# error while cloning a remote repository

2 messages from 2009-11-13 to 2009-11-13. Participants: Shameem Ahamed, Shawn O. Pearce.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/21602

## Shameem Ahamed, 2009-11-13 06:38

Subject: error while cloning a remote repository
Message-ID: <811075.82054.qm@web94704.mail.in2.yahoo.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/811075.82054.qm%40web94704.mail.in2.yahoo.com

```
Hi,

I ran in to a warning message while cloning a remote repository.

The message is 

warning: remote HEAD refers to nonexistent ref, unable to checkout.

After the cloning i couldn't see any remote files. The .git folder is created successfully.

Regards,
Shameem


      

```

## Shawn O. Pearce, 2009-11-13 15:10

Subject: Re: error while cloning a remote repository
Message-ID: <20091113151024.GR11919@spearce.org>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/20091113151024.GR11919%40spearce.org
In-Reply-To: <811075.82054.qm@web94704.mail.in2.yahoo.com>

```
Shameem Ahamed <shameem.ahamed@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I ran in to a warning message while cloning a remote repository.
...
> warning: remote HEAD refers to nonexistent ref, unable to checkout.
> 

Contact the repository owner and let them know.  The error occurs because
their HEAD symbolic reference points to a branch that does not exist.  They
can fix this by running `git symbolic-ref HEAD refs/heads/$branch` to point
at the correct default branch for their repository.

> After the cloning i couldn't see any remote files. The .git folder
> is created successfully.

I think you may be able to do:

  $ git branch -r
  $ git reset --hard $branch

where $branch is one of the origin/ names printed by branch -r.
Because the source repository didn't tell us what default branch name
you should use (it has a bad HEAD) I can't suggest what name, you'll
have to figure it out on your own, or ask the repository owner.

-- 
Shawn.

```