CODEWITHSUNDEEP
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Alexander Bird
Alexander Bird

Reputation: 40639

git: copy remote branch history (the .git/logs folder)

I want to know if there is a way on the git command line to copy the branch history from a remote repo. In other words, I want to copy the .git/logs directory from the remote to my .git/logs directory -- even if this means overwriting my logs folder.

EDIT:

To clarify further, assuming that there is a branch called foo on remote called origin, I want to be able to type:

$ git rev-parse --verify foo@{2}

on my computer and have that output the exact same thing as on origin. This requires more than just looking at git log.

Furthermore, it is possible for someone to do git update-ref foo foo^ in order to undo a commit, and that history is only preserved in the .git/logs folder.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 370

Answers (1)

First Zero
First Zero

Reputation: 22356

The history will replicate with clone. All you need to do is checkout the branch and run log.

Example - Assuming your remote repository is origin and the branch foo.

You can run git checkout --track -b foo origin/foo to checkout and track a remote branch

To get the history, ensure you are in the branch foo by running git branch, now type 

git log --pretty=format:"%h %ad | %s%d [%an]" --graph --date=short

and you can see the history of the branch

$ git log --pretty=format:"%h %ad | %s%d [%an]" --graph --date=short
* 075086d 2012-01-06 | Added for joyent (HEAD, origin/tableUpdate, tableUpdate) [xxx]
* 8352180 2012-01-06 | Added package and loggging [xxx]
* ed9300f 2011-12-26 | Added stylesheet [xxx]
* e8b39fa 2011-12-26 | Increased templating, renamed div to meaningful names [xxx]

If I switch to master it will be different, running git checkout master and git log --pretty=format:"%h %ad | %s%d [%an]" --graph --date=short, I get 

$ git log --pretty=format:"%h %ad | %s%d [%an]" --graph --date=short
* 6402a2e 2012-01-08 | Added README (HEAD, origin/master, origin/HEAD, master) [xxx]
* 292c57a 2012-01-08 | Removed port, this is autodetected [xxx]
* e0ef362 2012-01-08 | Changed port to 8080 and document lookup is dynamic [xxx]

Finally, to prevent your fingers mangling or falling off when typing that long log command. You can create a shortcut, create in your home directory (assuming Unix) ~/.gitconfig and add the line 

[alias]
    hist = log --pretty=format:\"%h %ad | %s%d [%an]\" --graph --date=short

You can then just run git hist

Upvotes: 1

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