Git: cannot checkout branch - error: pathspec '…' did not match any file(s) known to git

4.6K Asked by DanielBAKER in Devops , Asked on May 31, 2021

I'm not sure why I'm unable to checkout a branch that I had worked on earlier. See the commands below (note: co is an alias for checkout):

chandra@chandra-desktop:~/source/unstilted$ git branch -a
* develop
  feature/datts_right
  feature/user_controlled_menu
  feature/user_controlled_site_layouts
  master
  remotes/origin/HEAD -> origin/master
  remotes/origin/develop
  remotes/origin/feature/datts_right
  remotes/origin/master
chandra@chandra-desktop:~/source/unstilted$ git co feature/user_controlled_site_layouts 
error: pathspec 'feature/user_controlled_site_layouts' did not match any file(s) known to git.

I'm not sure what it means, and I can't seem to find anything I can understand on Google.

How do I checkout that branch, and what may I have done to break this?

Answered by Brian Kennedy

To solve change directory in git bash, you need to try

  git fetch

So that your local repository gets all the new information from github. It just takes the information about new branches and actual code and it works fine after:

  git checkout

This will help you to check out your branch.

Your Answer

Answer (1)

Ranjana

The error message "Cannot checkout branch - error: pathspec '...' did not match any file(s) known to git" typically occurs when you try to checkout a branch in Git, but Git cannot find a branch or a file with the name you specified in the repository.

Here are some possible reasons and solutions:

Branch does not exist: Double-check that you've entered the correct branch name. If the branch does not exist locally or remotely, Git will throw this error. You can use git branch -a to list all branches (including remote branches) and verify the existence of the branch.

git branch -a

Typo in branch name: Ensure that you haven't misspelled the branch name. Even a small typo can cause Git to not recognize the branch. Check for any spelling mistakes in the branch name.

Branch name conflicts with file/directory name: If you have a file or directory in your repository with the same name as the branch you're trying to checkout, Git might get confused. Try renaming the file or directory to avoid conflicts.

Incomplete or ambiguous branch name: If the branch name you provided is incomplete or ambiguous, Git won't be able to find the branch. Provide the complete and exact branch name.

Remote branch not fetched: If the branch exists only on the remote repository and you haven't fetched it yet, Git won't be able to checkout the branch locally. Fetch the branch from the remote repository first and then try checking it out.

git fetch origin

Repository corruption: In rare cases, repository corruption might cause Git to behave unexpectedly. Try cloning the repository again to see if the issue persists.

If you've verified that the branch exists and the name is correct, but you're still encountering the error, there might be other issues at play. In such cases, providing more context about your specific situation could help in diagnosing the problem further.

6 Months