Git clone unable to create file

Question

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?

see also http://stackoverflow.com/questions/13040577/when-cloning-git-repo-under-windows-i-get-error-unable-to-create-file-file — Brian Burns, Feb 21 '14 at 01:27

score 17 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 28 '13 at 16:25

17

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.

answered Jul 28 '13 at 16:25

Carl Norum

219,201
40
422
469

I am on Ubuntu 12 (and the file was created on another Ubuntu) – Mark Jul 28 '13 at 16:30
Hmm - that's a bit strange, then. Can you show some more context from the error log? – Carl Norum Jul 28 '13 at 16:30
1

This (for several files) is all the console shows. However, your solution (cloning to a non-bare repository on another machine and resolving the problem there) worked! – Mark Jul 28 '13 at 16:33
1

Were you using a filesystem that can't handle one of those characters? – Carl Norum Jul 28 '13 at 16:34
I can't find a list, but I think that's it! – Mark Jul 28 '13 at 19:57

score 3 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:34

3

I'm cross-referencing my answer, as it also applies here: https://stackoverflow.com/a/34515900/1012586

Yet instead of

*
!kickstarter/parsers/data/kickstarter/campaigndetails/*

you'd need something like

*
!frozen/email/lamson/mymailserver/run/queue/mark.name/cur/*

in your .git/info/sparse-checkout

edited May 23 '17 at 12:34

Community

1
1

answered Dec 29 '15 at 17:32

Morty

2,889
2
19
28

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Dec 29 '15 at 17:35

0

git will refuse to overwrite existing files. Try again, cloning into an empty directory.

answered Dec 29 '15 at 17:35

vonbrand

11,412
8
32
52

Git clone unable to create file

3 Answers3

Linked