SYNOPSIS
--------
'git-index-pack' [-v] [-o <index-file>] <pack-file>
-'git-index-pack' --stdin [--fix-thin] [-v] [-o <index-file>] [<pack-file>]
+'git-index-pack' --stdin [--fix-thin] [-
-keep] [-v] [-o <index-file>] [<pack-file>]
DESCRIPTION
instead and a copy is then written to <pack-file>. If
<pack-file> is not specified, the pack is written to
objects/pack/ directory of the current git repository with
- a default name determined from the pack content.
+ a default name determined from the pack content. If
+ <pack-file> is not specified consider using --keep to
+ prevent a race condition between this process and
+ gitlink::git-repack[1] .
--fix-thin::
It is possible for gitlink:git-pack-objects[1] to build
and they must be included in the pack for that pack to be self
contained and indexable. Without this option any attempt to
index a thin pack will fail. This option only makes sense in
- conjonction with --stdin.
+ conjunction with --stdin.
+
+--keep::
+ Before moving the index into its final destination
+ create an empty .keep file for the associated pack file.
+ This option is usually necessary with --stdin to prevent a
+ simultaneous gitlink:git-repack[1] process from deleting
+ the newly constructed pack and index before refs can be
+ updated to use objects contained in the pack.
+
+--keep='why'::
+ Like --keep create a .keep file before moving the index into
+ its final destination, but rather than creating an empty file
+ place 'why' followed by an LF into the .keep file. The 'why'
+ message can later be searched for within all .keep files to
+ locate any which have outlived their usefulness.
+
+
+Note
+----
+
+Once the index has been created, the list of object names is sorted
+and the SHA1 hash of that list is printed to stdout. If --stdin was
+also used then this is prefixed by either "pack\t", or "keep\t" if a
+new .keep file was successfully created. This is useful to remove a
+.keep file used as a lock to prevent the race with gitlink:git-repack[1]
+mentioned above.
Author