Documentation/git.txt

   1 git(7)
   2 ======
   3 May 2005
   4
   5 NAME
   6 ----
   7 git - the stupid content tracker
   8
   9
  10 SYNOPSIS
  11 --------
  12 'git-<command>' <args>
  13
  14 DESCRIPTION
  15 -----------
  16
  17 This is reference information for the core git commands.
  18
  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!
  23
  24 David Greaves <david@dgreaves.com>
  25 08/05/05
  26
  27 Updated by Junio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net> on 2005-05-05 to
  28 reflect recent changes.
  29
  30 Commands Overview
  31 -----------------
  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.
  36
  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.
  40
  41 Manipulation commands
  42 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  43 link:git-checkout-cache.html[git-checkout-cache]::
  44         Copy files from the cache to the working directory
  45
  46 link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]::
  47         Creates a new commit object
  48
  49 link:git-init-db.html[git-init-db]::
  50         Creates an empty git object database
  51
  52 link:git-merge-base.html[git-merge-base]::
  53         Finds as good a common ancestor as possible for a merge
  54
  55 link:git-mktag.html[git-mktag]::
  56         Creates a tag object
  57
  58 link:git-read-tree.html[git-read-tree]::
  59         Reads tree information into the directory cache
  60
  61 link:git-update-cache.html[git-update-cache]::
  62         Modifies the index or directory cache
  63
  64 link:git-hash-object.html[git-hash-object]::
  65         Computes the object ID from a file.
  66
  67 link:git-write-tree.html[git-write-tree]::
  68         Creates a tree from the current cache
  69
  70 Interrogation commands
  71 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  72 link:git-cat-file.html[git-cat-file]::
  73         Provide content or type information for repository objects
  74
  75 link:git-check-files.html[git-check-files]::
  76         Verify a list of files are up-to-date
  77
  78 link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache]::
  79         Compares content and mode of blobs between the cache and repository
  80
  81 link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files]::
  82         Compares files in the working tree and the cache
  83
  84 link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]::
  85         Compares the content and mode of blobs found via two tree objects
  86
  87 link:git-export.html[git-export]::
  88         Exports each commit and a diff against each of its parents
  89
  90 link:git-fsck-cache.html[git-fsck-cache]::
  91         Verifies the connectivity and validity of the objects in the database
  92
  93 link:git-ls-files.html[git-ls-files]::
  94         Information about files in the cache/working directory
  95
  96 link:git-ls-tree.html[git-ls-tree]::
  97         Displays a tree object in human readable form
  98
  99 link:git-merge-cache.html[git-merge-cache]::
 100         Runs a merge for files needing merging
 101
 102 link:git-rev-list.html[git-rev-list]::
 103         Lists commit objects in reverse chronological order
 104
 105 link:git-rev-tree.html[git-rev-tree]::
 106         Provides the revision tree for one or more commits
 107
 108 link:git-tar-tree.html[git-tar-tree]::
 109         Creates a tar archive of the files in the named tree
 110
 111 link:git-unpack-file.html[git-unpack-file]::
 112         Creates a temporary file with a blob's contents
 113
 114 link:git-var.html[git-var]::
 115         Displays a git logical variable
 116
 117 link:git-verify-pack.html[git-verify-pack]::
 118         Validates packed GIT archive files
 119
 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
 122
 123
 124 Synching repositories
 125 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 126
 127 link:git-clone-script.html[git-clone-script]::
 128         Clones a repository into the current repository (user interface)
 129
 130 link:git-clone-pack.html[git-clone-pack]::
 131         Clones a repository into the current repository (engine
 132         for ssh and local transport)
 133
 134 link:git-fetch-script.html[git-fetch-script]::
 135         Download from a remote repository via various protocols
 136         (user interface).
 137
 138 link:git-pull-script.html[git-pull-script]::
 139         Fetch from and merge with a remote repository via
 140         various protocols (user interface).
 141
 142 link:git-http-pull.html[git-http-pull]::
 143         Downloads a remote GIT repository via HTTP
 144
 145 link:git-local-pull.html[git-local-pull]::
 146         Duplicates another GIT repository on a local system
 147
 148 link:git-ssh-pull.html[git-ssh-pull]::
 149         Pulls from a remote repository over ssh connection
 150
 151 link:git-send-pack.html[git-send-pack]::
 152         Pushes to a remote repository, intelligently.
 153
 154 link:git-receive-pack.html[git-receive-pack]::
 155         Invoked by 'git-send-pack' to receive what is pushed to it.
 156
 157 link:git-clone-pack.html[git-clone-pack]::
 158         Clones from a remote repository.
 159
 160 link:git-fetch-pack.html[git-fetch-pack]::
 161         Updates from a remote repository.
 162
 163 link:git-peek-remote.html[git-peek-remote]::
 164         Lists references on a remote repository using upload-pack protocol.
 165
 166 link:git-upload-pack.html[git-upload-pack]::
 167         Invoked by 'git-clone-pack' and 'git-fetch-pack' to push
 168         what are asked for.
