Cloning Repositories

Branqo supports cloning from any Git remote — GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, or a plain URL.

Clone via HTTPS

1. Click Clone Repository in the toolbar
2. Paste the HTTPS URL (e.g., https://github.com/user/repo.git)
3. Choose the destination directory
4. Click Clone

Clone via SSH

To clone via SSH, you need an SSH key configured:

1. Go to Settings → SSH Keys
2. Click Generate Key to create a new Ed25519 key, or Import an existing one
3. Copy the public key and add it to your Git provider (GitHub → Settings → SSH Keys)
4. Clone using the SSH URL (e.g., [email protected]:user/repo.git)

Branqo manages SSH keys through your OS keychain — keys are stored securely and never leave your machine.

Clone from Provider

If you've connected a Git provider (GitHub, GitLab, or Gitea):

1. Click Clone Repository
2. Switch to the Provider tab
3. Browse or search your remote repositories
4. Select a repo and click Clone

Partial Clone (Large Repos)

For very large repositories, Branqo supports partial and shallow clones:

• Shallow clone: Only downloads recent history (--depth)
• Partial clone: Downloads file metadata without full blob content (--filter=blob:none)
• Sparse checkout: Only checks out specific directories

Access these options via Clone → Advanced Options.