Difference Between Git remote prune, Git prune and Git fetch –prune
Git is a version control system that helps developers manage and track changes in their codebase. Among its many commands, git remote prune, git prune, and git fetch --prune are essential for maintaining a clean and organized repository. This article will explain the differences between these commands, their syntax, uses, and provide examples to illustrate their functionalities.
What is git remote prune?
git remote prune is a command used to clean up references to remote branches that no longer exist in the remote repository.
Syntax
git remote prune <remote-name>
Uses of git remote prune
- To remove stale references to remote branches that have been deleted from the remote repository.
- Helps to keep your local repository clean and up-to-date with the remote repository.
Example
# Prune stale remote-tracking branches from origin
git remote prune origin
This command will remove any branches in your local repository that no longer exist on the remote named origin.
What is git prune?
git prune is a low-level Git command that removes objects that are no longer referenced by any object in the repository. This is useful for cleaning up unnecessary objects that can accumulate over time.
Syntax
git prune
Uses of git prune
- To clean up unreachable objects from the repository.
- Helps reduce the size of the repository by removing unnecessary objects.
Example
# Prune all unreachable objects from the repository
git prune
This command will remove all objects that are not reachable from any branch or tag in the repository.
What is git fetch --prune?
git fetch --prune is a command that combines the functionality of git fetch and git remote prune. It fetches updates from the remote repository and removes any remote-tracking branches that no longer exist on the remote.
Syntax
git fetch --prune <remote-name>
Uses of git fetch --prune
- To update your local repository with the latest changes from the remote repository.
- Automatically removes stale remote-tracking branches that have been deleted from the remote.
Example
# Fetch updates from origin and prune stale remote-tracking branches
git fetch --prune origin
This command will fetch the latest changes from the origin remote and remove any branches in your local repository that no longer exist on the remote.
Using “prune” on a Remote Repository:
“prune” is available as an option for the `git fetch` and `git remote` commands. ( `git prune` command – is used during garbage collection.). The easiest way to use prune is to provide it as an option when fetching:
Command: git fetch --prune origin
In cases where you’d like to *only* perform a prune and *not* fetch remote data, you can use it with the `git remote` :
Command: git remote prune origin
The result is the same in both cases: stale references to remote branches that don’t exist anymore on the specified remote repository will be deleted. By the way: you never have to worry about your local branches, since prune will never affect those.
clone the same repo twice, so that you properly understand the working of git prune.
git clone repolink
Difference Between Git remote prune, Git prune and Git fetch –prune
- create a branch on one repo and fetch it on its duplicate
- delete that branch from one repo
- when you list the branches on the other repo it will not get updated.
git branch
git push origin HEAD
git branch -r
Difference Between Git remote prune, Git prune and Git fetch –prune
use git fetch –prune:
The branch will be automatically updated in the 2nd repo if we use the prune command to delete
git fetch --prune
Difference Between Git remote prune, Git prune and Git fetch –prune
Suppose in some cases where you’d like to *only* perform a prune and *not* fetch remote data
git remote prune origin
If you want automatically prune itself
git config —global fetch.prune true
Difference Between Git remote prune, Git prune and Git fetch –prune
| Feature | git remote prune |
git prune |
git fetch --prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Function | Removes stale remote-tracking branches | Removes unreachable objects | Fetches updates and prunes stale branches |
| Syntax | git remote prune <remote-name> |
git prune |
git fetch --prune <remote-name> |
| Usage Context | Cleaning up remote-tracking branches | Cleaning up repository objects | Updating and cleaning remote branches |
| Example | git remote prune origin |
git prune |
git fetch --prune origin |
| Scope | Remote-tracking branches | Repository objects | Remote-tracking branches and updates |
Conclusion
Understanding the differences between git remote prune, git prune, and git fetch --prune is important for maintaining a clean and efficient Git repository. Each command serves a unique purpose in managing and organizing your repository. git remote prune focuses on cleaning up remote-tracking branches, git prune removes unreachable objects, and git fetch --prune combines fetching updates with pruning stale branches.