threads / discuss / 19217

git repack with a --reference

Subject: git repack with a --reference

## tl;dr

3 messages between May 7, 2009 and May 7, 2009.

replies: 2people: 3as markdown or json

Jonathan Harker· May 7, 2009, 04:21 UTC · lore

Hi - hope this isn't too noobish but I'm trying to get an existing git checkout to repack/prune/gc itself such that it would be like I had cloned it with --reference /path/to/local/repo (i.e. I've added /path/to/local/repo to .git/objects/info/alternatives, and I'd like it to reduce its objects from 200 MB to 5 MB). Is this

a. possible,

b. desirable, and

c. not insane?

Cheers, Jonathan Harker http://catalyst.net.nz/

Miles Bader· May 7, 2009, 05:57 UTC · re: Jonathan Harker · lore

Re: git repack with a --reference

Jonathan Harker <jonathan@catalyst.net.nz> writes:

Show 9 quoted lines

> Hi - hope this isn't too noobish but I'm trying to get an existing git
> checkout to repack/prune/gc itself such that it would be like I had
> cloned it with --reference /path/to/local/repo (i.e. I've added
> /path/to/local/repo to .git/objects/info/alternatives, and I'd like it
> to reduce its objects from 200 MB to 5 MB). Is this
>
> a. possible,
> b. desirable, and
> c. not insane?

I've done this in the past (using "git gc", but same difference I guess), and it worked as you'd hope, reducing .git to something very small.

I don't recall any real problems, but you might need to manually remove any pack ".keep" files first though (I seem to recall something like that, anyway).

-Miles

-- 
Friendship, n. A ship big enough to carry two in fair weather, but only one
in foul.

Brandon Casey· May 7, 2009, 17:14 UTC · re: Jonathan Harker · lore

Re: git repack with a --reference

Jonathan Harker wrote:

Show 11 quoted lines

> Hi - hope this isn't too noobish but I'm trying to get an existing git
> checkout to repack/prune/gc itself such that it would be like I had
> cloned it with --reference /path/to/local/repo (i.e. I've added
> /path/to/local/repo to .git/objects/info/alternatives, and I'd like it
> to reduce its objects from 200 MB to 5 MB). Is this
> 
> a. possible,
> 
> b. desirable, and
> 
> c. not insane?

yes,yes,yes.

The path written to .git/objects/info/alternates (also notice spelling of "alternates") should be the path to the objects directory, not to the toplevel repository.

i.e.

   /path/to/local/repo.git/objects

It should work properly since git v1.6.2.3.

-brandon