Menu
I have a Github repo with some confusing Git clone statistics. As you can see below, the repository does not have a large number of visitors or Stars, and yet shows a relatively large number of clones on a Sep. 29.
The Github help page for traffic is not very helpful, but I assumed that a "clone" statistic would count each individual clone command issued. It does not seem possible that 3 cloners cloned this repo almost 400 times in one day.
What else could this statistic represent?
562
For various reasons, GitHub repo owners need to track the number of times their code is downloaded or cloned. GitHub allows repository owners to track clone counts in a sliding window via the /graphs/traffic pane. However, GitHub does not track total counts.
Can the owner of the repo see when someone clones it? No, they cannot.
Cloning an entire repo is standard operating procedure using Git. Each clone usually includes everything in a repository. That means when you clone, you get not only the files, but every revision of every file ever committed, plus the history of each commit.
Replying to your question: yes, it's safe to run git clone multiple time. The repository won't be damaged.
Since this was not expected behavior, I contacted Github Support and got this answer:
That number is accurate, and represents someone running
git clone. However, I did a little digging, and those clones came from only 4 unique users.One possibility is that it's just a script gone wrong.
So it wasn't "normal" behavior, but not a Github bug. The answer to my question is that this statistic does represent the git clone command.
174
If you love us? You can donate to us via Paypal or buy me a coffee so we can maintain and grow! Thank you!
Donate Us With
