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-rw-r--r--Documentation/git-pack-refs.txt22
1 files changed, 17 insertions, 5 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/git-pack-refs.txt b/Documentation/git-pack-refs.txt
index 54b92534ce..f131677478 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
--------
+[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
@@ -21,17 +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.
+`$GIT_DIR/refs` directory hierarchy.
A recommended practice to deal with a repository with too many
refs is to pack its refs with `--all --prune` once, and
-occasionally run `git pack-refs \--prune`. Tags are by
+occasionally run `git pack-refs --prune`. Tags are by
definition stationary and are not expected to change. Branch
heads will be packed with the initial `pack-refs --all`, but
only the currently active branch heads will become unpacked,
@@ -56,6 +59,15 @@ a repository with many branches of historical interests.
The command usually removes loose refs under `$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