How to move the complete Git repository

Git has become the de facto standard for version control and collaboration in software development. At times, developers may need to move an entire Git repository, including its history, branches, and tags, to a new location or hosting service. In this comprehensive guide, we will discuss the process of seamlessly relocating a complete Git repository without losing any crucial data or history.

Preparing for the Move

Before initiating the move, ensure that you have a backup of the repository, and all local changes are committed and pushed to the current remote. This step will prevent any loss of data during the transition.

Cloning the Repository

First, clone the repository to your local machine using the git clone command followed by the repository URL. This command will create a new directory with the repository name, containing a copy of the entire Git repository, including all branches, tags, and commit history.

git clone https://old-remote-url.com/your-repo.git 

Adding the New Remote

Navigate to the newly created repository directory using the command line. Next, add the new remote repository using the git remote add command followed by a new remote name (commonly called “new-origin”) and the new remote URL.

cd your-repo 
git remote add new-origin https://new-remote-url.com/your-repo.git 

Pushing to the New Remote

Push all branches, tags, and commit history to the new remote repository using the git push command with the --all and --tags flags.

git push new-origin --all 
git push new-origin --tags 

This step will transfer all data from the old remote repository to the new one, ensuring a complete relocation.

Updating Local References

Update the local repository to use the new remote as its default origin. Remove the old remote using the git remote remove command and rename the new remote to “origin” using the git remote rename command.

git remote remove origin 
git remote rename new-origin origin 

Handling Submodules

If your repository contains submodules, you’ll need to update their remote URLs as well. For each submodule, navigate to its directory and follow steps 3-5 to add the new remote, push changes, and update local references.

Notifying Collaborators

Inform all collaborators about the repository relocation and provide them with the new remote URL. They will need to update their local repositories by either re-cloning the repository or changing the remote URL using the git remote set-url command.

git remote set-url origin https://new-remote-url.com/your-repo.git 

Conclusion

Relocating a Git repository is a straightforward process that ensures seamless transition without losing any data. By following this comprehensive guide, you can successfully move your repository to a new location or hosting service while preserving all branches, tags, and commit history. Remember to notify collaborators about the move and provide them with the necessary information to update their local repositories.