'\" t .\" Title: git-pack-refs .\" Author: [FIXME: author] [see http://docbook.sf.net/el/author] .\" Generator: DocBook XSL Stylesheets v1.76.1 <http://docbook.sf.net/> .\" Date: 02/24/2014 .\" Manual: Git Manual .\" Source: Git 1.9.0 .\" Language: English .\" .TH "GIT\-PACK\-REFS" "1" "02/24/2014" "Git 1\&.9\&.0" "Git Manual" .\" ----------------------------------------------------------------- .\" * Define some portability stuff .\" ----------------------------------------------------------------- .\" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .\" http://bugs.debian.org/507673 .\" http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/groff/2009-02/msg00013.html .\" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .ie \n(.g .ds Aq \(aq .el .ds Aq ' .\" ----------------------------------------------------------------- .\" * set default formatting .\" ----------------------------------------------------------------- .\" disable hyphenation .nh .\" disable justification (adjust text to left margin only) .ad l .\" ----------------------------------------------------------------- .\" * MAIN CONTENT STARTS HERE * .\" ----------------------------------------------------------------- .SH "NAME" git-pack-refs \- Pack heads and tags for efficient repository access .SH "SYNOPSIS" .sp .nf \fIgit pack\-refs\fR [\-\-all] [\-\-no\-prune] .fi .sp .SH "DESCRIPTION" .sp Traditionally, tips of branches and tags (collectively known as \fIrefs\fR) were stored one file per ref in a (sub)directory under $GIT_DIR/refs directory\&. While many branch tips tend to be updated often, most tags and some branch tips are never updated\&. When a repository has hundreds or thousands of tags, this one\-file\-per\-ref format both wastes storage and hurts performance\&. .sp This command is used to solve the storage and performance problem by storing the refs in a single file, $GIT_DIR/packed\-refs\&. When a ref is missing from the traditional $GIT_DIR/refs directory hierarchy, it is looked up in this file and used if found\&. .sp Subsequent updates to branches always create new files under $GIT_DIR/refs directory hierarchy\&. .sp A recommended practice to deal with a repository with too many refs is to pack its refs with \-\-all once, and occasionally run git pack\-refs\&. Tags are by definition stationary and are not expected to change\&. Branch heads will be packed with the initial pack\-refs \-\-all, but only the currently active branch heads will become unpacked, and the next pack\-refs (without \-\-all) will leave them unpacked\&. .SH "OPTIONS" .PP \-\-all .RS 4 The command by default packs all tags and refs that are already packed, and leaves other refs alone\&. This is because branches are expected to be actively developed and packing their tips does not help performance\&. This option causes branch tips to be packed as well\&. Useful for a repository with many branches of historical interests\&. .RE .PP \-\-no\-prune .RS 4 The command usually removes loose refs under $GIT_DIR/refs hierarchy after packing them\&. This option tells it not to\&. .RE .SH "BUGS" .sp Older documentation written before the packed\-refs mechanism was introduced may still say things like "\&.git/refs/heads/<branch> file exists" when it means "branch <branch> exists"\&. .SH "GIT" .sp Part of the \fBgit\fR(1) suite