 169
 170
 171 Ancilliary Commands
 172 -------------------
 173 Manipulators:
 174
 175 link:git-apply-patch-script.html[git-apply-patch-script]::
 176         Sample script to apply the diffs from git-diff-*
 177
 178 link:git-convert-cache.html[git-convert-cache]::
 179         Converts old-style GIT repository
 180
 181 link:git-merge-one-file-script.html[git-merge-one-file-script]::
 182         The standard helper program to use with "git-merge-cache"
 183
 184 link:git-prune-script.html[git-prune-script]::
 185         Prunes all unreachable objects from the object database
 186
 187 link:git-resolve-script.html[git-resolve-script]::
 188         Script used to merge two trees
 189
 190 link:git-tag-script.html[git-tag-script]::
 191         An example script to create a tag object signed with GPG
 192
 193
 194 Interogators:
 195
 196 link:git-diff-helper.html[git-diff-helper]::
 197         Generates patch format output for git-diff-*
 198
 199 link:git-ssh-push.html[git-ssh-push]::
 200         Helper "server-side" program used by git-ssh-pull
 201
 202
 203
 204 Identifier Terminology
 205 ----------------------
 206 <object>::
 207         Indicates the sha1 identifier for any type of object
 208
 209 <blob>::
 210         Indicates a blob object sha1 identifier
 211
 212 <tree>::
 213         Indicates a tree object sha1 identifier
 214
 215 <commit>::
 216         Indicates a commit object sha1 identifier
 217
 218 <tree-ish>::
 219         Indicates a tree, commit or tag object sha1 identifier.  A
 220         command that takes a <tree-ish> argument ultimately wants to
 221         operate on a <tree> object but automatically dereferences
 222         <commit> and <tag> objects that point at a <tree>.
 223
 224 <type>::
 225         Indicates that an object type is required.
 226         Currently one of: blob/tree/commit/tag
 227
 228 <file>::
 229         Indicates a filename - always relative to the root of
 230         the tree structure GIT_INDEX_FILE describes.
 231
 232 Symbolic Identifiers
 233 --------------------
 234 Any git comand accepting any <object> can also use the following
 235 symbolic notation:
 236
 237 HEAD::
 238         indicates the head of the repository (ie the contents of
 239         `$GIT_DIR/HEAD`)
 240 <tag>::
 241         a valid tag 'name'+
 242         (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags/<tag>`)
 243 <head>::
 244         a valid head 'name'+
 245         (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/<head>`)
 246 <snap>::
 247         a valid snapshot 'name'+
 248         (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/snap/<snap>`)
 249
 250
 251 File/Directory Structure
 252 ------------------------
 253 The git-core manipulates the following areas in the directory:
 254
 255  .git/         The base (overridden with $GIT_DIR)
 256    objects/    The object base (overridden with $GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY)
 257      ??/       'First 2 chars of object' directories.
 258      pack/     Packed archives.
 259
 260    refs/       Directories containing symbolic names for objects
 261                (each file contains the hex SHA1 + newline)
 262      heads/    Commits which are heads of various sorts
 263      tags/     Tags, by the tag name (or some local renaming of it)
 264      */        Any other subdirectory of refs/ can be used to store
 265                files similar to what are under refs/heads/.
 266    HEAD        Symlink to refs/heads/<current-branch-name>
 267
 268 Higher level SCMs may provide and manage additional information in the
 269 GIT_DIR.
 270
 271 Terminology
 272 -----------
 273 Each line contains terms which you may see used interchangeably
 274
 275  object database, .git directory
 276  directory cache, index
 277  id, sha1, sha1-id, sha1 hash
 278  type, tag
 279
 280
 281 Environment Variables
 282 ---------------------
 283 Various git commands use the following environment variables:
 284
 285 The git Repository
 286 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 287 These environment variables apply to 'all' core git commands. Nb: it
 288 is worth noting that they may be used/overridden by SCMS sitting above
 289 git so take care if using Cogito etc
 290
 291 'GIT_INDEX_FILE'::
 292         This environment allows the specification of an alternate
 293         cache/index file. If not specified, the default of
 294         `$GIT_DIR/index` is used.
 295
 296 'GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY'::
 297         If the object storage directory is specified via this
 298         environment variable then the sha1 directories are created
 299         underneath - otherwise the default `$GIT_DIR/objects`
 300         directory is used.
 301
 302 'GIT_ALTERNATE_OBJECT_DIRECTORIES'::
 303         Due to the immutable nature of git objects, old objects can be
 304         archived into shared, read-only directories. This variable
 305         specifies a ":" seperated list of git object directories which
 306         can be used to search for git objects. New objects will not be
 307         written to these directories.
 308
 309 'GIT_DIR'::
 310         If the 'GIT_DIR' environment variable is set then it specifies
 311         a path to use instead of `./.git` for the base of the
 312         repository.
 313
 314 git Commits
 315 ~~~~~~~~~~~
 316 'GIT_AUTHOR_NAME'::
 317 'GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL'::
 318 'GIT_AUTHOR_DATE'::
 319 'GIT_COMMITTER_NAME'::
 320 'GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL'::
 321         see link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]
 322
 323 git Diffs
 324 ~~~~~~~~~
 325 'GIT_DIFF_OPTS'::
 326 'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF'::
 327         see the "generating patches" section in :
 328         link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache];
 329         link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files];
 330         link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]
 331
 332 Discussion
 333 ----------
 334 include::../README[]
 335
 336 Author
 337 ------
 338 Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
 339
 340 Documentation
 341 --------------
 342 Documentation by David Greaves, Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
 343
 344 GIT
 345 ---
 346 Part of the link:git.html[git] suite
 347