Documentation/git-clone.txt - jrn/git - Git at Google

 git-clone(1)
 ============

 NAME
 ----
 git-clone - Clone a repository into a new directory


 SYNOPSIS
 --------
 [verse]
 'git clone' [--template=<template_directory>]
 	  [-l] [-s] [--no-hardlinks] [-q] [-n] [--bare] [--mirror]
 	  [-o <name>] [-u <upload-pack>] [--reference <repository>]
 	  [--depth <depth>] [--] <repository> [<directory>]

 DESCRIPTION
 -----------

 Clones a repository into a newly created directory, creates
 remote-tracking branches for each branch in the cloned repository
 (visible using `git branch -r`), and creates and checks out an initial
 branch equal to the cloned repository's currently active branch.

 After the clone, a plain `git fetch` without arguments will update
 all the remote-tracking branches, and a `git pull` without
 arguments will in addition merge the remote master branch into the
 current master branch, if any.

 This default configuration is achieved by creating references to
 the remote branch heads under `$GIT_DIR/refs/remotes/origin` and
 by initializing `remote.origin.url` and `remote.origin.fetch`
 configuration variables.


 OPTIONS
 -------
 --local::
 -l::
 	When the repository to clone from is on a local machine,
 	this flag bypasses normal "git aware" transport
 	mechanism and clones the repository by making a copy of
 	HEAD and everything under objects and refs directories.
 	The files under `.git/objects/` directory are hardlinked
 	to save space when possible.  This is now the default when
 	the source repository is specified with `/path/to/repo`
 	syntax, so it essentially is a no-op option.  To force
 	copying instead of hardlinking (which may be desirable
 	if you are trying to make a back-up of your repository),
 	but still avoid the usual "git aware" transport
 	mechanism, `--no-hardlinks` can be used.

 --no-hardlinks::
 	Optimize the cloning process from a repository on a
 	local filesystem by copying files under `.git/objects`
 	directory.

 --shared::
 -s::
 	When the repository to clone is on the local machine,
 	instead of using hard links, automatically setup
 	.git/objects/info/alternates to share the objects
 	with the source repository.  The resulting repository
 	starts out without any object of its own.
 +
 *NOTE*: this is a possibly dangerous operation; do *not* use
 it unless you understand what it does. If you clone your
 repository using this option and then delete branches (or use any
 other git command that makes any existing commit unreferenced) in the
 source repository, some objects may become unreferenced (or dangling).
 These objects may be removed by normal git operations (such as 'git-commit')
 which automatically call `git gc --auto`. (See linkgit:git-gc[1].)
 If these objects are removed and were referenced by the cloned repository,
 then the cloned repository will become corrupt.


 --reference <repository>::
 	If the reference repository is on the local machine
 	automatically setup .git/objects/info/alternates to
 	obtain objects from the reference repository.  Using
 	an already existing repository as an alternate will
 	require fewer objects to be copied from the repository
 	being cloned, reducing network and local storage costs.
 +
 *NOTE*: see NOTE to --shared option.

 --quiet::
 -q::
 	Operate quietly.  This flag is also passed to the `rsync'
 	command when given.

 --verbose::
 -v::
 	Display the progressbar, even in case the standard output is not
 	a terminal.

 --no-checkout::
 -n::
 	No checkout of HEAD is performed after the clone is complete.

 --bare::
 	Make a 'bare' GIT repository.  That is, instead of
 	creating `<directory>` and placing the administrative
 	files in `<directory>/.git`, make the `<directory>`
 	itself the `$GIT_DIR`. This obviously implies the `-n`
 	because there is nowhere to check out the working tree.
 	Also the branch heads at the remote are copied directly
 	to corresponding local branch heads, without mapping
 	them to `refs/remotes/origin/`.  When this option is
 	used, neither remote-tracking branches nor the related
 	configuration variables are created.

 --mirror::
 	Set up a mirror of the remote repository.  This implies --bare.

 --origin <name>::
 -o <name>::
 	Instead of using the remote name 'origin' to keep track
 	of the upstream repository, use <name> instead.

