[big]Using a git bundle to fetch the I2P source code[/big]

Cloning large software repositories over I2P can be difficult, and using git can
sometimes make this harder. Fortunately, it can also sometimes make it easier.
Git has a command which can be used to turn a git repository
into a file which git can then clone, fetch, or import from a location on your
local disk. By combining this capability with bittorrent downloads, we can solve
our remaining problems with .

[big]Before you Start[/big]

If you intend to generate a git bundle, you must already possess a full copy
of the git repository, not the mtn repository. You can get it from github
or from git.idk.i2p, but a shallow clone(a clone done to --depth=1) [cur]will not[/cur]
[cur]work[/cur]. It will fail silently, creating what looks like a bundle, but when you
try to clone it it will fail. If you are just retrieving a pre-generated git
bundle, then this section does not apply to you.

[big]Fetching I2P Source via Bittorrent[/big]

Someone will need to supply you with a torrent file or a magnet link
corresponding to an existing that they have already generated
for you. A recent, correctly-generated bundle of the mainline i2p.i2p source
code as-of Wednesday, March 18, 2020, can be found inside of I2P at my pastebin
paste.idk.i2p/f/4hq37i.

Once you have a bundle, you will need to use git to create a working repository
from it. If you're using GNU/Linux and i2psnark, the git bundle should be
located in \$HOME/.i2p/i2psnark or, as a service on Debian,
/var/lib/i2p/i2p-config/i2psnark. If you are using BiglyBT on GNU/Linux, it is
probably at "\$HOME/BiglyBT Downloads/" instead. The examples here assume
I2PSnark on GNU/Linux, if you use something else, replace the path to the
bundle with the download directory preferred by your client and platform.

[small]Using [/small]

Cloning from a git bundle is easy, just:
If you get the following error, try using git init and git fetch manually
instead.
[small]Using and [/small]

First, create an i2p.i2p directory to turn into a git repository.
Next, initialize an empty git repository to fetch changes back into.
Finally, fetch the repository from the bundle.
[small]Replace the bundle remote with the upstream remote[/small]

Now that you have a bundle, you can keep up with changes by setting the remote
to the upstream repository source.
[big]Generating a Bundle[/big]

First, follow the [Git guide for Users](GIT.md) until you have a successfully ed clone of clone of the i2p.i2p repository. If you already
have a clone, make sure you run before you generate
a torrent bundle.

Once you have that, simply run the corresponding ant target:
and copy the resulting bundle into your I2PSnark downloads directory. For
instance:
In a minute or two, I2PSnark will pick up on the torrent. Click on the "Start"
button to begin seeding the torrent.