Need assistance converting GIT repo to github with LFS

[vitomacdoc]

I inherited a server running git 2.52 with very old repo. I need to convert to github servedr on our internal network.
The repo has a couple dozen files that exceed the 200 MB file limitation on github.

Can someone give me the best procedure / path to convert?

On a client PC, I performed a git clone --mirror.
ran "git lfs install"
When I attempt push, i get the file exceed errors.

I tried "git lfs track "*.cvs" and i keep getting error "fatal: this operation must be run in a work tree"

Shall i just attempt normal clone?

Thank you.

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[saintpepsicola]

You can't use git lfs track in a bare repo (which is what --mirror creates). Here's the correct approach:

Option 1: Use git lfs migrate (recommended)

1. Clone with a normal clone (not mirror): git clone <url> repo-lfs
2. cd repo-lfs
3. Track the large file types: git lfs track "*.csv" (or whatever the extensions are)
4. Migrate existing files to LFS: git lfs migrate import --include="*.csv,*.pdf,*.zip" --everything
5. This rewrites history, moving those files to LFS pointers
6. Push: git push --force origin main (or whatever branch)

Option 2: If you need to preserve exact commit SHAs

1. git lfs install
2. git lfs track "*.csv"
3. git add .gitattributes
4. git commit -m "track lfs"
5. Use git lfs migrate import --include-ref=refs/heads/main --include="*.csv"

The error "this operation must be run in a work tree" happened because you tried track/migrate in a bare mirror clone.