git archive
- Git course
- Advanced
- Lesson 29/56
- 4 min
Learn to create a repository archive with git archive.
What is git archive?
git archive exports files from a specific commit or branch in a Git repository as a single compressed archive file (tar or zip). Unlike cloning or copying, it does not include the .git history directory in the archive.
git archive --output=proje.tar HEADThis gives you a clean snapshot of just the source code, ideal for distribution to clients or deployment servers.
Archive Output and Target File
The --output (or -o for short) option is used to specify the archive output. Git can automatically recognize the archive format from the file extension.
git archive -o proje.tar HEAD
git archive --output=kaynak.tar.gz HEADAdditionally, if the --prefix=proje/ flag is added, files are extracted inside a subfolder when uncompressed.
Practice Create HEAD Archive
Archive the latest commit (HEAD) in the repository with the --output=surum.tar parameter. Then list the archive contents using tar -tf surum.tar.
Starter code
git init -q
git config user.name "Dev"
git config user.email "dev@example.com"
echo "v1.0.0" > surum.txt
git add surum.txt
git commit -q -m "Ilk surum"
# HEAD arsivini olustur ve icerigini listele:Sample solution
git init -q
git config user.name "Dev"
git config user.email "dev@example.com"
echo "v1.0.0" > surum.txt
git add surum.txt
git commit -q -m "Ilk surum"
git archive --output=surum.tar HEAD
tar -tf surum.tarExpected output
surum.txt
Questions and answers
Review the lesson questions together with their answers. To test yourself, solve the lesson interactively.
1 What is the main difference between <code>git archive</code> and a plain folder copy?
- It excludes .git history and produces a clean snapshot Correct answer
- It archives all branches simultaneously
- It automatically deletes the remote repository
- It only exports the .git directory
Explanation: `git archive` excludes the `.git` directory and commit history, creating a clean snapshot package of only the current files.
2 Archive the HEAD Commit
git archive --output=yedek.tar ____git archive --output=yedek.tar HEADExplanation: HEAD is specified as the target reference to archive the content of the latest commit.
3 Archive Basics
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
git archive |
Packages repo snapshot |
HEAD |
Current commit to archive |
--output |
Specifies output file path |
.git klasörü |
Not added to archive file |