4 The Git configuration file contains a number of variables that affect
5 the Git commands' behavior. The `.git/config` file in each repository
6 is used to store the configuration for that repository, and
7 `$HOME/.gitconfig` is used to store a per-user configuration as
8 fallback values for the `.git/config` file. The file `/etc/gitconfig`
9 can be used to store a system-wide default configuration.
11 The configuration variables are used by both the Git plumbing
12 and the porcelains. The variables are divided into sections, wherein
13 the fully qualified variable name of the variable itself is the last
14 dot-separated segment and the section name is everything before the last
15 dot. The variable names are case-insensitive, allow only alphanumeric
16 characters and `-`, and must start with an alphabetic character. Some
17 variables may appear multiple times; we say then that the variable is
23 The syntax is fairly flexible and permissive; whitespaces are mostly
24 ignored. The '#' and ';' characters begin comments to the end of line,
25 blank lines are ignored.
27 The file consists of sections and variables. A section begins with
28 the name of the section in square brackets and continues until the next
29 section begins. Section names are case-insensitive. Only alphanumeric
30 characters, `-` and `.` are allowed in section names. Each variable
31 must belong to some section, which means that there must be a section
32 header before the first setting of a variable.
34 Sections can be further divided into subsections. To begin a subsection
35 put its name in double quotes, separated by space from the section name,
36 in the section header, like in the example below:
39 [section "subsection"]
43 Subsection names are case sensitive and can contain any characters except
44 newline and the null byte. Doublequote `"` and backslash can be included
45 by escaping them as `\"` and `\\`, respectively. Backslashes preceding
46 other characters are dropped when reading; for example, `\t` is read as
47 `t` and `\0` is read as `0` Section headers cannot span multiple lines.
48 Variables may belong directly to a section or to a given subsection. You
49 can have `[section]` if you have `[section "subsection"]`, but you don't
52 There is also a deprecated `[section.subsection]` syntax. With this
53 syntax, the subsection name is converted to lower-case and is also
54 compared case sensitively. These subsection names follow the same
55 restrictions as section names.
57 All the other lines (and the remainder of the line after the section
58 header) are recognized as setting variables, in the form
59 'name = value' (or just 'name', which is a short-hand to say that
60 the variable is the boolean "true").
61 The variable names are case-insensitive, allow only alphanumeric characters
62 and `-`, and must start with an alphabetic character.
64 A line that defines a value can be continued to the next line by
65 ending it with a `\`; the backquote and the end-of-line are
66 stripped. Leading whitespaces after 'name =', the remainder of the
67 line after the first comment character '#' or ';', and trailing
68 whitespaces of the line are discarded unless they are enclosed in
69 double quotes. Internal whitespaces within the value are retained
72 Inside double quotes, double quote `"` and backslash `\` characters
73 must be escaped: use `\"` for `"` and `\\` for `\`.
75 The following escape sequences (beside `\"` and `\\`) are recognized:
76 `\n` for newline character (NL), `\t` for horizontal tabulation (HT, TAB)
77 and `\b` for backspace (BS). Other char escape sequences (including octal
78 escape sequences) are invalid.
84 The `include` and `includeIf` sections allow you to include config
85 directives from another source. These sections behave identically to
86 each other with the exception that `includeIf` sections may be ignored
87 if their condition does not evaluate to true; see "Conditional includes"
90 You can include a config file from another by setting the special
91 `include.path` (or `includeIf.*.path`) variable to the name of the file
92 to be included. The variable takes a pathname as its value, and is
93 subject to tilde expansion. These variables can be given multiple times.
95 The contents of the included file are inserted immediately, as if they
96 had been found at the location of the include directive. If the value of the
97 variable is a relative path, the path is considered to
98 be relative to the configuration file in which the include directive
99 was found. See below for examples.
104 You can include a config file from another conditionally by setting a
105 `includeIf.<condition>.path` variable to the name of the file to be
108 The condition starts with a keyword followed by a colon and some data
109 whose format and meaning depends on the keyword. Supported keywords
114 The data that follows the keyword `gitdir:` is used as a glob
115 pattern. If the location of the .git directory matches the
116 pattern, the include condition is met.
118 The .git location may be auto-discovered, or come from `$GIT_DIR`
119 environment variable. If the repository is auto discovered via a .git
120 file (e.g. from submodules, or a linked worktree), the .git location
121 would be the final location where the .git directory is, not where the
124 The pattern can contain standard globbing wildcards and two additional
125 ones, `**/` and `/**`, that can match multiple path components. Please
126 refer to linkgit:gitignore[5] for details. For convenience:
128 * If the pattern starts with `~/`, `~` will be substituted with the
129 content of the environment variable `HOME`.
131 * If the pattern starts with `./`, it is replaced with the directory
132 containing the current config file.
134 * If the pattern does not start with either `~/`, `./` or `/`, `**/`
135 will be automatically prepended. For example, the pattern `foo/bar`
136 becomes `**/foo/bar` and would match `/any/path/to/foo/bar`.
138 * If the pattern ends with `/`, `**` will be automatically added. For
139 example, the pattern `foo/` becomes `foo/**`. In other words, it
140 matches "foo" and everything inside, recursively.
143 This is the same as `gitdir` except that matching is done
144 case-insensitively (e.g. on case-insensitive file sytems)
146 A few more notes on matching via `gitdir` and `gitdir/i`:
148 * Symlinks in `$GIT_DIR` are not resolved before matching.
150 * Both the symlink & realpath versions of paths will be matched
151 outside of `$GIT_DIR`. E.g. if ~/git is a symlink to
152 /mnt/storage/git, both `gitdir:~/git` and `gitdir:/mnt/storage/git`
155 This was not the case in the initial release of this feature in
156 v2.13.0, which only matched the realpath version. Configuration that
157 wants to be compatible with the initial release of this feature needs
158 to either specify only the realpath version, or both versions.
160 * Note that "../" is not special and will match literally, which is
161 unlikely what you want.
168 ; Don't trust file modes
173 external = /usr/local/bin/diff-wrapper
178 merge = refs/heads/devel
182 gitProxy="ssh" for "kernel.org"
183 gitProxy=default-proxy ; for the rest
186 path = /path/to/foo.inc ; include by absolute path
187 path = foo.inc ; find "foo.inc" relative to the current file
188 path = ~/foo.inc ; find "foo.inc" in your `$HOME` directory
190 ; include if $GIT_DIR is /path/to/foo/.git
191 [includeIf "gitdir:/path/to/foo/.git"]
192 path = /path/to/foo.inc
194 ; include for all repositories inside /path/to/group
195 [includeIf "gitdir:/path/to/group/"]
196 path = /path/to/foo.inc
198 ; include for all repositories inside $HOME/to/group
199 [includeIf "gitdir:~/to/group/"]
200 path = /path/to/foo.inc
202 ; relative paths are always relative to the including
203 ; file (if the condition is true); their location is not
204 ; affected by the condition
205 [includeIf "gitdir:/path/to/group/"]
211 Values of many variables are treated as a simple string, but there
212 are variables that take values of specific types and there are rules
213 as to how to spell them.
217 When a variable is said to take a boolean value, many
218 synonyms are accepted for 'true' and 'false'; these are all
221 true;; Boolean true literals are `yes`, `on`, `true`,
222 and `1`. Also, a variable defined without `= <value>`
225 false;; Boolean false literals are `no`, `off`, `false`,
226 `0` and the empty string.
228 When converting a value to its canonical form using the `--type=bool` type
229 specifier, 'git config' will ensure that the output is "true" or
230 "false" (spelled in lowercase).
233 The value for many variables that specify various sizes can
234 be suffixed with `k`, `M`,... to mean "scale the number by
235 1024", "by 1024x1024", etc.
238 The value for a variable that takes a color is a list of
239 colors (at most two, one for foreground and one for background)
240 and attributes (as many as you want), separated by spaces.
242 The basic colors accepted are `normal`, `black`, `red`, `green`, `yellow`,
243 `blue`, `magenta`, `cyan` and `white`. The first color given is the
244 foreground; the second is the background.
