---
name: "git-force-clone"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "git-extras"
version: "7.3.0-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/git-force-clone"
---

# git-force-clone(1)

overwrite local repositories with clone

## NAME

**git-force-clone** - overwrite local repositories with clone

## SYNOPSIS

**force-clone --help**\
 **force-clone {remote\_url} {destination\_path}**\
 **force-clone --branch {branch\_name} {remote\_url} {destination\_path}**

## DESCRIPTION

Provides the basic functionality of **git clone**, but if the destination git repository already exists it will force-reset it to resemble a clone of the remote.

Because it doesn't actually delete the directory, it is usually significantly faster than the alternative of deleting the directory and cloning the repository from scratch.

**CAUTION**: If the repository exists, this will destroy *all* local work: changed files will be reset, local branches and other remotes will be removed.

## PROCESS

If **target-directory** doesn't exist or isn't a git repository then the arguments will simply be passed through to **git clone**.

If **target-directory** exists and is a git repository then this will:

- •

  Remove all remotes

- •

  Set the origin remote to **{remote\_url}** and fetch the remote

- •

  Discover the default branch, if no branch was specified

- •

  Check out the selected branch

- •

  Delete all other local branches

-

  ## OPTIONS

**{remote\_url}** - The URL for a git remote repository of which to make a clone. **{destination\_path}** - A path to the local git repository location to clone into. **--branch {branch\_name}** - After cloning, checkout this branch.

## EXAMPLES

**git-force-clone -b master git@github.com:me/repo.git ./repo\_dir**

## AUTHOR

Written by Robin Winslow *robin@robinwinslow.co.uk*.

## REPORTING BUGS

*https://github.com/tj/git-extras/issues*

## SEE ALSO

*https://github.com/tj/git-extras*