Search code examples
gitgit-clone

Git clone unable to create file


Trying to clone a remote git repository (bare), I get several errors like the following, after which git stops.

error: unable to create file frozen/email/lamson/mymailserver/run/queue/mark.name/cur/1361115664.1929_1.vps-pool-55:2,S (Invalid argument)

It's okay if I have to remove these files, but I can't find a way to do that if I can't clone.

Any idea what I can do?


Solution

  • I guess you're probably trying to do the clone on a Windows machine. Windows doesn't allow filenames to use the : character.

    From the Microsoft documentation:

    Use any character in the current code page for a name, including Unicode characters and characters in the extended character set (128–255), except for the following:

    • The following reserved characters:
      • < (less than)
      • > (greater than)
      • : (colon)
      • " (double quote)
      • / (forward slash)
      • \ (backslash)
      • | (vertical bar or pipe)
      • ? (question mark)
      • * (asterisk)
    • Integer value zero, sometimes referred to as the ASCII NUL character.
    • Characters whose integer representations are in the range from 1 through 31, except for alternate data streams where these characters are allowed. For more information about file streams, see File Streams.
    • Any other character that the target file system does not allow.

    To work around this problem, you will probably need to clone on a non-windows system and correct the offending filenames. Maybe some of the windows experts out there will have a better solution.