Git: Combining two independent repos to one without losing the history

Question

I got two repos with the following folder structure:

> folder1
  >.git
  > file1
  > file2

> folder2
  >.git
  > file3
  > file4

Now I want to create a new repo combining the two formerly independent root folders under one common root:

> repo
   >.git
   > folder1
      > file1
      > file2
    > folder1
      > file3
      > file4

How would I do that in Git without losing the history of either formerly independent repository?

Answer 1

I guess something as follows should work:

1. Adapt the repo folder1 to have the right internal structure.

   cd folder1
   mkdir folder1
   git mv file1 folder1/file1
   git mv file2 folder1/file2
   git commit -a
   

2. And ditto for the repo folder2.

   cd folder2
   mkdir folder2
   git mv file3 folder2/file3
   git mv file4 folder2/file4
   git commit -a
   

3. Pull one into the other one with git pull

   cd folder1  # the top one, not the one we have created in the 1st step.
   git pull /path/to/folder2
   

   Or, alternatively, merge both into a newly created repo.

   mkdir repo
   cd repo
   git init
   git pull /path/to/folder1
   git pull /path/to/folder2