content/migrations/importing-source-code/using-the-command-line-to-import-source-code/importing-an-external-git-repository-using-the-command-line.md

metadata

title: Importing an external Git repository using the command line
intro: >-
  {% ifversion fpt %}If your Git repository is stored on a code hosting service
  that is not accessible from the public internet, you can import the repository
  using Git on the command line.{% else %}If your source code is tracked in a
  Git repository, you can import the repository using Git on the command line.{%
  endif %}
redirect_from:
  - /articles/importing-a-git-repository-using-the-command-line
  - >-
    /github/importing-your-projects-to-github/importing-a-git-repository-using-the-command-line
  - >-
    /github/importing-your-projects-to-github/importing-source-code-to-github/importing-a-git-repository-using-the-command-line
  - >-
    /get-started/importing-your-projects-to-github/importing-source-code-to-github/importing-a-git-repository-using-the-command-line
  - >-
    /get-started/importing-your-projects-to-github/importing-source-code-to-github/importing-an-external-git-repository-using-the-command-line
versions:
  fpt: '*'
  ghes: '*'
  ghec: '*'
shortTitle: External Git repo

Before you start, make sure you know:

• Your {% data variables.product.github %} username
• The clone URL for the external repository, such as https://external-host.com/user/repo.git or git://external-host.com/user/repo.git (perhaps with a user@ in front of the external-host.com domain name)

For purposes of demonstration, we'll use:

• An external account named extuser
• An external Git host named https://external-host.com
• A {% data variables.product.github %} personal account named ghuser
• A repository on {% data variables.location.product_location %} named repo.git

1. Create a new repository on {% data variables.product.github %}. You'll import your external Git repository to this new repository.

2. On the command line, make a "bare" clone of the external repository using the external clone URL. This creates a full copy of the data, but without a working directory for editing files, and ensures a clean, fresh export of all the old data.

   $ git clone --bare https://external-host.com/EXTUSER/REPO.git
   # Makes a bare clone of the external repository in a local directory
   

3. Push the locally cloned repository to {% data variables.product.github %} using the "mirror" option, which ensures that all references, such as branches and tags, are copied to the imported repository.

   $ cd REPO.git
   $ git push --mirror https://{% data variables.product.product_url %}/USER/REPO.git
   # Pushes the mirror to the new repository on {% data variables.location.product_location %}
   

4. Remove the temporary local repository.

   cd ..
   rm -rf REPO.git
   

If the repository you are importing contains large files, you may run into a warning or error. For more information on large files and how to manage them, see AUTOTITLE.

{% ifversion fpt or ghec %}

Further reading

• AUTOTITLE {% endif %}