# how to recover a repository 5 messages from 2010-12-17 to 2010-12-17. Participants: david@lang.hm, Jonathan Nieder, Jeff King. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/26091 ## david@lang.hm, 2010-12-17 04:28 Subject: how to recover a repository Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/alpine.DEB.2.00.1012162024020.22269%40asgard.lang.hm ``` I managed to do a 'rm *' in the .git directory (the usual sort of fat-fingering when cleaning up after another mistake) the subdirectories are still there. this is just a local repository, it won't kill me if I loose everything (as I still have the most recent working files), but I'd like to recover what I can. what can I do to get things back in a usable state? David Lang ``` ## Jonathan Nieder, 2010-12-17 04:45 Subject: Re: how to recover a repository Message-ID: <20101217044530.GA8590@burratino> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/20101217044530.GA8590%40burratino In-Reply-To: ``` Hi David, david@lang.hm wrote: > I managed to do a 'rm *' in the .git directory (the usual sort of > fat-fingering when cleaning up after another mistake) > > the subdirectories are still there. I'd suggest: 1. Make a backup! 2. From the worktree (i.e. parent to the .git directory), run "git init". 3. git update-ref HEAD refs/heads/(branch you were on) 4. git reset; # (alas, the old index file is gone) 5. git diff; gitk --all See gitrepository-layout(7) for details. ``` ## david@lang.hm, 2010-12-17 20:20 Subject: Re: how to recover a repository Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/alpine.DEB.2.00.1012171218450.18272%40asgard.lang.hm In-Reply-To: <20101217044530.GA8590@burratino> ``` On Thu, 16 Dec 2010, Jonathan Nieder wrote: > Hi David, > > david@lang.hm wrote: > >> I managed to do a 'rm *' in the .git directory (the usual sort of >> fat-fingering when cleaning up after another mistake) >> >> the subdirectories are still there. > > I'd suggest: > > 1. Make a backup! > 2. From the worktree (i.e. parent to the .git directory), > run "git init". > 3. git update-ref HEAD refs/heads/(branch you were on) I was on the default branch but if I do 'git update-ref HEAD refs/heads/master' I get an error 'not a valid SHA1' .git/refs/heads is empty .git/logs/HEAD looks like it shows all the commits in it properly David Lang > 4. git reset; # (alas, the old index file is gone) > 5. git diff; gitk --all > > See gitrepository-layout(7) for details. > ``` ## Jeff King, 2010-12-17 21:22 Subject: Re: how to recover a repository Message-ID: <20101217212201.GC11511@sigill.intra.peff.net> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/20101217212201.GC11511%40sigill.intra.peff.net In-Reply-To: ``` On Fri, Dec 17, 2010 at 12:20:56PM -0800, david@lang.hm wrote: > >3. git update-ref HEAD refs/heads/(branch you were on) > > I was on the default branch but if I do 'git update-ref HEAD > refs/heads/master' I get an error 'not a valid SHA1' That should be "git symbolic-ref HEAD refs/heads/master". -Peff ``` ## david@lang.hm, 2010-12-17 22:30 Subject: Re: how to recover a repository Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/alpine.DEB.2.00.1012171430270.18272%40asgard.lang.hm In-Reply-To: <20101217212201.GC11511@sigill.intra.peff.net> ``` thanks, that appears to have worked. David Lang On Fri, 17 Dec 2010, Jeff King wrote: > Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:22:02 -0500 > From: Jeff King > To: david@lang.hm > Cc: Jonathan Nieder , git@vger.kernel.org > Subject: Re: how to recover a repository > > On Fri, Dec 17, 2010 at 12:20:56PM -0800, david@lang.hm wrote: > >>> 3. git update-ref HEAD refs/heads/(branch you were on) >> >> I was on the default branch but if I do 'git update-ref HEAD >> refs/heads/master' I get an error 'not a valid SHA1' > > That should be "git symbolic-ref HEAD refs/heads/master". > > -Peff > ```