246 Colors may also be given as numbers between 0 and 255; these use ANSI
247 256-color mode (but note that not all terminals may support this). If
248 your terminal supports it, you may also specify 24-bit RGB values as
251 The accepted attributes are `bold`, `dim`, `ul`, `blink`, `reverse`,
252 `italic`, and `strike` (for crossed-out or "strikethrough" letters).
253 The position of any attributes with respect to the colors
254 (before, after, or in between), doesn't matter. Specific attributes may
255 be turned off by prefixing them with `no` or `no-` (e.g., `noreverse`,
258 An empty color string produces no color effect at all. This can be used
259 to avoid coloring specific elements without disabling color entirely.
261 For git's pre-defined color slots, the attributes are meant to be reset
262 at the beginning of each item in the colored output. So setting
263 `color.decorate.branch` to `black` will paint that branch name in a
264 plain `black`, even if the previous thing on the same output line (e.g.
265 opening parenthesis before the list of branch names in `log --decorate`
266 output) is set to be painted with `bold` or some other attribute.
267 However, custom log formats may do more complicated and layered
268 coloring, and the negated forms may be useful there.
271 A variable that takes a pathname value can be given a
272 string that begins with "`~/`" or "`~user/`", and the usual
273 tilde expansion happens to such a string: `~/`
274 is expanded to the value of `$HOME`, and `~user/` to the
275 specified user's home directory.
281 Note that this list is non-comprehensive and not necessarily complete.
282 For command-specific variables, you will find a more detailed description
283 in the appropriate manual page.
285 Other git-related tools may and do use their own variables. When
286 inventing new variables for use in your own tool, make sure their
287 names do not conflict with those that are used by Git itself and
288 other popular tools, and describe them in your documentation.
290 include::config/advice.txt[]
292 include::config/core.txt[]
294 include::config/add.txt[]
296 include::config/alias.txt[]
298 include::config/am.txt[]
300 include::config/apply.txt[]
302 include::config/blame.txt[]
304 include::config/branch.txt[]
306 include::config/browser.txt[]
308 include::config/checkout.txt[]
310 include::config/clean.txt[]
312 include::config/color.txt[]
314 include::config/column.txt[]
316 include::config/commit.txt[]
318 include::config/credential.txt[]
320 include::config/completion.txt[]
322 include::config/diff.txt[]
324 include::config/difftool.txt[]
326 include::config/fastimport.txt[]
328 include::config/fetch.txt[]
330 include::config/format.txt[]
332 include::config/filter.txt[]
334 include::config/fsck.txt[]
336 include::config/gc.txt[]
338 include::config/gitcvs.txt[]
340 include::config/gitweb.txt[]
342 include::config/grep.txt[]
344 include::config/gpg.txt[]
346 include::config/gui.txt[]
348 include::config/guitool.txt[]
350 include::config/help.txt[]
352 include::config/http.txt[]
354 include::config/i18n.txt[]
356 include::config/imap.txt[]
358 include::config/index.txt[]
360 include::config/init.txt[]
362 include::config/instaweb.txt[]
364 include::config/interactive.txt[]
366 include::config/log.txt[]
368 include::config/mailinfo.txt[]
370 include::config/mailmap.txt[]
372 include::config/man.txt[]
374 include::config/merge.txt[]
376 include::config/mergetool.txt[]
378 include::config/notes.txt[]
380 include::config/pack.txt[]
382 include::config/pager.txt[]
384 include::config/pretty.txt[]
386 include::config/protocol.txt[]
388 include::config/pull.txt[]
390 include::config/push.txt[]
392 include::config/rebase.txt[]
394 include::config/receive.txt[]
396 include::config/remote.txt[]
398 include::config/remotes.txt[]
400 include::config/repack.txt[]
402 include::config/rerere.txt[]
404 include::config/reset.txt[]
406 include::config/sendemail.txt[]
408 include::config/sequencer.txt[]
410 include::config/showbranch.txt[]
412 include::config/splitindex.txt[]
414 include::config/ssh.txt[]
416 include::config/status.txt[]
418 include::config/stash.txt[]
420 include::config/submodule.txt[]
422 include::config/tag.txt[]
424 include::config/transfer.txt[]
426 uploadarchive.allowUnreachable::
427 If true, allow clients to use `git archive --remote` to request
428 any tree, whether reachable from the ref tips or not. See the
429 discussion in the "SECURITY" section of
430 linkgit:git-upload-archive[1] for more details. Defaults to
433 uploadpack.hideRefs::
434 This variable is the same as `transfer.hideRefs`, but applies
435 only to `upload-pack` (and so affects only fetches, not pushes).
