Getting started with Git - pull into local repository from a remote TFS server?

Question

I started here, by creating a new local Git repository:

• Set up Git on your dev machine (configure, create, clone, add)

It seems that Visual Studio supports most of the common Git operations. However, I cannot pull the whole folder structure from a remote TFS server. I found a way to push changes to a TFS server, just not the other way around:

Is there a way to do the initial pull? Preferably without installing any 3rd party software/tools - my company is really anxious about putting any unauthorized apps on the workstation. If not, what are my options?

Also, are there any downsides of this approach? Known issues, etc.

A couple words on why I need this. We have a development branch which gets locked every day for several hours, or more, to allow for build or merge to happen. You can't commit during this time. Also more than one commit per day is considered bad practice here. That's why making another TFS branch would not help much. And no, I don't like using shelvesets. Therefore I would prefer to be able to commit as often as needed, without thinking about code being in a perfectly working state.

Answer 1

There is a portable Git version that can rescue in such cases. No guarantees, YMMV.

Answer 2

The only way to clone a TFVC repository is to use Git-TF. You do not need to 'install' Git-TF as it is portable.

If your company does not want you to use any third party components then you have only two constructive choices:

1. Convert everything to TFS 2013 Git repos - TFS 2013 supports choosing Git as the server repo.
2. Go work somewhere else - really I would have this as the first option based on your comments. I require that any company I work for/with allow admin locally and to install anything not illegal that I need to do my job efficiently.