git clone rsync:... ?

  elf@florence /git > git clone rsync://rsync.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git linux-2.6
  defaulting to local storage area
  ssh: rsync: Name or service not known
  fatal: unexpected EOF

I've read several messages that this is changing, but it still isn't
clear where we should be starting.  Moreover, I'd like to be able to
keep one repo that is just pulling from the net and then clone it for
different working directories.  Why?  Sometimes, in my ignorance, I
break my working repo.  It's handy to have one that I know is OK
without pulling from the net each time.