--quiet::
Disable all non-fatal output, making fast-import silent when it
is successful. This option disables the output shown by
- \--stats.
+ --stats.
--stats::
Display some basic statistics about the objects fast-import has
created, the packfiles they were stored into, and the
memory used by fast-import during this run. Showing this output
- is currently the default, but can be disabled with \--quiet.
+ is currently the default, but can be disabled with --quiet.
Options for Frontends
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
--cat-blob-fd=<fd>::
- Write responses to `cat-blob` and `ls` queries to the
+ Write responses to `get-mark`, `cat-blob`, and `ls` queries to the
file descriptor <fd> instead of `stdout`. Allows `progress`
output intended for the end-user to be separated from other
output.
have been completed, or to save the marks table across
incremental runs. As <file> is only opened and truncated
at checkpoint (or completion) the same path can also be
- safely given to \--import-marks.
+ safely given to --import-marks.
--import-marks=<file>::
Before processing any input, load the marks specified in
<file>. The input file must exist, must be readable, and
- must use the same format as produced by \--export-marks.
+ must use the same format as produced by --export-marks.
Multiple options may be supplied to import more than one
set of marks. If a mark is defined to different values,
the last file wins.
prints a warning message. fast-import will always attempt to update all
branch refs, and does not stop on the first failure.
-Branch updates can be forced with \--force, but it's recommended that
-this only be used on an otherwise quiet repository. Using \--force
+Branch updates can be forced with --force, but it's recommended that
+this only be used on an otherwise quiet repository. Using --force
is not necessary for an initial import into an empty repository.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The following date formats are supported. A frontend should select
the format it will use for this import by passing the format name
-in the \--date-format=<fmt> command-line option.
+in the --date-format=<fmt> command-line option.
`raw`::
This is the Git native format and is `<time> SP <offutc>`.
- It is also fast-import's default format, if \--date-format was
+ It is also fast-import's default format, if --date-format was
not specified.
+
The time of the event is specified by `<time>` as the number of
unless the `done` feature was requested using the
`--done` command-line option or `feature done` command.
+`get-mark`::
+ Causes fast-import to print the SHA-1 corresponding to a mark
+ to the file descriptor set with `--cat-blob-fd`, or `stdout` if
+ unspecified.
+
`cat-blob`::
Causes fast-import to print a blob in 'cat-file --batch'
format to the file descriptor set with `--cat-blob-fd` or
of bytes, except `LT`, `GT` and `LF`. `<name>` is typically UTF-8 encoded.
The time of the change is specified by `<when>` using the date format
-that was selected by the \--date-format=<fmt> command-line option.
+that was selected by the --date-format=<fmt> command-line option.
See ``Date Formats'' above for the set of supported formats, and
their syntax.
See `filemodify` above for a detailed description of `<path>`.
`filecopy`
-^^^^^^^^^^^^
+^^^^^^^^^^
Recursively copies an existing file or subdirectory to a different
location within the branch. The existing file or directory must
exist. If the destination exists it will be completely replaced
....
Note that fast-import automatically switches packfiles when the current
-packfile reaches \--max-pack-size, or 4 GiB, whichever limit is
+packfile reaches --max-pack-size, or 4 GiB, whichever limit is
smaller. During an automatic packfile switch fast-import does not update
the branch refs, tags or marks.
inform the reader when the `checkpoint` has been completed and it
can safely access the refs that fast-import updated.
+`get-mark`
+~~~~~~~~~~
+Causes fast-import to print the SHA-1 corresponding to a mark to
+stdout or to the file descriptor previously arranged with the
+`--cat-blob-fd` argument. The command otherwise has no impact on the
+current import; its purpose is to retrieve SHA-1s that later commits
+might want to refer to in their commit messages.
+
+....
+ 'get-mark' SP ':' <idnum> LF
+....
+
+This command can be used anywhere in the stream that comments are
+accepted. In particular, the `get-mark` command can be used in the
+middle of a commit but not in the middle of a `data` command.
+
+See ``Responses To Commands'' below for details about how to read
+this output safely.
+
`cat-blob`
~~~~~~~~~~
Causes fast-import to print a blob to a file descriptor previously
====
The <dataref> represents the blob, tree, or commit object at <path>
-and can be used in later 'cat-blob', 'filemodify', or 'ls' commands.
+and can be used in later 'get-mark', 'cat-blob', 'filemodify', or
+'ls' commands.
If there is no file or subtree at that path, 'git fast-import' will
instead report
"feature import-marks-if-exists" like a corresponding
command-line option silently skips a nonexistent file.
+get-mark::
cat-blob::
ls::
- Require that the backend support the 'cat-blob' or 'ls' command.
+ Require that the backend support the 'get-mark', 'cat-blob',
+ or 'ls' command respectively.
Versions of fast-import not supporting the specified command
will exit with a message indicating so.
This lets the import error out early with a clear message,
git fast-import >fast-import-output
====
-A frontend set up this way can use `progress`, `ls`, and `cat-blob`
-commands to read information from the import in progress.
+A frontend set up this way can use `progress`, `get-mark`, `ls`, and
+`cat-blob` commands to read information from the import in progress.
To avoid deadlock, such frontends must completely consume any
-pending output from `progress`, `ls`, and `cat-blob` before
+pending output from `progress`, `ls`, `get-mark`, and `cat-blob` before
performing writes to fast-import that might block.
Crash Reports
Use One Mark Per Commit
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When doing a repository conversion, use a unique mark per commit
-(`mark :<n>`) and supply the \--export-marks option on the command
+(`mark :<n>`) and supply the --export-marks option on the command
line. fast-import will dump a file which lists every mark and the Git
object SHA-1 that corresponds to it. If the frontend can tie
the marks back to the source repository, it is easy to verify the
However repacking the repository is necessary to improve data
locality and access performance. It can also take hours on extremely
-large projects (especially if -f and a large \--window parameter is
+large projects (especially if -f and a large --window parameter is
used). Since repacking is safe to run alongside readers and writers,
run the repack in the background and let it finish when it finishes.
There is no reason to wait to explore your new Git project!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you are repacking very old imported data (e.g. older than the
last year), consider expending some extra CPU time and supplying
-\--window=50 (or higher) when you run 'git repack'.
+--window=50 (or higher) when you run 'git repack'.
This will take longer, but will also produce a smaller packfile.
You only need to expend the effort once, and everyone using your
project will benefit from the smaller repository.
fast-import automatically moves active branches to inactive status based on
a simple least-recently-used algorithm. The LRU chain is updated on
each `commit` command. The maximum number of active branches can be
-increased or decreased on the command line with \--active-branches=.
+increased or decreased on the command line with --active-branches=.
per active tree
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~