How to import an existing bare git repository into Gitlab?

Question

I import my bare git repository into Gitlab as described as here , because it was not recognized as an git repository, but creates a 94K big 'empty' repo (the original is 2,8GB big):

$ bundle exec rake gitlab:import:repos RAILS_ENV=production
fatal: Not a git repository (or any of the parent directories): .git
Processing test.git
INFO: Sidekiq client using redis://localhost:6379 with options:namespace=>"resque:gitlab"}
 * Created test (test.git)
Done!

As a workaround I replace the empty project folder (which was created by import trial) with my bare repo. Afterwards I tree to clone the repo from remote and get the following error:

$ git clone [email protected]:...test.git
Cloning into 'test'
fatal: '...test.git' does not appear to be a git repository
fatal: Could not read from remote repository.

Please make sure you have the correct access rights
and the repository exists.

But the git user should have all rights which are needed. -Maybe I have something overlooked?

My System: RHEL6.3, Git 1.8.3.4, Gitlab5.3.

Does Gitlab need a normal repository (non-bare)? Or what could be my problem?

Answer 1

Does Gitlab need a normal repository (non-bare)?

No, all repos managed by gitlab are bare repos.

You should see:

/home/git/repositories/user1/repo1.git
/home/git/repositories/user1/repo2.git
/home/git/repositories/greoup1/repo3.git
...

Make sure the rights of your test.git folder (and bare repo files within it) are the same than the existing bare repos under /home/git/repositories/.

If the import doesn't work, then "replace the empty project folder (which was created by import trial) with my bare repo" should.

But: you need to make sure any hook which was in the empty bare repo created by GitLab (in ~git/repositories/arepo.git/hooks) is copied over your full bare repo replacing the empty one (same path).
Check also what was in ~git/repositories/arepo.git/info and ~git/repositories/arepo.git/config

To debug, try first to clone the empty bare repo created by GitLab during the failed import.
Then replace it with your own, double-check the hooks and try again.

---

As mentioned by the OP and documented in GitLab "Trouble Shooting Guide", the correct ssh url is:

[email protected]:repositories/mygroup/proj1.git

with :repositories mentioned.

---

To import bare repos (as mentioned by Sytse Sijbrandij below and in raketasks/import.md)

• copy your bare repos under git repos_path (see config/gitlab.yml gitlab_shell -> repos_path)

• run the command below

  bundle exec rake gitlab:import:repos RAILS_ENV=production
  

Answer 2

For the documentation of this feature see https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/blob/master/doc/raketasks/import.md