GIT-REFS(1) Git Manual GIT-REFS(1)
NAME
git-refs - Low-level access to refs
SYNOPSIS
git refs migrate --ref-format=<format> [--dry-run]
git refs verify [--strict] [--verbose]
DESCRIPTION
This command provides low-level access to refs.
COMMANDS
migrate
Migrate ref store between different formats.
verify
Verify reference database consistency.
OPTIONS
The following options are specific to git refs migrate:
--ref-format=<format>
The ref format to migrate the ref store to. Can be one of:
• files for loose files with packed-refs. This is the default.
• reftable for the reftable format. This format is experimental
and its internals are subject to change.
--dry-run
Perform the migration, but do not modify the repository. The
migrated refs will be written into a separate directory that can be
inspected separately. The name of the directory will be reported on
stdout. This can be used to double check that the migration works as
expected before performing the actual migration.
The following options are specific to git refs verify:
--strict
Enable stricter error checking. This will cause warnings to be
reported as errors. See git-fsck(1).
--verbose
When verifying the reference database consistency, be chatty.
KNOWN LIMITATIONS
The ref format migration has several known limitations in its current
form:
• It is not possible to migrate repositories that have reflogs.
• It is not possible to migrate repositories that have worktrees.
• There is no way to block concurrent writes to the repository during
an ongoing migration. Concurrent writes can lead to an inconsistent
migrated state. Users are expected to block writes on a higher
level. If your repository is registered for scheduled maintenance,
it is recommended to unregister it first with git-maintenance(1).
These limitations may eventually be lifted.
GIT
Part of the git(1) suite
Git 2.47.3 07/30/2025 GIT-REFS(1)
Generated by dwww version 1.16 on Tue Dec 16 04:38:33 CET 2025.