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