 --upload-pack <upload-pack>::
 -u <upload-pack>::
 	When given, and the repository to clone from is accessed
 	via ssh, this specifies a non-default path for the command
 	run on the other end.

 --template=<template_directory>::
 	Specify the directory from which templates will be used;
 	if unset the templates are taken from the installation
 	defined default, typically `/usr/share/git-core/templates`.

 --depth <depth>::
 	Create a 'shallow' clone with a history truncated to the
 	specified number of revisions.  A shallow repository has a
 	number of limitations (you cannot clone or fetch from
 	it, nor push from nor into it), but is adequate if you
 	are only interested in the recent history of a large project
 	with a long history, and would want to send in fixes
 	as patches.

 <repository>::
 	The (possibly remote) repository to clone from.  See the
 	<<URLS,URLS>> section below for more information on specifying
 	repositories.

 <directory>::
 	The name of a new directory to clone into.  The "humanish"
 	part of the source repository is used if no directory is
 	explicitly given ("repo" for "/path/to/repo.git" and "foo"
 	for "host.xz:foo/.git").  Cloning into an existing directory
 	is not allowed.

 :git-clone: 1
 include::urls.txt[]

 Examples
 --------

 Clone from upstream::
 +
 ------------
 $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/.../linux-2.6 my2.6
 $ cd my2.6
 $ make
 ------------


 Make a local clone that borrows from the current directory, without checking things out::
 +
 ------------
 $ git clone -l -s -n . ../copy
 $ cd ../copy
 $ git show-branch
 ------------


 Clone from upstream while borrowing from an existing local directory::
 +
 ------------
 $ git clone --reference my2.6 \
 	git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/.../linux-2.7 \
 	my2.7
 $ cd my2.7
 ------------


 Create a bare repository to publish your changes to the public::
 +
 ------------
 $ git clone --bare -l /home/proj/.git /pub/scm/proj.git
 ------------


 Create a repository on the kernel.org machine that borrows from Linus::
 +
 ------------
 $ git clone --bare -l -s /pub/scm/.../torvalds/linux-2.6.git \
     /pub/scm/.../me/subsys-2.6.git
 ------------


 Author
 ------
 Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org>


 Documentation
 --------------
 Documentation by Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.


 GIT
 ---
 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite
	git-clone(1)
	============

	NAME
	----
	git-clone - Clone a repository into a new directory


	SYNOPSIS
	--------
	[verse]
	'git clone' [--template=<template_directory>]
	[-l] [-s] [--no-hardlinks] [-q] [-n] [--bare] [--mirror]
	[-o <name>] [-u <upload-pack>] [--reference <repository>]
	[--depth <depth>] [--] <repository> [<directory>]

	DESCRIPTION
	-----------

	Clones a repository into a newly created directory, creates
	remote-tracking branches for each branch in the cloned repository
	(visible using `git branch -r`), and creates and checks out an initial
	branch equal to the cloned repository's currently active branch.

	After the clone, a plain `git fetch` without arguments will update
	all the remote-tracking branches, and a `git pull` without
	arguments will in addition merge the remote master branch into the
	current master branch, if any.

	This default configuration is achieved by creating references to
	the remote branch heads under `$GIT_DIR/refs/remotes/origin` and
	by initializing `remote.origin.url` and `remote.origin.fetch`
	configuration variables.


	OPTIONS
	-------
	--local::
	-l::
	When the repository to clone from is on a local machine,
	this flag bypasses normal "git aware" transport
	mechanism and clones the repository by making a copy of
	HEAD and everything under objects and refs directories.
	The files under `.git/objects/` directory are hardlinked
	to save space when possible. This is now the default when
	the source repository is specified with `/path/to/repo`
	syntax, so it essentially is a no-op option. To force
	copying instead of hardlinking (which may be desirable
	if you are trying to make a back-up of your repository),
	but still avoid the usual "git aware" transport
	mechanism, `--no-hardlinks` can be used.

	--no-hardlinks::
	Optimize the cloning process from a repository on a
	local filesystem by copying files under `.git/objects`
	directory.

