git-bundle(1)
=============

NAME
----
git-bundle - Move objects and refs by archive


SYNOPSIS
--------
[verse]
'git bundle' create [-q | --quiet | --progress]
		    [--version=<version>] <file> <git-rev-list-args>
'git bundle' verify [-q | --quiet] <file>
'git bundle' list-heads <file> [<refname>...]
'git bundle' unbundle [--progress] <file> [<refname>...]

DESCRIPTION
-----------

Create, unpack, and manipulate "bundle" files. Bundles are used for
the "offline" transfer of Git objects without an active "server"
sitting on the other side of the network connection.

They can be used to create both incremental and full backups of a
repository (see the "full backup" example in "EXAMPLES"), and to relay
the state of the references in one repository to another (see the second
example).

Git commands that fetch or otherwise "read" via protocols such as
`ssh://` and `https://` can also operate on bundle files. It is
possible linkgit:git-clone[1] a new repository from a bundle, to use
linkgit:git-fetch[1] to fetch from one, and to list the references
contained within it with linkgit:git-ls-remote[1]. There's no
corresponding "write" support, i.e. a 'git push' into a bundle is not
supported.

BUNDLE FORMAT
-------------

Bundles are `.pack` files (see linkgit:git-pack-objects[1]) with a
header indicating what references are contained within the bundle.

Like the packed archive format itself bundles can either be
self-contained, or be created using exclusions.
See the "OBJECT PREREQUISITES" section below.

Bundles created using revision exclusions are "thin packs" created
using the `--thin` option to linkgit:git-pack-objects[1], and
unbundled using the `--fix-thin` option to linkgit:git-index-pack[1].

There is no option to create a "thick pack" when using revision
exclusions, and users should not be concerned about the difference. By
using "thin packs", bundles created using exclusions are smaller in
size. That they're "thin" under the hood is merely noted here as a
curiosity, and as a reference to other documentation.

See linkgit:gitformat-bundle[5] for more details and the discussion of
"thin pack" in linkgit:gitformat-pack[5] for further details.

OPTIONS
-------

create [options] <file> <git-rev-list-args>::
	Used to create a bundle named 'file'.  This requires the
	'<git-rev-list-args>' arguments to define the bundle contents.
	'options' contains the options specific to the 'git bundle create'
	subcommand. If 'file' is `-`, the bundle is written to stdout.

verify <file>::
	Used to check that a bundle file is valid and will apply
	cleanly to the current repository.  This includes checks on the
	bundle format itself as well as checking that the prerequisite
	commits exist and are fully linked in the current repository.
	Then, 'git bundle' prints a list of missing commits, if any.
	Finally, information about additional capabilities, such as "object
	filter", is printed. See "Capabilities" in linkgit:gitformat-bundle[5]
	for more information. The exit code is zero for success, but will
	be nonzero if the bundle file is invalid. If 'file' is `-`, the
	bundle is read from stdin.

list-heads <file>::
	Lists the references defined in the bundle.  If followed by a
	list of references, only references matching those given are
	printed out. If 'file' is `-`, the bundle is read from stdin.

unbundle <file>::
	Passes the objects in the bundle to 'git index-pack'
	for storage in the repository, then prints the names of all
	defined references. If a list of references is given, only
	references matching those in the list are printed. This command is
	really plumbing, intended to be called only by 'git fetch'.
	If 'file' is `-`, the bundle is read from stdin.

<git-rev-list-args>::
	A list of arguments, acceptable to 'git rev-parse' and
	'git rev-list' (and containing a named ref, see SPECIFYING REFERENCES
	below), that specifies the specific objects and references
	to transport.  For example, `master~10..master` causes the
	current master reference