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I have a remote git repository that really replaced everything we had in another older SCM. Many projects and products have been added to the repository over the years.

There is a branch in this repo, corresponding to a product that I am interested in. I want to make a brand new git repository from this branch only, not really concerned about loss of history.

Is git remote add the solution? I want for both of these repositories to be on the same server.

Thoughts?

JustinDoesWork
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reza
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4 Answers4

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In order to create a new Git repository from an existing repository one would typically create a new bare repository and push one or more branches from the existing to the new repository.

The following steps illustrates this:

  1. Create a new repository. It must be bare in order for you to push to it.

    $ mkdir /path/to/new_repo
$ cd /path/to/new_repo
$ git --bare init

    Note: ensure that your new repository is accessible from the existing repository. There are many ways to do this; let's assume that you have made it accessible via ssh://my_host/new_repo.

  2. Push a branch from your existing repository. For example let's say we want to push the branch topic1 from the existing repository and name it master in the new repository.

    $ cd /path/to/existing_repo
$ git push ssh://my_host/new_repo +topic1:master

This technique allows you to keep the history from the existing branch.

Note: the new repository is effectively a new remote repository. If you want to work with the new repository you must clone it. The following will clone the new repo into a local working directory called new_repo:

$ git clone ssh://my_host/new_repo

In this example, when you clone the new repository you will see that the master branch is a copy of the topic1 branch of the old repository.

pestrella
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    If you will be pushing regularily to the remote repo, it's probably a good advice to `git remote add origin ssh://my_host/new_repo`. This way you' just do a `git push origin [branchname]` . When using UNC filepathes (for windowsshares for example), be sure to enter add the remote origin for them like this: `git remote add origin "//server_name/myapp/"` – chris polzer Sep 12 '14 at 10:15
  • Can the new repository be accessible as a local directory/repository? Are there any update methods to do this? – Nikos Alexandris Aug 21 '18 at 09:17
  • @NikosAlexandris I've added new information, hope it helps. Also note that it doesn't matter that the new repo is on a remote server. In the example we push and clone using the `ssh` protocol; but we could similarly have used the `file` protocol which would have created the new repository on the same file system. – pestrella Aug 21 '18 at 12:12
  • Had to use -f to force push. Anyway this solution worked. Thanks a lot. – Kasun Apr 29 '21 at 04:43
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If you're not worried about losing history, do a git checkout mybranch and then copy the directory contents to another folder. Within that folder, delete the .git folder and then:

git init; git commit -a -m "Imported from project Y"
Giacomo1968
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Justin ᚅᚔᚈᚄᚒᚔ
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22

Pull down the branch like normal and then push the branch to a new repository that you have created using git init. You would use code that looks something like:

git push url:///new/repo.git TheBranchFolder

This method also keeps all of your previous changes if that is a plus for the situation.

JustinDoesWork
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  • I am using ssh access to my repo, can I use that instead of the URL in your response? – reza Mar 23 '12 at 18:06
  • reza: yes, think of the ssh URL as just a different type of URL. – amcnabb Mar 23 '12 at 18:16
  • so on the git server, I have issued git push /home/git/newBranchGIT branchname.... Now what I see is a git repo that has everything I need but the only branch is now called branchname and not origin or master. I want the branchname to be master. Or is there a better way of doing this? – reza Mar 23 '12 at 21:08
  • Just change the name as you wish and commit. – JustinDoesWork Mar 25 '12 at 15:53
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I don't know my answer still helps or not but this is another way to create a new repository using an existing one.
step 1: clone the existing repo.
step 2: delete the .git folder in cloned repo folder
step 3: create a new repo in git.
step 4: in the cloned repo folder run git init
step 5: git add .
step 6: git remote add origin NEW_REPO/URL
step 7: git branch -M "branch_name"
step 8: git push --set-upstream origin branch_name

chethan
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