Git Clone/Fetch Advice

[Jon Loeliger <jdl@jdl.com>]

Folks,

As someone who runs a git server _and_ reads their log files,
I would like to offer a few words of advice about cloning or
fetching git repositories.

First, watch those project path names carefully.  If someone
publishes a "linux-2.6-quux.git" repository, don't call it
the "linux-2.6.git" repository in your clone or fetch request.
And, oddly, don't call it "linux-2.6.quux.git" either! :-)

Second, upgrade your git installation.  I repeatedly see failed
clone requests due to outdated git clients trying to do a clone
or a fetch.  If you _know_ you have the clone path to the project
right, and it still doesn't seem to work, chance are very good
that you are using a git earlier than v1.4.2.  It is now time
to find something v1.5 or better.  1.5.3 is due out Real Soon Now!

I publish a _few_ repositories, and I see maybe 20 or 30 such
failed clone/fetch requests per day.  I hate to imagine what
the failure rate on kernel.org is!

Thanks,
jdl