	--shared::
	-s::
	When the repository to clone is on the local machine,
	instead of using hard links, automatically setup
	.git/objects/info/alternates to share the objects
	with the source repository. The resulting repository
	starts out without any object of its own.
	+
	NOTE: this is a possibly dangerous operation; do not use
	it unless you understand what it does. If you clone your
	repository using this option and then delete branches (or use any
	other git command that makes any existing commit unreferenced) in the
	source repository, some objects may become unreferenced (or dangling).
	These objects may be removed by normal git operations (such as 'git-commit')
	which automatically call `git gc --auto`. (See linkgit:git-gc[1].)
	If these objects are removed and were referenced by the cloned repository,
	then the cloned repository will become corrupt.



	--reference <repository>::
	If the reference repository is on the local machine
	automatically setup .git/objects/info/alternates to
	obtain objects from the reference repository. Using
	an already existing repository as an alternate will
	require fewer objects to be copied from the repository
	being cloned, reducing network and local storage costs.
	+
	NOTE: see NOTE to --shared option.

	--quiet::
	-q::
	Operate quietly. This flag is also passed to the `rsync'
	command when given.

	--verbose::
	-v::
	Display the progressbar, even in case the standard output is not
	a terminal.

	--no-checkout::
	-n::
	No checkout of HEAD is performed after the clone is complete.

	--bare::
	Make a 'bare' GIT repository. That is, instead of
	creating `<directory>` and placing the administrative
	files in `<directory>/.git`, make the `<directory>`
	itself the `$GIT_DIR`. This obviously implies the `-n`
	because there is nowhere to check out the working tree.
	Also the branch heads at the remote are copied directly
	to corresponding local branch heads, without mapping
	them to `refs/remotes/origin/`. When this option is
	used, neither remote-tracking branches nor the related
	configuration variables are created.

	--mirror::
	Set up a mirror of the remote repository. This implies --bare.

	--origin <name>::
	-o <name>::
	Instead of using the remote name 'origin' to keep track
	of the upstream repository, use <name> instead.

	--upload-pack <upload-pack>::
	-u <upload-pack>::
	When given, and the repository to clone from is accessed
	via ssh, this specifies a non-default path for the command
	run on the other end.

	--template=<template_directory>::
	Specify the directory from which templates will be used;
	if unset the templates are taken from the installation
	defined default, typically `/usr/share/git-core/templates`.

	--depth <depth>::
	Create a 'shallow' clone with a history truncated to the
	specified number of revisions. A shallow repository has a
	number of limitations (you cannot clone or fetch from
	it, nor push from nor into it), but is adequate if you
	are only interested in the recent history of a large project
	with a long history, and would want to send in fixes
	as patches.

	<repository>::
	The (possibly remote) repository to clone from. See the
	<<URLS,URLS>> section below for more information on specifying
	repositories.

	<directory>::
	The name of a new directory to clone into. The "humanish"
	part of the source repository is used if no directory is
	explicitly given ("repo" for "/path/to/repo.git" and "foo"
	for "host.xz:foo/.git"). Cloning into an existing directory
	is not allowed.

	:git-clone: 1
	include::urls.txt[]

	Examples
	--------

	Clone from upstream::
	+
	------------
	$ git clone git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/.../linux-2.6 my2.6
	$ cd my2.6
	$ make
	------------


	Make a local clone that borrows from the current directory, without checking things out::
	+
	------------
	$ git clone -l -s -n . ../copy
	$ cd ../copy
	$ git show-branch
	------------


	Clone from upstream while borrowing from an existing local directory::
	+
	------------
	$ git clone --reference my2.6 \
	git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/.../linux-2.7 \
	my2.7
	$ cd my2.7
	------------


	Create a bare repository to publish your changes to the public::
	+
	------------
	$ git clone --bare -l /home/proj/.git /pub/scm/proj.git
	------------


	Create a repository on the kernel.org machine that borrows from Linus::
	+
	------------
	$ git clone --bare -l -s /pub/scm/.../torvalds/linux-2.6.git \
	/pub/scm/.../me/subsys-2.6.git
	------------


	Author
	------
	Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org>


	Documentation
	--------------
	Documentation by Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.


	GIT
	---
	Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite