7 git - the stupid content tracker
12 'git-<command>' <args>
17 This is reference information for the core git commands.
19 The Discussion section below contains much useful definition and
20 clarification info - read that first. And of the commands, I suggest
21 reading link:git-update-cache.html[git-update-cache] and
22 link:git-read-tree.html[git-read-tree] first - I wish I had!
24 David Greaves <david@dgreaves.com>
27 Updated by Junio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net> on 2005-05-05 to
28 reflect recent changes.
32 The git commands can helpfully be split into those that manipulate
33 the repository, the cache and the working fileset, those that
34 interrogate and compare them, and those that moves objects and
35 references between repositories.
37 There are also some ancilliary programs that can be viewed as useful
38 aids for using the core commands but which are unlikely to be used by
39 SCMs layered over git.
43 link:git-checkout-cache.html[git-checkout-cache]::
44 Copy files from the cache to the working directory
46 link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]::
47 Creates a new commit object
49 link:git-init-db.html[git-init-db]::
50 Creates an empty git object database
52 link:git-merge-base.html[git-merge-base]::
53 Finds as good a common ancestor as possible for a merge
55 link:git-mktag.html[git-mktag]::
58 link:git-read-tree.html[git-read-tree]::
59 Reads tree information into the directory cache
61 link:git-update-cache.html[git-update-cache]::
62 Modifies the index or directory cache
64 link:git-hash-object.html[git-hash-object]::
65 Computes the object ID from a file.
67 link:git-write-tree.html[git-write-tree]::
68 Creates a tree from the current cache
70 Interrogation commands
71 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
72 link:git-cat-file.html[git-cat-file]::
73 Provide content or type information for repository objects
75 link:git-check-files.html[git-check-files]::
76 Verify a list of files are up-to-date
78 link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache]::
79 Compares content and mode of blobs between the cache and repository
81 link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files]::
82 Compares files in the working tree and the cache
84 link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]::
85 Compares the content and mode of blobs found via two tree objects
87 link:git-export.html[git-export]::
88 Exports each commit and a diff against each of its parents
90 link:git-fsck-cache.html[git-fsck-cache]::
91 Verifies the connectivity and validity of the objects in the database
93 link:git-ls-files.html[git-ls-files]::
94 Information about files in the cache/working directory
96 link:git-ls-tree.html[git-ls-tree]::
97 Displays a tree object in human readable form
99 link:git-merge-cache.html[git-merge-cache]::
100 Runs a merge for files needing merging
102 link:git-rev-list.html[git-rev-list]::
103 Lists commit objects in reverse chronological order
105 link:git-rev-tree.html[git-rev-tree]::
106 Provides the revision tree for one or more commits
108 link:git-tar-tree.html[git-tar-tree]::
109 Creates a tar archive of the files in the named tree
111 link:git-unpack-file.html[git-unpack-file]::
112 Creates a temporary file with a blob's contents
114 link:git-var.html[git-var]::
115 Displays a git logical variable
117 link:git-verify-pack.html[git-verify-pack]::
118 Validates packed GIT archive files
120 The interrogate commands may create files - and you can force them to
121 touch the working file set - but in general they don't
124 Synching repositories
125 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
127 link:git-clone-script.html[git-clone-script]::
128 Clones a repository into the current repository (user interface)
130 link:git-clone-pack.html[git-clone-pack]::
131 Clones a repository into the current repository (engine
132 for ssh and local transport)
134 link:git-fetch-script.html[git-fetch-script]::
135 Download from a remote repository via various protocols
138 link:git-pull-script.html[git-pull-script]::
139 Fetch from and merge with a remote repository via
140 various protocols (user interface).
142 link:git-http-pull.html[git-http-pull]::
143 Downloads a remote GIT repository via HTTP
145 link:git-local-pull.html[git-local-pull]::
146 Duplicates another GIT repository on a local system
148 link:git-ssh-pull.html[git-ssh-pull]::
149 Pulls from a remote repository over ssh connection
151 link:git-send-pack.html[git-send-pack]::
152 Pushes to a remote repository, intelligently.
154 link:git-receive-pack.html[git-receive-pack]::
155 Invoked by 'git-send-pack' to receive what is pushed to it.
157 link:git-clone-pack.html[git-clone-pack]::
158 Clones from a remote repository.
160 link:git-fetch-pack.html[git-fetch-pack]::
161 Updates from a remote repository.
163 link:git-peek-remote.html[git-peek-remote]::
164 Lists references on a remote repository using upload-pack protocol.
166 link:git-upload-pack.html[git-upload-pack]::
167 Invoked by 'git-clone-pack' and 'git-fetch-pack' to push
170 link:git-update-server-info.html[git-update-server-info]::
171 Updates auxiliary information on a dumb server to help
172 clients discover references and packs on it.
