git pull fails "unable to resolve reference" "unable to update local ref"

Gabrielle picture Gabrielle · Jun 8, 2010 · Viewed 430.4k times · Source

Using git 1.6.4.2, when I tried a git pull I get this error:

error: unable to resolve reference refs/remotes/origin/LT558-optimize-sql: No such file or directory
From git+ssh://remoteserver/~/misk5
 ! [new branch]      LT558-optimize-sql -> origin/LT558-optimize-sql  (unable to update local ref)
error: unable to resolve reference refs/remotes/origin/split-css: No such file or directory
 ! [new branch]      split-css  -> origin/split-css  (unable to update local ref)

I've tried git remote prune origin, but it didn't help.

Answer

Vojtech Vitek picture Vojtech Vitek · Sep 8, 2011

Try cleaning-up your local repository with:

$ git gc --prune=now
$ git remote prune origin

man git-gc(1):

git-gc - Cleanup unnecessary files and optimize the local repository

git gc [--aggressive] [--auto] [--quiet] [--prune=<date> | --no-prune]

       Runs a number of housekeeping tasks within the current repository, such as compressing file revisions
       (to reduce disk space and increase performance) and removing unreachable objects which may have been
       created from prior invocations of git add.

       Users are encouraged to run this task on a regular basis within each repository to maintain good disk
       space utilization and good operating performance.

man git-remote(1):

git-remote - manage set of tracked repositories

git remote prune [-n | --dry-run] <name>

           Deletes all stale remote-tracking branches under <name>. These stale branches have already been
           removed from the remote repository referenced by <name>, but are still locally available in
           "remotes/<name>".