# [BUG?] git remote rm repo nukes local refs for mirror repo 4 messages from 2008-10-14 to 2008-10-14. Participants: Michael J Gruber, Johannes Schindelin, Samuel Tardieu. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/15889 ## Michael J Gruber, 2008-10-14 09:05 Subject: [BUG?] git remote rm repo nukes local refs for mirror repo Message-ID: <48F460DB.9030209@drmicha.warpmail.net> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/48F460DB.9030209%40drmicha.warpmail.net ``` I just noticed the hard way that "git remote rm repo" nukes all local (mirrored) refs if repo had been setup with "git remote add --mirror repo url". Some may argue that this behaviour fits the description "deletes all remote tracking branches" but I would claim it does not: mirrored branches are not remote tracking branches in the proper sense. So: - Is this behaviour intended? - If yes, how else would I remove a remote mirror configuration without destroying a local repo? git config, I know, but that can't be the way. Michael Technical: remote_find_tracking() in remote.c returns "branch" as the remote tracking branch of "branch" (itself) in a mirror setup. Is this the right thing to do? ``` ## Johannes Schindelin, 2008-10-14 09:32 Subject: Re: [BUG?] git remote rm repo nukes local refs for mirror repo Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/alpine.DEB.1.00.0810141131130.22125%40pacific.mpi-cbg.de.mpi-cbg.de In-Reply-To: <48F460DB.9030209@drmicha.warpmail.net> ``` Hi, On Tue, 14 Oct 2008, Michael J Gruber wrote: > I just noticed the hard way that "git remote rm repo" nukes all local > (mirrored) refs if repo had been setup with "git remote add --mirror > repo url". > > Some may argue that this behaviour fits the description "deletes all > remote tracking branches" but I would claim it does not: mirrored > branches are not remote tracking branches in the proper sense. Count me into the former group. If you set up a "--mirror" repository, it defeats the purpose to mix that with _true_ local branches. I'd color this a pilot error, Dscho ``` ## Samuel Tardieu, 2008-10-14 10:55 Subject: Re: [BUG?] git remote rm repo nukes local refs for mirror repo Message-ID: <2008-10-14-12-55-13+trackit+sam@rfc1149.net> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/2008-10-14-12-55-13%2Btrackit%2Bsam%40rfc1149.net In-Reply-To: ``` Michael> I just noticed the hard way that "git remote rm repo" nukes Michael> all local (mirrored) refs if repo had been setup with "git Michael> remote add --mirror repo url". Some may argue that this Michael> behaviour fits the description "deletes all remote tracking Michael> branches" but I would claim it does not: mirrored branches Michael> are not remote tracking branches in the proper sense. Johannes> Count me into the former group. If you set up a "--mirror" Johannes> repository, it defeats the purpose to mix that with _true_ Johannes> local branches. IMO it should exit with an error and force to use "--force" to perform the operation. The scenario I envision is a mirror becoming the primary repository because the original source has disappeared. You would want to remove the now-useless reference to the source, and silently nuking all branches is wrong. Sam -- Samuel Tardieu -- sam@rfc1149.net -- http://www.rfc1149.net/ ``` ## Michael J Gruber, 2008-10-14 11:34 Subject: Re: [BUG?] git remote rm repo nukes local refs for mirror repo Message-ID: <48F483A8.4070103@drmicha.warpmail.net> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/48F483A8.4070103%40drmicha.warpmail.net In-Reply-To: ``` Johannes Schindelin venit, vidit, dixit 14.10.2008 11:32: > Hi, > > On Tue, 14 Oct 2008, Michael J Gruber wrote: > >> I just noticed the hard way that "git remote rm repo" nukes all local >> (mirrored) refs if repo had been setup with "git remote add --mirror >> repo url". >> >> Some may argue that this behaviour fits the description "deletes all >> remote tracking branches" but I would claim it does not: mirrored >> branches are not remote tracking branches in the proper sense. > > Count me into the former group. If you set up a "--mirror" repository, it > defeats the purpose to mix that with _true_ local branches. > > I'd color this a pilot error, > Dscho OK, I'll give some background about the motivation: I have a "local" repo. I want to create a "backup repo" which contains the same branches (including proper remotes, svn remotes). So, I create an empty bare repo somewhere (say store:backuprepo.git), and in the local repo I do: git remote add --mirror backup store:backuprepo.git git push backup I need "mirror=true" because otherwise branches are not created automatically (on push) on the remote side. I need the '+refs/*:refs/*' refspec because otherwise not all refs are mirrored. But now I can't use "git remote rm backup" to remove the configuration because that would take away all my local branches, too. Instead, I could set up things with git remote add backup store:backuprepo.git git config remote.backup.push '+refs/*:refs/*' Then all branches are mirrored on the remote automatically. But interesting things happen after fetch and push... Read "recursion". So, in order to avoid any remote/backup/foo branches on the local side I would have to use git remote add backup store:backuprepo.git git config remote.backup.push '+refs/*:refs/*' git config --unset remote.backup.fetch in order to create a "backup remote" configuration. Maybe I'm just being dense (which is actually OK for a functional analyst); I'd be happy about any more direct solution. At least I think there should be one, a backup bare remote mirror is a common use case, and the config massaging above is not something to recommend to novice users. Michael P.S.: Yeah I know, git's no backup tool, there's rsync... ;) ```