436 An attempt to fetch a hidden ref by `git fetch` will fail. See
437 also `uploadpack.allowTipSHA1InWant`.
439 uploadpack.allowTipSHA1InWant::
440 When `uploadpack.hideRefs` is in effect, allow `upload-pack`
441 to accept a fetch request that asks for an object at the tip
442 of a hidden ref (by default, such a request is rejected).
443 See also `uploadpack.hideRefs`. Even if this is false, a client
444 may be able to steal objects via the techniques described in the
445 "SECURITY" section of the linkgit:gitnamespaces[7] man page; it's
446 best to keep private data in a separate repository.
448 uploadpack.allowReachableSHA1InWant::
449 Allow `upload-pack` to accept a fetch request that asks for an
450 object that is reachable from any ref tip. However, note that
451 calculating object reachability is computationally expensive.
452 Defaults to `false`. Even if this is false, a client may be able
453 to steal objects via the techniques described in the "SECURITY"
454 section of the linkgit:gitnamespaces[7] man page; it's best to
455 keep private data in a separate repository.
457 uploadpack.allowAnySHA1InWant::
458 Allow `upload-pack` to accept a fetch request that asks for any
462 uploadpack.keepAlive::
463 When `upload-pack` has started `pack-objects`, there may be a
464 quiet period while `pack-objects` prepares the pack. Normally
465 it would output progress information, but if `--quiet` was used
466 for the fetch, `pack-objects` will output nothing at all until
467 the pack data begins. Some clients and networks may consider
468 the server to be hung and give up. Setting this option instructs
469 `upload-pack` to send an empty keepalive packet every
470 `uploadpack.keepAlive` seconds. Setting this option to 0
471 disables keepalive packets entirely. The default is 5 seconds.
473 uploadpack.packObjectsHook::
474 If this option is set, when `upload-pack` would run
475 `git pack-objects` to create a packfile for a client, it will
476 run this shell command instead. The `pack-objects` command and
477 arguments it _would_ have run (including the `git pack-objects`
478 at the beginning) are appended to the shell command. The stdin
479 and stdout of the hook are treated as if `pack-objects` itself
480 was run. I.e., `upload-pack` will feed input intended for
481 `pack-objects` to the hook, and expects a completed packfile on
484 Note that this configuration variable is ignored if it is seen in the
485 repository-level config (this is a safety measure against fetching from
486 untrusted repositories).
488 uploadpack.allowFilter::
489 If this option is set, `upload-pack` will support partial
490 clone and partial fetch object filtering.
492 uploadpack.allowRefInWant::
493 If this option is set, `upload-pack` will support the `ref-in-want`
494 feature of the protocol version 2 `fetch` command. This feature
495 is intended for the benefit of load-balanced servers which may
496 not have the same view of what OIDs their refs point to due to
499 url.<base>.insteadOf::
500 Any URL that starts with this value will be rewritten to
501 start, instead, with <base>. In cases where some site serves a
502 large number of repositories, and serves them with multiple
503 access methods, and some users need to use different access
504 methods, this feature allows people to specify any of the
505 equivalent URLs and have Git automatically rewrite the URL to
506 the best alternative for the particular user, even for a
507 never-before-seen repository on the site. When more than one
508 insteadOf strings match a given URL, the longest match is used.
510 Note that any protocol restrictions will be applied to the rewritten
511 URL. If the rewrite changes the URL to use a custom protocol or remote
512 helper, you may need to adjust the `protocol.*.allow` config to permit
513 the request. In particular, protocols you expect to use for submodules
514 must be set to `always` rather than the default of `user`. See the
515 description of `protocol.allow` above.
