Git Tag failed with code 128: fatal: unterminated line in .git/packed-refs

Question

I am having an error in SourceTree that says, \"Error Encountered: \'git tag\' failed with code 128: fatal: unterminated line in .git/packed-refs\" If anyone has seen this e

Answer 1

Just delete the file .git/packed-refs.

Then "refresh" your repo with a pull or fetch.

I had the same error fatal: unterminated line in .git/packed-refs: ...

(And that file was just lines of:

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000)

In my case deleting the file worked and I was able to use my repo again.

Failing the above, I would try something like mentioned in this answer. The steps are:

• move old git directory
• initialise new repo
• link to old repo (by remote add origin)
• get old history (fetch)
• force update to old history (by doing a reset)