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Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/git-pack-refs.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/git-pack-refs.txt | 23 |
1 files changed, 17 insertions, 6 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/git-pack-refs.txt b/Documentation/git-pack-refs.txt index a3c6677bfa..154081f2de 100644 --- a/Documentation/git-pack-refs.txt +++ b/Documentation/git-pack-refs.txt @@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ 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 @@ -22,17 +23,18 @@ 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 `$GIT_DIR/refs` directory hierarchy, it is looked +up in this file and used if found. Subsequent updates to branches always create new files under -`$GIT_DIR/refs` hierarchy. +`$GIT_DIR/refs` directory hierarchy. A recommended practice to deal with a repository with too many -refs is to pack its refs with `--all --prune` once, and -occasionally run `git pack-refs \--prune`. Tags are by +refs is to pack its refs with `--all` once, and +occasionally run `git pack-refs`. Tags are by definition stationary and are not expected to change. Branch heads will be packed with the initial `pack-refs --all`, but only the currently active branch heads will become unpacked, @@ -57,6 +59,15 @@ a repository with many branches of historical interests. The command usually removes loose refs under `$GIT_DIR/refs` hierarchy after packing them. This option tells it not to. + +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 linkgit:git[1] suite |