Clone a repository

Cloning copies a Git repository from a server to your PC and opens it as a folder in Etonym. Use it to get a team’s notes, or to continue your own notes on a second PC.

Clone a repository

Clone… is in the Git tab, and it shows when the open folder is not a Git repository. If the folder you have open is already a repository, open an empty folder first: press Ctrl+Shift+O and choose Open another folder….

1. In the Git tab, choose Clone…. The Clone repository dialog opens.
2. In Repository URL, paste the address of the repository. You find it on the repository’s page on your Git host, often under a Code or Clone button.
3. Check Parent folder. The default is your Documents folder. Choose Choose… to pick another.
4. Check Name. Etonym fills it from the end of the address. The repository goes into a new folder with this name, as the line under the fields shows.
5. Choose Clone.

Cloning can take a few minutes. When it is done, Etonym opens the new folder and adds it to your folder list.

Signing in

Etonym does not ask for a password. If the repository is private, Git’s credential manager signs you in, which may open a sign-in page in your browser. Repositories you reach over SSH use your SSH keys.

If cloning fails

Message	What to do
That doesn’t look like a repository address. Copy the HTTPS or SSH address from the repository’s page.	Use the full address, such as https://github.com/team/notes.git or git@github.com:team/notes.git. An address without https://, such as github.com/team/notes, is not accepted.
Use a single folder name, without / or \.	Change Name to a plain folder name.
A folder with that name is already there. Pick another name.	Change Name, or pick another Parent folder.
Could not reach the remote…	Check the network and that you can open the repository. Run the same git clone in a terminal once to see Git’s own message.

If cloning stops partway, Etonym removes the half-made folder.