NAME
----
-git-clone - Clones a repository.
+git-clone - Clones a repository
SYNOPSIS
--------
-'git-clone' [-l [-s]] [-q] [-n] [-o <name>] [-u <upload-pack>] <repository> [<directory>]
+[verse]
+'git-clone' [--template=<template_directory>] [-l [-s]] [-q] [-n] [--bare]
+ [-o <name>] [-u <upload-pack>] [--reference <repository>]
+ [--use-separate-remote | --no-separate-remote] <repository>
+ [<directory>]
DESCRIPTION
-----------
-Clones a repository into a newly created directory. All remote
-branch heads are copied under `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/`, except
-that the remote `master` is also copied to `origin` branch.
-In addition, `$GIT_DIR/remotes/origin` file is set up to have
-this line:
+Clones a repository into a newly created directory, creates
+remote-tracking branches for each branch in the cloned repository
+(visible using `git branch -r`), and creates and checks out a master
+branch equal to the cloned repository's master branch.
- Pull: master:origin
-
-This is to help the typical workflow of working off of the
-remote `master` branch. Every time `git pull` without argument
-is run, the progress on the remote `master` branch is tracked by
-copying it into the local `origin` branch, and merged into the
-branch you are currently working on. Remote branches other than
-`master` are also added there to be tracked.
+After the clone, a plain `git fetch` without arguments will update
+all the remote-tracking branches, and a `git pull` without
+arguments will in addition merge the remote master branch into the
+current branch.
+This default configuration is achieved by creating references to
+the remote branch heads under `$GIT_DIR/refs/remotes/origin` and
+by initializing `remote.origin.url` and `remote.origin.fetch`
+configuration variables.
OPTIONS
-------
-s::
When the repository to clone is on the local machine,
instead of using hard links, automatically setup
- .git/objects/info/alternatives to share the objects
+ .git/objects/info/alternates to share the objects
with the source repository. The resulting repository
starts out without any object of its own.
+--reference <repository>::
+ If the reference repository is on the local machine
+ automatically setup .git/objects/info/alternates to
+ obtain objects from the reference repository. Using
+ an already existing repository as an alternate will
+ require less objects to be copied from the repository
+ being cloned, reducing network and local storage costs.
+
--quiet::
-q::
Operate quietly. This flag is passed to "rsync" and
- "git-clone-pack" commands when given.
+ "git-fetch-pack" commands when given.
-n::
No checkout of HEAD is performed after the clone is complete.
+--bare::
+ Make a 'bare' GIT repository. That is, instead of
+ creating `<directory>` and placing the administrative
+ files in `<directory>/.git`, make the `<directory>`
+ itself the `$GIT_DIR`. This obviously implies the `-n`
+ because there is nowhere to check out the working tree.
+ Also the branch heads at the remote are copied directly
+ to corresponding local branch heads, without mapping
+ them to `refs/remotes/origin/`. When this option is
+ used, neither the `origin` branch nor the default
+ `remotes/origin` file is created.
+
+--origin <name>::
-o <name>::
Instead of using the branch name 'origin' to keep track
of the upstream repository, use <name> instead. Note
--upload-pack <upload-pack>::
-u <upload-pack>::
When given, and the repository to clone from is handled
- by 'git-clone-pack', '--exec=<upload-pack>' is passed to
+ by 'git-fetch-pack', '--exec=<upload-pack>' is passed to
the command to specify non-default path for the command
run on the other end.
+--template=<template_directory>::
+ Specify the directory from which templates will be used;
+ if unset the templates are taken from the installation
+ defined default, typically `/usr/share/git-core/templates`.
+
+--use-separate-remote::
+ Save remotes heads under `$GIT_DIR/remotes/origin/` instead
+ of `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/`. Only the local master branch is
+ saved in the latter. This is the default.
+
+--no-separate-remote::
+ Save remotes heads in the same namespace as the local
+ heads, `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/'. In regular repositories,
+ this is a legacy setup git-clone created by default in
+ older Git versions, and will be removed before the next
+ major release.
+
<repository>::
The (possibly remote) repository to clone from. It can
be any URL git-fetch supports.
<directory>::
- The name of a new directory to clone into. The "humanish"
+ The name of a new directory to clone into. The "humanish"
part of the source repository is used if no directory is
explicitly given ("repo" for "/path/to/repo.git" and "foo"
for "host.xz:foo/.git"). Cloning into an existing directory
is not allowed.
Examples
-~~~~~~~~
+--------
Clone from upstream::
+
$ git show-branch
------------
+
+Clone from upstream while borrowing from an existing local directory::
++
+------------
+$ git clone --reference my2.6 \
+ git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/.../linux-2.7 \
+ my2.7
+$ cd my2.7
+------------
+
+
+Create a bare repository to publish your changes to the public::
++
+------------
+$ git clone --bare -l /home/proj/.git /pub/scm/proj.git
+------------
+
+
+Create a repository on the kernel.org machine that borrows from Linus::
++
+------------
+$ git clone --bare -l -s /pub/scm/.../torvalds/linux-2.6.git \
+ /pub/scm/.../me/subsys-2.6.git
+------------
+
+
Author
------
Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org>