ternate object database</dt>
<dd>
<p>Via the alternates mechanism, a <a href="#def_repository">repository</a>
can inherit part of its <a href="#def_object_database">object database</a>
from another object database, which is called an "alternate".</p>
</dd>
<dt class="hdlist1"><a id="def_bare_repository"></a>bare repository</dt>
<dd>
<p>A bare repository is normally an appropriately
named <a href="#def_directory">directory</a> with a <code>.git</code> suffix that does not
have a locally checked-out copy of a