Git bundles for backup and cloning: the Zaphod Beeblebrox thread

Git bundles for backup and cloning: the Zaphod Beeblebrox thread

[Alain Kalker]

>From the current documentation for git-bundle(1), it may not be clear for 
users unfamilliar with Git, how to create a bundle which can be used for 
backup purposes, or, more generally, to clone to a completely new 
repository.

Philip Oakley has posted a documentation patch some time ago, but Junio 
has pointed out several concerns.
Ref: http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git/205887/
focus=205897

Here's my attempt to summarize the concerns, adding some of my own, and a 
possible solution.

1. "Missing HEAD syndrome"
$ git bundle create <bundle> master
-or-
$ git bundle create <bundle> <branchname...>
-or-
$ git bundle create <bundle> --branches
-then-
$ git clone <bundle> <dir>

will be unable to checkout any files due to a missing ref for HEAD. 
Though this can be fixed by going into <dir> and doing `git checkout 
<ref>`, this is not very user-friendly.

2. "Detached HEAD syndrome"
$ git bundle create <bundle> HEAD
$ git clone <bundle> <dir>
will checkout files alright, but leaves one in a "detached HEAD" state.
 
3. "Exploding HEAD syndrome"
$ git bundle create <bundle> --all
will add the HEAD, but will add refs from refs/remotes/* too, which is 
not desirable when cloning, unless one sets up all the remotes (e.g. by 
restoring .git/config) as well.

Finally, my solution for backing up only the local branches of a 
repository:
$ git bundle create <bundle> --branches HEAD
but this may not be very easy for new users to figure out on their own 
unless well documented (perhaps a new flag?)

Any comments or suggestions (including HHGTTG references!) are very 
welcome.

-Alain

Re: Git bundles for backup and cloning: the Zaphod Beeblebrox thread

[Alain Kalker]

On Sun, 17 Feb 2013 19:28:33 +0000, Alain Kalker wrote:

> From the current documentation for git-bundle(1), it may not be clear
> for users unfamilliar with Git, how to create a bundle which can be used
> for backup purposes, or, more generally, to clone to a completely new
> repository.
> 
> Philip Oakley has posted a documentation patch some time ago, but Junio
> has pointed out several concerns.
> Ref: http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git/205887/
> focus=205897
> 
> Here's my attempt to summarize the concerns, adding some of my own, and
> a possible solution.
> 
> 1. "Missing HEAD syndrome"
> $ git bundle create <bundle> master -or-
> $ git bundle create <bundle> <branchname...>
> -or-
> $ git bundle create <bundle> --branches -then-
> $ git clone <bundle> <dir>
> 
> will be unable to checkout any files due to a missing ref for HEAD.
> Though this can be fixed by going into <dir> and doing `git checkout
> <ref>`, this is not very user-friendly.
> 
> 2. "Detached HEAD syndrome"
> $ git bundle create <bundle> HEAD $ git clone <bundle> <dir>
> will checkout files alright, but leaves one in a "detached HEAD" state.
>  
> 3. "Exploding HEAD syndrome"
> $ git bundle create <bundle> --all will add the HEAD, but will add refs
from refs/*, including all remotes,
> which is not desirable when cloning, unless one
> sets up all the remotes 
as well.
> 
> Finally, my solution for backing up only the local branches of a
> repository:
$ git bundle create <bundle> --branches HEAD # for backup purposes
-or-
$ git bundle create <bundle> master HEAD # for hosting or redistribution
> but this may not be very
> easy for new users to figure out on their own unless well documented
> (perhaps a new flag?)
> 
> Any comments or suggestions (including HHGTTG references!) are very
> welcome.
> 
> -Alain

Re: Git bundles for backup and cloning: the Zaphod Beeblebrox thread

[Philip Oakley]

From: "Alain Kalker" <a.c.kalker@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2013 7:28 PM
> From the current documentation for git-bundle(1), it may not be clear
> for
> users unfamilliar with Git, how to create a bundle which can be used
> for
> backup purposes, or, more generally, to clone to a completely new
> repository.
>
> Philip Oakley has posted a documentation patch some time ago, but
> Junio
> has pointed out several concerns.
> Ref: http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git/205887/
> focus=205897
>
> Here's my attempt to summarize the concerns, adding some of my own,
> and a
> possible solution.
>
> 1. "Missing HEAD syndrome"
> $ git bundle create <bundle> master
> -or-
> $ git bundle create <bundle> <branchname...>
> -or-
> $ git bundle create <bundle> --branches
> -then-
> $ git clone <bundle> <dir>
>
> will be unable to checkout any files due to a missing ref for HEAD.
> Though this can be fixed by going into <dir> and doing `git checkout
> <ref>`, this is not very user-friendly.
>
> 2. "Detached HEAD syndrome"
> $ git bundle create <bundle> HEAD
> $ git clone <bundle> <dir>
> will checkout files alright, but leaves one in a "detached HEAD"
> state.
>
> 3. "Exploding HEAD syndrome"
> $ git bundle create <bundle> --all
> will add the HEAD, but will add refs from refs/remotes/* too, which is
> not desirable when cloning, unless one sets up all the remotes (e.g.
> by
> restoring .git/config) as well.
>
> Finally, my solution for backing up only the local branches of a
> repository:
> $ git bundle create <bundle> --branches HEAD
> but this may not be very easy for new users to figure out on their own
> unless well documented (perhaps a new flag?)

Perhaps if you draft up a documentation patch that would fit in the
Examples section it could be discussed. The Example section allows that
the various caveats can stated and be covered.

It would also be worth linking to 'git rev-parse' under the
<git-rev-list-args> so folk would actually look it up.

It may be that the example(s) needs to include
    --branches[=pattern]
    --tags[=pattern]
rather than --all. to cover Junio's points.

The --all 'question/solution' has come up a number of times so it does 
look worth having something in the documentation. This would be 
something ;-)

>
> Any comments or suggestions (including HHGTTG references!) are very
> welcome.
>
> -Alain
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