22481","subject":"Is ./git/branches used for anything?","startedAt":"2010-02-02T08:01:31Z","lastAt":"2010-02-02T15:00:09Z","messageCount":4,"participants":["Ron Garret","Sverre Rabbelier","Jakub Narebski"],"isPatch":false,"patchVersion":null,"patchTotal":null},"messages":[{"id":"133331","messageId":"ron1-35461E.00013102022010@news.gmane.org","threadId":"22481","inReplyTo":null,"subject":"Is ./git/branches used for anything?","fromName":"Ron Garret","fromEmail":"ron1@flownet.com","sentAt":"2010-02-02T08:01:31Z","receivedAt":"2010-02-02T08:01:31Z","isPatch":false,"sender":{"key":"ron1@flownet.com","avatar":null},"body":"If so, what?  .git/refs/heads seems to contain all the branch info, so \nwhat is the branches directory for?\n\nThanks,\nrg\n"},{"id":"133333","messageId":"fabb9a1e1002020011p4819b918yc9c2379bf68b4b6b@mail.gmail.com","threadId":"22481","inReplyTo":"ron1-35461E.00013102022010@news.gmane.org","subject":"Re: Is ./git/branches used for anything?","fromName":"Sverre Rabbelier","fromEmail":"srabbelier@gmail.com","sentAt":"2010-02-02T08:11:26Z","receivedAt":"2010-02-02T08:11:26Z","isPatch":false,"sender":{"key":"srabbelier@gmail.com","avatar":"https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/3098?v=4"},"body":"Heya,\n\nOn Tue, Feb 2, 2010 at 09:01, Ron Garret <ron1@flownet.com> wrote:\n> If so, what?  .git/refs/heads seems to contain all the branch info, so\n> what is the branches directory for?\n\nIt's a leftover from the good ole' days. I think Cogito used it.\n\n-- \nCheers,\n\nSverre Rabbelier\n"},{"id":"133335","messageId":"ron1-58FFFB.00194402022010@news.gmane.org","threadId":"22481","inReplyTo":"fabb9a1e1002020011p4819b918yc9c2379bf68b4b6b@mail.gmail.com","subject":"Re: Is ./git/branches used for anything?","fromName":"Ron Garret","fromEmail":"ron1@flownet.com","sentAt":"2010-02-02T08:19:44Z","receivedAt":"2010-02-02T08:19:44Z","isPatch":false,"sender":{"key":"ron1@flownet.com","avatar":null},"body":"In article \n<fabb9a1e1002020011p4819b918yc9c2379bf68b4b6b@mail.gmail.com>,\n Sverre Rabbelier <srabbelier@gmail.com> wrote:\n\n> Heya,\n> \n> On Tue, Feb 2, 2010 at 09:01, Ron Garret <ron1@flownet.com> wrote:\n> > If so, what?  .git/refs/heads seems to contain all the branch info, so\n> > what is the branches directory for?\n> \n> It's a leftover from the good ole' days. I think Cogito used it.\n\nThanks!\n\nrg\n"},{"id":"133356","messageId":"m34olzbs5f.fsf@localhost.localdomain","threadId":"22481","inReplyTo":"ron1-35461E.00013102022010@news.gmane.org","subject":"Re: Is ./git/branches used for anything?","fromName":"Jakub Narebski","fromEmail":"jnareb@gmail.com","sentAt":"2010-02-02T15:00:09Z","receivedAt":"2010-02-02T15:00:09Z","isPatch":false,"sender":{"key":"jnareb@gmail.com","avatar":"https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/2706?v=4"},"body":"Ron Garret <ron1@flownet.com> writes:\n\n> If so, what?  .git/refs/heads seems to contain all the branch info, so \n> what is the branches directory for?\n\nSee gitrepository-layout(5):\n\n  branches::\n        A slightly deprecated way to store shorthands to be used\n        to specify URL to 'git fetch', 'git pull' and 'git push'\n        commands is to store a file in `branches/<name>` and\n        give 'name' to these commands in place of 'repository'\n        argument.\n\nand git-pull(1):\n\n  REMOTES\n  -------\n\n  The name of one of the following can be used instead\n  of a URL as `<repository>` argument:\n\n  * a remote in the git configuration file: `$GIT_DIR/config`,\n  * a file in the `$GIT_DIR/remotes` directory, or\n  * a file in the `$GIT_DIR/branches` directory.\n\n  All of these also allow you to omit the refspec from the command line\n  because they each contain a refspec which git will use by default.\n\n  [...]\n\n  Named file in `$GIT_DIR/branches`\n  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\n\n  You can choose to provide the name of a\n  file in `$GIT_DIR/branches`.\n  The URL in this file will be used to access the repository.\n  This file should have the following format:\n\n\n  ------------\n          <url>#<head>\n  ------------\n\n  `<url>` is required; `#<head>` is optional.\n\n  Depending on the operation, git will use one of the following\n  refspecs, if you don't provide one on the command line.\n  `<branch>` is the name of this file in `$GIT_DIR/branches` and\n  `<head>` defaults to `master`.\n\n\nAncient history, if somewhat useful for some workflow[1].  It came from\nCogito, which was alternate UI for git.\n\n[1] Namely one of main Linux kernel developers (Linus lieutienants)\nhas scripts around this way of specifying remote information.\n\n-- \nJakub Narebski\nPoland\nShadeHawk on #git\n"}]}