Re: [Q] Changing the current branch (HEAD) in a bare repository - how?

Date: Friday 06 June 2008
Subject: Re: [Q] Changing the current branch (HEAD) in a bare repository - how?
From: Jakub Narebski <redacted>

"Brian Foster" [off-list ref] writes:

quoted

 Using git 1.5.2.5 (Kubuntu 7.10) and a bare repository,
 I [ essentially swapped branch names `master' and `foo' ].
 Now, how do I change the current branch to the (new)
 `master'?  [ ... ]

In a bare repository it doesn't matter (almost) which branch is
current one (there is no _checked out_ branch, so it only matters
as a default checked out branch for clone, IIRC).

Jakub,

 Yes, I also believe that is the case (but have not confirmed).

 The reason for the exercise is the bare repository in question
 will be cloned by newbies, and I want things to "just work"
 out-of-the-box.  The (new) `master' is the development mainline
 (broadly meaning what has passed (usually my) review), and as
 such is nominally what Patches should be generated against.
 (It didn't start out that way due to some convoluted history that
 is not relevant.)  Hence --- with the caveat I'm also rather new
 to git --- it seems wise to ensure the default checked-out branch
 after a clone represents the nominal development line.  (Of course,
 I need/want to encourage the use of topic branches, but I see that
 as a rather different issue.)

quoted

 I (ultimately) hand-edited `HEAD' [ as Dscho suggested ].

You have to rely on plumbing:

  $ git symbolic-ref HEAD master

(see documentation for details).

 Ah!  Thanks for the hint.

cheers!
	-blf-

-- 
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