warning: remote HEAD refers to nonexistent ref, unable to checkout

Question

This seems like a popular error for different causes.

I\'ve got a simple bare git repo called \"kiflea.git\", I clone it like this:

git clone git://k         


        

Answer 1

There's definitely something wrong with your remote repository. You might be able to fix it by making a new clone of the repository. Also pushing a new commit to the master branch might work too.

Answer 2

I seemed to fix it with:

git checkout -b  master
git push

This created the default master, and then I could checkout my other branches

Answer 3

Even though this error was displayed - my project was still connected to the corresponding repository - I ran the git branch command and saw the appropriate branches - then I ran git checkout *branchname and BOOM - all was well.

Answer 4

Yes this is related to your git clone trying to checkout a branch different than master. Just do this

git clone user@git-server:project_name.git -b branch_name /some/folder

This will help you clone the exact branch via its branch name.

Answer 5

In my case the repo was empty.

git checkout --orphan master

git add some_file
git commit -m 'init'
git push origin master 

Answer 6

If there is no master branch actually available, check the following; If there is a file named 'packed-refs' inside the '.git' folder, open it and you could find all references listed.

Something like below;

# pack-refs with: peeled fully-peeled 
e7cc58650190bd28599d81917f1706445d3c6d8b refs/tags/afw-test-harness-1.5
^cfae4f034e82591afdf4e5ed72279297d0eee618
6afe1bcfa4bd74de8e0c8f64d024e1cc289206df refs/tags/afw-test-harness-2.1
^c32f7fa495d4b44652f46c065fcd19c3acd237a6
72f2e4284dfbf27c82967da096c6664646bbdd19 refs/tags/android-1.6_r1
^50992e805e758e2231f28ec2127b57a1a9fd0ddc
0cbd528cad1cee9556098b62add993fc3b5dcc33 refs/tags/android-1.6_r1.1

Then use;

git checkout refs/tags/xxxx

Or

git checkout 'HASH value'

to checkout the required version. Thank you.