From: Michael J Gruber <git@drmicha.warpmail.net>
Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:40:59 GMT
Subject: Re: How to safely remove a blob
Message-ID: <4D5A3C1B.2030600@drmicha.warpmail.net>
In-Reply-To: <4D5A358F.2050906@ilt.fraunhofer.de>

Rolf Wester venit, vidit, dixit 15.02.2011 09:13:
> Hello,
> 
> in one of my git repos I found an 102 MB object that probably came in there more or less occasionally.
> Its a blob and I would like to remove it safely. I tried to figure out how to do it but I was
> not very successful. I guess simply deleting the file could corrupt my repo or at least the clones of
> that repo.
> 
> I would be very appreciative for any help.

If nothing references that blob then it will go away eventually. The
last section of git-filter-branch's manpage (checklist for shrinking a
repo) details the steps you can take to get rid of it now. (You should
be already in the situation after applying filter-branch and removing
refs/original/*.) If the blob still persists then it is referenced.

Michael