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