Adopting Existing Repositories

Already have a traditional Git repository? You can convert it to the worktree layout without losing any work.

What daft adopt Does

daft adopt restructures a traditional repository into daft's worktree layout:

Before:

my-project/
├── .git/            # Regular git directory
├── src/
├── package.json
└── README.md

After:

my-project/
├── .git/            # Bare repository
└── main/            # Worktree for current branch
    ├── src/
    ├── package.json
    └── README.md

daft adopt converts to the contained layout. To use a different

layout, run daft layout transform <layout> afterward, or clone fresh with daft clone --layout <layout>. See Layouts. :::

Running It

cd my-existing-project
daft adopt

Or specify a path:

daft adopt /path/to/my-project

Preview First

Use --dry-run to see what would happen without making changes:

daft adopt --dry-run

Uncommitted Changes Are Preserved

Any staged, unstaged, or untracked changes in your working directory are carried into the new worktree. You won't lose any work.

Reverting with daft eject

If you decide the worktree layout isn't for you:

daft eject

This converts back to a traditional repository layout:

Before:

my-project/
├── .git/            # Bare repository
├── main/
│   ├── src/
│   └── README.md
└── feature/auth/
    ├── src/
    └── README.md

After:

my-project/
├── .git/            # Regular git directory
├── src/
└── README.md

By default, daft eject keeps the remote's default branch. Use --branch to specify a different one:

daft eject --branch feature/auth

Other worktrees are removed. If any have uncommitted changes, the command fails unless you pass --force.

Git-native equivalents daft adopt is also available as

git worktree-flow-adopt, and daft eject as git worktree-flow-eject. :::

When to Adopt vs Clone Fresh

Use daft adopt when:

• You have an existing local repository with work in progress
• You want to try the worktree workflow without re-cloning
• You have local branches or stashes you want to preserve

Use daft clone when:

• Starting fresh from a remote repository
• Setting up a new development environment
• The repository has no local-only work to preserve
• You want to choose a specific layout with --layout