git fetch specific revision from remote repository

Solution 1:

Once you've pulled the repository you should be able to go:

git checkout 3ef0d...

Solution 2:

uploadpack.allowReachableSHA1InWant

Since Git 2.5.0 this configuration variable can be enabled on the server, here the GitHub feature request and the GitHub commit enabling this feature.

Bitbucket Server enabled it since version 5.5+.

Usage:

# Make remote with 4 commits, and local with just one.
mkdir server
cd server
git init
touch 1
git add 1
git commit -m 1
git clone ./ ../local
for i in {2..4}; do
    touch "$i"
    git add "$i"
    git commit -m "$i"
done

# Before last commit.
SHA3="$(git log --format='%H' --skip=1 -n1)"
# Last commit.
SHA4="$(git log --format='%H' -n1)"

# Failing control without feature.
cd ../local
# Does not give an error, but does not fetch either.
git fetch origin "$SHA3"
# Error.
git checkout "$SHA3"

# Enable the feature.
cd ../server
git config uploadpack.allowReachableSHA1InWant true

# Now it works.
cd ../local
git fetch origin "$SHA3"
git checkout "$SHA3"
# Error.
git checkout "$SHA4"

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Solution 3:

If some process on your live server immediately accesses the just-pulled content (i.e. you cannot work with git checkout 3ef0d after pull), you should consider tagging the version you want to deploy in production and specifically checkout that tag on production, so that pulling does not immediately change your working directory. Otherwise you'd risk somebody pushing just prior to your pull.