| | 1 | git-pack-refs(1) |
| | 2 | ================ |
| | 3 | |
| | 4 | NAME |
| | 5 | ---- |
| | 6 | git-pack-refs - Pack heads and tags for efficient repository access |
| | 7 | |
| | 8 | SYNOPSIS |
| | 9 | -------- |
| | 10 | [verse] |
| | 11 | 'git pack-refs' [--all] [--no-prune] |
| | 12 | |
| | 13 | DESCRIPTION |
| | 14 | ----------- |
| | 15 | |
| | 16 | Traditionally, tips of branches and tags (collectively known as |
| | 17 | 'refs') were stored one file per ref in a (sub)directory |
| | 18 | under `$GIT_DIR/refs` |
| | 19 | directory. While many branch tips tend to be updated often, |
| | 20 | most tags and some branch tips are never updated. When a |
| | 21 | repository has hundreds or thousands of tags, this |
| | 22 | one-file-per-ref format both wastes storage and hurts |
| | 23 | performance. |
| | 24 | |
| | 25 | This command is used to solve the storage and performance |
| | 26 | problem by storing the refs in a single file, |
| | 27 | `$GIT_DIR/packed-refs`. When a ref is missing from the |
| | 28 | traditional `$GIT_DIR/refs` directory hierarchy, it is looked |
| | 29 | up in this |
| | 30 | file and used if found. |
| | 31 | |
| | 32 | Subsequent updates to branches always create new files under |
| | 33 | `$GIT_DIR/refs` directory hierarchy. |
| | 34 | |
| | 35 | A recommended practice to deal with a repository with too many |
| | 36 | refs is to pack its refs with `--all` once, and |
| | 37 | occasionally run `git pack-refs`. Tags are by |
| | 38 | definition stationary and are not expected to change. Branch |
| | 39 | heads will be packed with the initial `pack-refs --all`, but |
| | 40 | only the currently active branch heads will become unpacked, |
| | 41 | and the next `pack-refs` (without `--all`) will leave them |
| | 42 | unpacked. |
| | 43 | |
| | 44 | |
| | 45 | OPTIONS |
| | 46 | ------- |
| | 47 | |
| | 48 | --all:: |
| | 49 | |
| | 50 | The command by default packs all tags and refs that are already |
| | 51 | packed, and leaves other refs |
| | 52 | alone. This is because branches are expected to be actively |
| | 53 | developed and packing their tips does not help performance. |
| | 54 | This option causes branch tips to be packed as well. Useful for |
| | 55 | a repository with many branches of historical interests. |
| | 56 | |
| | 57 | --no-prune:: |
| | 58 | |
| | 59 | The command usually removes loose refs under `$GIT_DIR/refs` |
| | 60 | hierarchy after packing them. This option tells it not to. |
| | 61 | |
| | 62 | |
| | 63 | BUGS |
| | 64 | ---- |
| | 65 | |
| | 66 | Older documentation written before the packed-refs mechanism was |
| | 67 | introduced may still say things like ".git/refs/heads/<branch> file |
| | 68 | exists" when it means "branch <branch> exists". |
| | 69 | |
| | 70 | |
| | 71 | GIT |
| | 72 | --- |
| | 73 | Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite |
projects / thirdparty / git.git / blame_incremental