179 link:git-apply-patch-script.html[git-apply-patch-script]::
180 Sample script to apply the diffs from git-diff-*
182 link:git-convert-cache.html[git-convert-cache]::
183 Converts old-style GIT repository
185 link:git-merge-one-file-script.html[git-merge-one-file-script]::
186 The standard helper program to use with "git-merge-cache"
188 link:git-prune-script.html[git-prune-script]::
189 Prunes all unreachable objects from the object database
191 link:git-resolve-script.html[git-resolve-script]::
192 Script used to merge two trees
194 link:git-tag-script.html[git-tag-script]::
195 An example script to create a tag object signed with GPG
200 link:git-diff-helper.html[git-diff-helper]::
201 Generates patch format output for git-diff-*
203 link:git-ssh-push.html[git-ssh-push]::
204 Helper "server-side" program used by git-ssh-pull
208 Identifier Terminology
209 ----------------------
211 Indicates the sha1 identifier for any type of object
214 Indicates a blob object sha1 identifier
217 Indicates a tree object sha1 identifier
220 Indicates a commit object sha1 identifier
223 Indicates a tree, commit or tag object sha1 identifier. A
224 command that takes a <tree-ish> argument ultimately wants to
225 operate on a <tree> object but automatically dereferences
226 <commit> and <tag> objects that point at a <tree>.
229 Indicates that an object type is required.
230 Currently one of: blob/tree/commit/tag
233 Indicates a filename - always relative to the root of
234 the tree structure GIT_INDEX_FILE describes.
238 Any git comand accepting any <object> can also use the following
242 indicates the head of the repository (ie the contents of
246 (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags/<tag>`)
249 (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/<head>`)
251 a valid snapshot 'name'+
252 (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/snap/<snap>`)
255 File/Directory Structure
256 ------------------------
257 The git-core manipulates the following areas in the directory:
259 .git/ The base (overridden with $GIT_DIR)
260 objects/ The object base (overridden with $GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY)
261 ??/ 'First 2 chars of object' directories.
262 pack/ Packed archives.
264 refs/ Directories containing symbolic names for objects
265 (each file contains the hex SHA1 + newline)
266 heads/ Commits which are heads of various sorts
267 tags/ Tags, by the tag name (or some local renaming of it)
268 */ Any other subdirectory of refs/ can be used to store
269 files similar to what are under refs/heads/.
270 HEAD Symlink to refs/heads/<current-branch-name>
272 Higher level SCMs may provide and manage additional information in the
277 Each line contains terms which you may see used interchangeably
279 object database, .git directory
280 directory cache, index
281 id, sha1, sha1-id, sha1 hash
285 Environment Variables
286 ---------------------
287 Various git commands use the following environment variables:
291 These environment variables apply to 'all' core git commands. Nb: it
292 is worth noting that they may be used/overridden by SCMS sitting above
293 git so take care if using Cogito etc
296 This environment allows the specification of an alternate
297 cache/index file. If not specified, the default of
298 `$GIT_DIR/index` is used.
300 'GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY'::
301 If the object storage directory is specified via this
302 environment variable then the sha1 directories are created
303 underneath - otherwise the default `$GIT_DIR/objects`
306 'GIT_ALTERNATE_OBJECT_DIRECTORIES'::
307 Due to the immutable nature of git objects, old objects can be
308 archived into shared, read-only directories. This variable
309 specifies a ":" seperated list of git object directories which
310 can be used to search for git objects. New objects will not be
311 written to these directories.
314 If the 'GIT_DIR' environment variable is set then it specifies
315 a path to use instead of `./.git` for the base of the
323 'GIT_COMMITTER_NAME'::
324 'GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL'::
325 see link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]
330 'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF'::
331 see the "generating patches" section in :
332 link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache];
333 link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files];
334 link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]
342 Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
346 Documentation by David Greaves, Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
350 Part of the link:git.html[git] suite