GitHub Repository vs Git Bare Repository – Differences

gitgithub

In github repository, we can git push git pull operations, at the same time, we can commit to the repository through the web UI. It seems that the github repository works as bare repository and working repository at the same time?

However, in git bare repository, we cannot commit directory to the repository.

So, my question is

What's real difference between github repository and git bare repository?

Best Answer

It seems that GitHub repository can work as working repository and bare repository at the same time, does that mean GitHub repository is developed from git bare repository

No, Git repos on GitHub are bare, like any remote repo to which you want to push.

Their web interface shows you a representation of the git repo content, and they might a temporary working tree to modify files directly from the web UI (for their inline edit introduced initially in 2011), but it is their own internal mechanism.
From a client's perspective, you can see those as classic bare repos.

Related Solutions

Git – Practical Differences Between Bare and Non-Bare Repositories

Another difference between a bare and non-bare repository is that a bare repository does not have a default remote origin repository:

~/Projects$ git clone --bare test bare
Initialized empty Git repository in /home/derek/Projects/bare/
~/Projects$ cd bare
~/Projects/bare$ git branch -a
* master
~/Projects/bare$ cd ..
~/Projects$ git clone test non-bare
Initialized empty Git repository in /home/derek/Projects/non-bare/.git/
~/Projects$ cd non-bare
~/Projects/non-bare$ git branch -a
* master
  remotes/origin/HEAD -> origin/master
  remotes/origin/master

From the manual page for git clone --bare:

Also the branch heads at the remote are copied directly to corresponding local branch heads, without mapping them to refs/remotes/origin/. When this option is used, neither remote-tracking branches nor the related configuration variables are created.

Presumably, when it creates a bare repository, Git assumes that the bare repository will serve as the origin repository for several remote users, so it does not create the default remote origin. What this means is that basic git pull and git push operations won't work since Git assumes that without a workspace, you don't intend to commit any changes to the bare repository:

~/Projects/bare$ git push
fatal: No destination configured to push to.
~/Projects/bare$ git pull
fatal: /usr/lib/git-core/git-pull cannot be used without a working tree.
~/Projects/bare$

Git vs GitHub – Difference Between Git and GitHub

Git is a revision control system, a tool to manage your source code history.

GitHub is a hosting service for Git repositories.

So they are not the same thing: Git is the tool, GitHub is the service for projects that use Git.

To get your code to GitHub, have a look here.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Git – Practical Differences Between Bare and Non-Bare Repositories

Git vs GitHub – Difference Between Git and GitHub

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