Chapter 2: Git, GitHub and Git Bash

2.7 clone — copy an existing repo

By Ravindra Bagale · Last updated: 25 October 2026

Why: the problem

On day one at Infosys, nobody gives you a zip. They give you a link and say: clone it. git clone copies the whole repo, with all history and branches, from a server to your laptop, and sets origin for you. In DevOps you clone all the time: Jenkins clones for every build, Ansible clones to deploy, and you clone to read other teams' configs. Big repos can be slow, so you also need shallow clones and single-branch clones. In this lesson you will clone with HTTPS, clone into a different folder name, clone one branch, make a shallow clone like CI does, and read what clone set up for you.

What we will build

You will clone a public open source project from gitlab.com, then make a shallow copy like a CI runner, clone one branch, and check origin and tracking.

What: every term in plain English

• git clone URL — Copy a remote repo, with history, into a new folder.
• Clone into a name — git clone URL myname puts it in myname.
• --depth 1 — Shallow clone: only the latest commit. Fast for CI.
• --branch NAME — Check out this branch after cloning.
• --single-branch — Download only one branch.
• origin — Clone names the source remote origin.
• Default branch — The branch the server says to check out, often main.
• Public repo — Anyone can clone without login.

How: step by step

1. Go to the lab

   mkdir -p ~/devops-lab/clone-lab && cd ~/devops-lab/clone-lab
   

   What it does: A folder for clones.

   Output

   (no output)
   

2. Clone a public repo

   git clone https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-runner.git
   

   What it does: A real project. It may take a minute.

   Output

   Cloning into 'gitlab-runner'...
   Receiving objects: 100% (210000/210000), done.
   

3. Look inside

   cd gitlab-runner && git remote -v && git branch
   

   What it does: origin and the default branch are set.

   Output

   origin  https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-runner.git (fetch)
   * main
   

4. See history size

   git rev-list --count HEAD
   

   What it does: Full history came with it.

   Output

   24000
   

5. Shallow clone

   cd .. && git clone --depth 1 https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-runner.git runner-ci
   

   What it does: Only the newest commit, like CI.

   Output

   Cloning into 'runner-ci'...
   

6. Compare size

   du -sh gitlab-runner runner-ci
   

   What it does: Shallow is much smaller.

   Output

   420M    gitlab-runner
   95M runner-ci
   

7. Clone your own repo

   git clone https://gitlab.com/ravi-learner/hello-git.git
   

   What it does: Private repos need login or SSH.

   Output

   Cloning into 'hello-git'...
   

Example 1: Clone your bare server from lesson 2

Stack. Git

Goal. Clone your bare server from lesson 2.3 and check the setup.

clone-local.sh

cd ~/devops-lab
git init -q --bare -b main srv.git
git clone -q srv.git first && cd first
echo ok > a.txt && git add . && git commit -qm "Add a" && git push -q origin main
cd .. && git clone srv.git second
git -C second log --oneline
git -C second branch -vv

What each line does

• git init --bare srv.git — A server.
• git clone srv.git first — First clone; push a commit.
• git clone srv.git second — Second clone gets that commit.
• branch -vv — main tracks origin/main automatically.

Green output

Cloning into 'second'...
done.
3c4d5e6 Add a
* main 3c4d5e6 [origin/main] Add a

Expected result. Clone set origin and tracking for you. No extra commands.

Example 2: Shallow clone like a CI runner

Stack. Git

Goal. Shallow clone like a CI runner.

ci-clone.sh

cd ~/devops-lab/clone-lab
time git clone -q --depth 1 --branch main https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-runner.git ci
git -C ci log --oneline | wc -l
git -C ci rev-parse --is-shallow-repository

What each line does

• --depth 1 — Only the last commit.
• --branch main — The branch to build.
• time — Shows how long it took.
• --is-shallow-repository — true means shallow.

Green output

real    0m6.412s
1
true

Expected result. GitLab CI and Jenkins use shallow clones to save minutes on every build.

Example 3: Clone one branch into a custom folder and fetch more history later

Stack. Git

Goal. Clone one branch into a custom folder and fetch more history later.

one-branch.sh

cd ~/devops-lab/clone-lab
git clone -q --single-branch --branch main --depth 5 https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-runner.git one
cd one
git log --oneline | wc -l
git fetch -q --deepen 20
git log --oneline | wc -l
git branch -r

What each line does

• --single-branch — Only main, not every branch.
• --depth 5 — Last five commits.
• git fetch --deepen 20 — Get 20 more old commits when you need them.
• git branch -r — Only origin/main exists.

