diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/git-pack-refs.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/git-pack-refs.txt | 37 |
1 files changed, 22 insertions, 15 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/git-pack-refs.txt b/Documentation/git-pack-refs.txt index a20fc7de40..154081f2de 100644 --- a/Documentation/git-pack-refs.txt +++ b/Documentation/git-pack-refs.txt @@ -7,13 +7,15 @@ git-pack-refs - Pack heads and tags for efficient repository access SYNOPSIS -------- -'git-pack-refs' [--all] [--no-prune] +[verse] +'git pack-refs' [--all] [--no-prune] DESCRIPTION ----------- Traditionally, tips of branches and tags (collectively known as -'refs') were stored one file per ref under `$GIT_DIR/refs` +'refs') were stored one file per ref in a (sub)directory +under `$GIT_DIR/refs` directory. While many branch tips tend to be updated often, most tags and some branch tips are never updated. When a repository has hundreds or thousands of tags, this @@ -21,28 +23,29 @@ one-file-per-ref format both wastes storage and hurts performance. This command is used to solve the storage and performance -problem by stashing the refs in a single file, +problem by storing the refs in a single file, `$GIT_DIR/packed-refs`. When a ref is missing from the -traditional `$GIT_DIR/refs` hierarchy, it is looked up in this +traditional `$GIT_DIR/refs` directory hierarchy, it is looked +up in this file and used if found. -Subsequent updates to branches always creates new file under -`$GIT_DIR/refs` hierarchy. +Subsequent updates to branches always create new files under +`$GIT_DIR/refs` directory hierarchy. A recommended practice to deal with a repository with too many -refs is to pack its refs with `--all --prune` once, and -occasionally run `git-pack-refs \--prune`. Tags are by +refs is to pack its refs with `--all` once, and +occasionally run `git pack-refs`. Tags are by definition stationary and are not expected to change. Branch heads will be packed with the initial `pack-refs --all`, but only the currently active branch heads will become unpacked, -and next `pack-refs` (without `--all`) will leave them +and the next `pack-refs` (without `--all`) will leave them unpacked. OPTIONS ------- -\--all:: +--all:: The command by default packs all tags and refs that are already packed, and leaves other refs @@ -51,16 +54,20 @@ developed and packing their tips does not help performance. This option causes branch tips to be packed as well. Useful for a repository with many branches of historical interests. -\--no-prune:: +--no-prune:: The command usually removes loose refs under `$GIT_DIR/refs` hierarchy after packing them. This option tells it not to. -Author ------- -Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> +BUGS +---- + +Older documentation written before the packed-refs mechanism was +introduced may still say things like ".git/refs/heads/<branch> file +exists" when it means "branch <branch> exists". + GIT --- -Part of the gitlink:git[7] suite +Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite |