How do I download my whole repository from GitLab?

Question

I can't work out how to download my entire repository for a given project. Most of the things I do seem to just download the latest snapshot, e.g.

git pull https://gitlab.com/blahblah/MyProject.git

The reason I want to know how to do this is for "recovery" purposes: accidental deletion, if my PC blew up, got stolen, etc.

There doesn't seem to be a "forum" as such for GitLab, hence my posting here.

Solution

I can't work out how to download my entire repository for a given project.

Use git clone.

This procedure assumes you have already created a repository on GitHub, or have an existing repository owned by someone else you'd like to contribute to.

• On GitHub, navigate to the main page of the repository.

• Under the repository name, click Clone or download.

  

• In the Clone with HTTPs section, click to copy the clone URL for the repository.

  

• Open Git Bash.

• Change the current working directory to the location where you want the cloned directory to be made.

• Type git clone, and then paste the URL you copied in Step 2.

  git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-REPOSITORY
  

• Press Enter. Your local clone will be created.

  git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-REPOSITORY
  Cloning into `Spoon-Knife`...
  remote: Counting objects: 10, done.
  remote: Compressing objects: 100% (8/8), done.
  remove: Total 10 (delta 1), reused 10 (delta 1)
  Unpacking objects: 100% (10/10), done.
  

Source Cloning a repository - User Documentation

Comments

[Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams]

Every clone is the repository (or some subset of branches). That's the point of DVCSes.

[mafu]

@IgnacioVazquez-Abrams No, it is missing lost branches etc.

[mike rodent]

Thanks... actually I had already found that page and tried that command... I should have clarified the problem: I found that the result of clone does indeed include a .git subdirectory... but the objects/ directory under it is only 650 kB... whereas the objects/ directory under the .git subdirectory in the local repository is 2.58 MB. I had wrongly (I presume) assumed that this meant it wasn't a true/complete clone. What I really need is an explanation of this volume difference...

[victe]

OP asks for gitlab, no github, but it is essentially the same.