517 url.<base>.pushInsteadOf::
518 Any URL that starts with this value will not be pushed to;
519 instead, it will be rewritten to start with <base>, and the
520 resulting URL will be pushed to. In cases where some site serves
521 a large number of repositories, and serves them with multiple
522 access methods, some of which do not allow push, this feature
523 allows people to specify a pull-only URL and have Git
524 automatically use an appropriate URL to push, even for a
525 never-before-seen repository on the site. When more than one
526 pushInsteadOf strings match a given URL, the longest match is
527 used. If a remote has an explicit pushurl, Git will ignore this
528 setting for that remote.
531 Your email address to be recorded in any newly created commits.
532 Can be overridden by the `GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL`, `GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL`, and
533 `EMAIL` environment variables. See linkgit:git-commit-tree[1].
536 Your full name to be recorded in any newly created commits.
537 Can be overridden by the `GIT_AUTHOR_NAME` and `GIT_COMMITTER_NAME`
538 environment variables. See linkgit:git-commit-tree[1].
541 Instruct Git to avoid trying to guess defaults for `user.email`
542 and `user.name`, and instead retrieve the values only from the
543 configuration. For example, if you have multiple email addresses
544 and would like to use a different one for each repository, then
545 with this configuration option set to `true` in the global config
546 along with a name, Git will prompt you to set up an email before
547 making new commits in a newly cloned repository.
551 If linkgit:git-tag[1] or linkgit:git-commit[1] is not selecting the
552 key you want it to automatically when creating a signed tag or
553 commit, you can override the default selection with this variable.
554 This option is passed unchanged to gpg's --local-user parameter,
555 so you may specify a key using any method that gpg supports.
557 versionsort.prereleaseSuffix (deprecated)::
558 Deprecated alias for `versionsort.suffix`. Ignored if
559 `versionsort.suffix` is set.
562 Even when version sort is used in linkgit:git-tag[1], tagnames
563 with the same base version but different suffixes are still sorted
564 lexicographically, resulting e.g. in prerelease tags appearing
565 after the main release (e.g. "1.0-rc1" after "1.0"). This
566 variable can be specified to determine the sorting order of tags
567 with different suffixes.
569 By specifying a single suffix in this variable, any tagname containing
570 that suffix will appear before the corresponding main release. E.g. if
571 the variable is set to "-rc", then all "1.0-rcX" tags will appear before
572 "1.0". If specified multiple times, once per suffix, then the order of
573 suffixes in the configuration will determine the sorting order of tagnames
574 with those suffixes. E.g. if "-pre" appears before "-rc" in the
575 configuration, then all "1.0-preX" tags will be listed before any
576 "1.0-rcX" tags. The placement of the main release tag relative to tags
577 with various suffixes can be determined by specifying the empty suffix
578 among those other suffixes. E.g. if the suffixes "-rc", "", "-ck" and
579 "-bfs" appear in the configuration in this order, then all "v4.8-rcX" tags
580 are listed first, followed by "v4.8", then "v4.8-ckX" and finally
583 If more than one suffixes match the same tagname, then that tagname will
584 be sorted according to the suffix which starts at the earliest position in
585 the tagname. If more than one different matching suffixes start at
586 that earliest position, then that tagname will be sorted according to the
587 longest of those suffixes.
588 The sorting order between different suffixes is undefined if they are
589 in multiple config files.
592 Specify a web browser that may be used by some commands.
593 Currently only linkgit:git-instaweb[1] and linkgit:git-help[1]
596 worktree.guessRemote::
597 With `add`, if no branch argument, and neither of `-b` nor
598 `-B` nor `--detach` are given, the command defaults to
599 creating a new branch from HEAD. If `worktree.guessRemote` is
600 set to true, `worktree add` tries to find a remote-tracking
601 branch whose name uniquely matches the new branch name. If
602 such a branch exists, it is checked out and set as "upstream"
603 for the new branch. If no such match can be found, it falls
604 back to creating a new branch from the current HEAD.