How to Clone a Local Git Repository to Internal Directory in Same Server?

In many DevOps workflows, you’ll often need to clone a local Git repository into a specific directory on your server — especially when working with pre-initialized bare repositories or collaborating across teams.

In this guide, we’ll clone a local Git repository located at:

/opt/alpha.git
into the following target directory:

Let’s walk through the steps.

---

✅ Step 1: Check the Source Repository

First, verify that the Git repository exists at /opt/alpha.git.

ls -l /opt/alpha.git

This directory typically contains metadata like HEAD, refs, config, etc. If it’s a bare repository, there won’t be any working directory files — only Git history.

You can confirm it's a bare repo using:

git --git-dir=/opt/alpha.git rev-parse --is-bare-repository

✅ Step 2: Clone the Repository
Use the following command to clone the repository into the desired target directory:

sudo git clone /opt/alpha.git /usr/src/repostest

Here’s what this does:

/opt/alpha.git: the source repository (a bare Git repo)

/usr/src/repostest: the destination directory that Git will create and populate

This will result in a clean working copy of the repository under /usr/src/repostest

✅ Step 3: Verify the Clone
After cloning, navigate into the new directory and list its contents:

cd /usr/src/repostest
ls -la

You should see your project files along with a .git directory, indicating that it’s a proper working repository.

Bare repositories are typically used as centralized repo hubs for teams to pull from or push to.

📺 Want More?
For a full walkthrough with commands and explanations, check out the companion video on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DataEnthusiastEra/playlists

I break down DevOps concepts with clarity and real-world context — no fluff.

👋 Closing Thoughts
Cloning a Git repository from one directory to another is a simple but essential task in DevOps. Whether you're setting up a new environment, preparing build jobs, or helping developers sync code — knowing how to handle local Git operations efficiently is key.

Feel free to bookmark this for future reference. Happy building!

— Anusha 💻