Green output

5
25
  origin/HEAD -> origin/main
  origin/main

Expected result. You control how much you download. Useful on slow office Wi-Fi.

Example 4: Clone from the company server over HTTPS and SSH and check the default branch

Stack. Git, self-hosted GitLab

Goal. Clone from the company server over HTTPS and SSH and check the default branch.

company-clone.sh

cd ~/devops-lab/clone-lab
git clone https://git.example.com/shop/payments.git payments-https
git clone git@git.example.com:shop/payments.git payments-ssh
git -C payments-ssh remote -v
git -C payments-ssh symbolic-ref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD
git -C payments-ssh branch -a

What each line does

• HTTPS URL — Asks for username and token.
• git@git.example.com:shop/payments.git — SSH URL; uses your key, no password.
• symbolic-ref ... origin/HEAD — Shows the default branch the server chose.
• git branch -a — Local and remote branches together.

Green output

Cloning into 'payments-https'...
Username for 'https://git.example.com': ravi
Password for 'https://ravi@git.example.com':
Cloning into 'payments-ssh'...
origin  git@git.example.com:shop/payments.git (fetch)
origin  git@git.example.com:shop/payments.git (push)
refs/remotes/origin/main
* main
  remotes/origin/HEAD -> origin/main
  remotes/origin/develop
  remotes/origin/main

Expected result. Both URLs give the same repo. SSH is easier once your key is added (lesson 2.12).

Verify: did it work?

1. Remote is set

   git -C ~/devops-lab/second remote get-url origin
   

   What it does: Points to the server.

   Output

   /home/ravi/devops-lab/srv.git
   

2. Tracking set

   git -C ~/devops-lab/second status -sb
   

   What it does: Shows main...origin/main.

   Output

   ## main...origin/main
   

3. Shallow check

   git -C ~/devops-lab/clone-lab/ci rev-parse --is-shallow-repository
   

   What it does: true.

   Output

   true
   

When it is red 1

fatal: destination path 'hello-git' already exists and is not an empty directory.

Cause. A folder with that name already exists.

Fix, step by step

1. Clone into a new name: git clone URL hello-git-2
2. Or cd into the existing folder and git pull.

When it is red 2

remote: The project you were looking for could not be found or you don't have permission to view it.
fatal: repository 'https://gitlab.com/ravi-learner/private.git/' not found

Cause. Wrong URL, or a private repo and you are not logged in.

Fix, step by step

1. Check the URL on the website.
2. Use a token or SSH (lesson 2.12).

When it is red 3

fatal: unable to access 'https://git.example.com/team/app.git/': Could not resolve host: git.example.com

Cause. No network or VPN to the company server.

Fix, step by step

1. Connect to VPN.
2. ping git.example.com
3. Try again.

When it is red 4

Host key verification failed.
fatal: Could not read from remote repository.

Cause. First SSH connection and the server key is not in known_hosts.

Fix, step by step

1. ssh -T git@git.example.com and type yes after checking the fingerprint with your admin.
2. Clone again.

Cleanup

1. Remove clones

   rm -rf ~/devops-lab/clone-lab ~/devops-lab/first ~/devops-lab/second ~/devops-lab/srv.git
   

   What it does: Frees disk space.

   Output

   (no output)
   

Practice tasks

Homework: try at home

Recap

• git clone copies files, history and sets origin.
• Use a custom folder name if one exists.
• --depth 1 makes CI fast.
• --single-branch downloads one branch.
• Private repos need a token or SSH.

FAQ

Is clone the same as download zip?

No. Clone brings history and can push back. A zip has no history.

Do I clone every day?

No. Clone once, then pull or fetch.

Can I clone over SSH?

Yes, with git@host:group/repo.git after adding your key.

Why is clone slow?

Big history. Use --depth for speed.

Can I push from a shallow clone?

Usually yes, but some old servers complain. Unshallow if needed.

Which folder name does clone use?

The last part of the URL without .git, unless you give a name.

Interview questions

1. Difference between clone and fork?

   Clone copies a repo to your machine. Fork copies it to your account on the hosting site.

2. What is a shallow clone and when do you use it?

   A clone with limited history, used in CI to save time and space.

3. Difference between clone and pull?

   Clone creates a new local repo; pull updates an existing one.

4. How does Jenkins get code?

   It clones or fetches the repo into the workspace, often shallow.

5. How do you clone a specific branch?

   git clone --branch NAME --single-branch URL.

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