Performance

Shrink the repository with gc and prune and verify with fsck.

Repository Maintenance and Performance

In large repositories, dangling objects and excessive loose files degrade performance. While git gc (garbage collection) packs loose objects, git prune permanently removes unreachable dangling objects from disk. After maintenance, git fsck (file system check) is executed to verify object integrity and consistency.

git gc --prune=now
git prune
git fsck --full

Exercise Optimize Repository with Garbage Collection

Run git gc --prune=now -q in the repository to pack all loose objects and prune old objects. When done, print GC COMPLETED to the terminal.

Show example solution

git init -q
git config user.name "Dev"
git config user.email "dev@example.com"
echo "demo" > file.txt
git add file.txt
git commit -m "init" -q

git gc --prune=now -q
echo "GC COMPLETED"

Exercise Verify Repository Integrity with git fsck

Run git fsck --full to verify the entire object database. If the command completes successfully, print FSCK VERIFIED to the terminal.

Show example solution

git init -q
git config user.name "Dev"
git config user.email "dev@example.com"
echo "content" > test.txt
git add test.txt
git commit -m "commit 1" -q

git fsck --full >/dev/null && echo "FSCK VERIFIED"

Test yourself

Which command pair is used to delete unreachable unreferenced objects from disk and verify the repository?
- git branch -d and git checkout
- git revert and git reset
- git archive and git stash
- git prune and git fsck
Show answer

git prune and git fsck — git prune purges objects that are no longer referenced; git fsck inspects the object database to verify there are no corrupt or missing objects.

Prune Unreachable Objects Immediately

git gc --prune=____ --quiet

Show answer

git gc --prune=now --quiet

Performance and Maintenance Commands

git gc

Packs loose objects
git prune

Deletes unreachable objects
git fsck

Verifies object integrity
--prune=now

Cleans old objects immediately

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