# Can a git repository be initialized with a bundle?

2 messages from 2008-02-13 to 2008-02-13. Participants: Tom Koelman, Santi Béjar.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/12068

## Tom Koelman, 2008-02-13 08:21

Subject: Can a git repository be initialized with a bundle?
Message-ID: <m3abm56zc9.fsf@assurancetourix.xs4all.nl>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/m3abm56zc9.fsf%40assurancetourix.xs4all.nl

```

Hi,

I got some repository from which I created a bundle like so:

$ git bundle create all.bundle --all

Now I want to recreate this repository somewhere else:

$ mkdir tmp ; cd tmp ; git init
Initialized empty Git repository in .git/
$ git fetch all.bundle
fatal: Couldn't find remote ref HEAD

It doesn't matter whether I try to fetch, pull, or add -f to the command
line, I always get this response.

Am I trying to accomplish something that can't be done or am I doing it
wrong?

I am running git version 1.5.4.1 under Linux.

Regards,
Tom Koelman

```

## Santi Béjar, 2008-02-13 09:02

Subject: Re: Can a git repository be initialized with a bundle?
Message-ID: <8aa486160802130102k42158154t7c81b37171a29243@mail.gmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/8aa486160802130102k42158154t7c81b37171a29243%40mail.gmail.com
In-Reply-To: <m3abm56zc9.fsf@assurancetourix.xs4all.nl>

```
On Feb 13, 2008 9:21 AM, Tom Koelman <tkoelman@xs4all.nl> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I got some repository from which I created a bundle like so:
>
> $ git bundle create all.bundle --all

--all does not imply HEAD, so:

$ git bundle create all.bundle --all HEAD

> Now I want to recreate this repository somewhere else:
>
> $ mkdir tmp ; cd tmp ; git init
> Initialized empty Git repository in .git/
> $ git fetch all.bundle
> fatal: Couldn't find remote ref HEAD

you have to say explicitly the branches you want as:

$ git fetch all.bundle master:bundle/master

or with a remote:

$ git remote add bundle all.bundle
$ git fetch bundle

>
> It doesn't matter whether I try to fetch, pull, or add -f to the command
> line, I always get this response.

The same happens with a normal remote repository without a HEAD.

>
> Am I trying to accomplish something that can't be done or am I doing it
> wrong?

I sent a path to support bundles in clone, but it was late for 1.5.4
and at some point "git clone" will be converted to C (now it is a
script). For now you have to do the "git init ; git remote add -f
...", or similar.

Santi

```