6 giteveryday - A useful minimum set of commands for Everyday Git
11 Everyday Git With 20 Commands Or So
16 Git users can broadly be grouped into four categories for the purposes of
17 describing here a small set of useful command for everyday Git.
19 * <<STANDALONE,Individual Developer (Standalone)>> commands are essential
20 for anybody who makes a commit, even for somebody who works alone.
22 * If you work with other people, you will need commands listed in
23 the <<PARTICIPANT,Individual Developer (Participant)>> section as well.
25 * People who play the <<INTEGRATOR,Integrator>> role need to learn some
26 more commands in addition to the above.
28 * <<ADMINISTRATION,Repository Administration>> commands are for system
29 administrators who are responsible for the care and feeding
33 Individual Developer (Standalone)[[STANDALONE]]
34 -----------------------------------------------
36 A standalone individual developer does not exchange patches with
37 other people, and works alone in a single repository, using the
40 * linkgit:git-init[1] to create a new repository.
42 * linkgit:git-log[1] to see what happened.
44 * linkgit:git-checkout[1] and linkgit:git-branch[1] to switch
47 * linkgit:git-add[1] to manage the index file.
49 * linkgit:git-diff[1] and linkgit:git-status[1] to see what
50 you are in the middle of doing.
52 * linkgit:git-commit[1] to advance the current branch.
54 * linkgit:git-reset[1] and linkgit:git-checkout[1] (with
55 pathname parameters) to undo changes.
57 * linkgit:git-merge[1] to merge between local branches.
59 * linkgit:git-rebase[1] to maintain topic branches.
61 * linkgit:git-tag[1] to mark a known point.
66 Use a tarball as a starting point for a new repository.::
69 $ tar zxf frotz.tar.gz
73 $ git commit -m "import of frotz source tree."
77 <1> add everything under the current directory.
78 <2> make a lightweight, unannotated tag.
80 Create a topic branch and develop.::
83 $ git checkout -b alsa-audio <1>
85 $ git checkout -- curses/ux_audio_oss.c <2>
86 $ git add curses/ux_audio_alsa.c <3>
89 $ git commit -a -s <5>
92 $ git commit -a --amend <7>
93 $ git checkout master <8>
94 $ git merge alsa-audio <9>
95 $ git log --since='3 days ago' <10>
96 $ git log v2.43.. curses/ <11>
99 <1> create a new topic branch.
100 <2> revert your botched changes in `curses/ux_audio_oss.c`.
101 <3> you need to tell Git if you added a new file; removal and
102 modification will be caught if you do `git commit -a` later.
103 <4> to see what changes you are committing.
104 <5> commit everything, as you have tested, with your sign-off.
105 <6> look at all your changes including the previous commit.
106 <7> amend the previous commit, adding all your new changes,
107 using your original message.
108 <8> switch to the master branch.
109 <9> merge a topic branch into your master branch.
110 <10> review commit logs; other forms to limit output can be
111 combined and include `-10` (to show up to 10 commits),
112 `--until=2005-12-10`, etc.
113 <11> view only the changes that touch what's in `curses/`
114 directory, since `v2.43` tag.
117 Individual Developer (Participant)[[PARTICIPANT]]
118 -------------------------------------------------
120 A developer working as a participant in a group project needs to
121 learn how to communicate with others, and uses these commands in
122 addition to the ones needed by a standalone developer.
124 * linkgit:git-clone[1] from the upstream to prime your local
127 * linkgit:git-pull[1] and linkgit:git-fetch[1] from "origin"
128 to keep up-to-date with the upstream.
130 * linkgit:git-push[1] to shared repository, if you adopt CVS
131 style shared repository workflow.
133 * linkgit:git-format-patch[1] to prepare e-mail submission, if
134 you adopt Linux kernel-style public forum workflow.
136 * linkgit:git-send-email[1] to send your e-mail submission without
137 corruption by your MUA.
139 * linkgit:git-request-pull[1] to create a summary of changes
140 for your upstream to pull.
146 Clone the upstream and work on it. Feed changes to upstream.::
149 $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/.../torvalds/linux-2.6 my2.6
151 $ git checkout -b mine master <1>
152 $ edit/compile/test; git commit -a -s <2>
153 $ git format-patch master <3>
154 $ git send-email --to="person <email@example.com>" 00*.patch <4>
155 $ git checkout master <5>
157 $ git log -p ORIG_HEAD.. arch/i386 include/asm-i386 <7>
158 $ git ls-remote --heads http://git.kernel.org/.../jgarzik/libata-dev.git <8>
159 $ git pull git://git.kernel.org/pub/.../jgarzik/libata-dev.git ALL <9>
160 $ git reset --hard ORIG_HEAD <10>
164 <1> checkout a new branch `mine` from master.
165 <2> repeat as needed.
166 <3> extract patches from your branch, relative to master,
168 <5> return to `master`, ready to see what's new
169 <6> `git pull` fetches from `origin` by default and merges into the
171 <7> immediately after pulling, look at the changes done upstream
172 since last time we checked, only in the
173 area we are interested in.
174 <8> check the branch names in an external repository (if not known).
175 <9> fetch from a specific branch `ALL` from a specific repository
177 <10> revert the pull.
178 <11> garbage collect leftover objects from reverted pull.
181 Push into another repository.::
184 satellite$ git clone mothership:frotz frotz <1>
186 satellite$ git config --get-regexp '^(remote|branch)\.' <2>
187 remote.origin.url mothership:frotz
188 remote.origin.fetch refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*
189 branch.master.remote origin
190 branch.master.merge refs/heads/master
191 satellite$ git config remote.origin.push \
192 +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/satellite/* <3>
193 satellite$ edit/compile/test/commit
194 satellite$ git push origin <4>
197 mothership$ git checkout master
198 mothership$ git merge satellite/master <5>
201 <1> mothership machine has a frotz repository under your home
202 directory; clone from it to start a repository on the satellite
204 <2> clone sets these configuration variables by default.
205 It arranges `git pull` to fetch and store the branches of mothership
206 machine to local `remotes/origin/*` remote-tracking branches.
207 <3> arrange `git push` to push all local branches to
208 their corresponding branch of the mothership machine.
209 <4> push will stash all our work away on `remotes/satellite/*`
210 remote-tracking branches on the mothership machine. You could use this
211 as a back-up method. Likewise, you can pretend that mothership
212 "fetched" from you (useful when access is one sided).
213 <5> on mothership machine, merge the work done on the satellite
214 machine into the master branch.
216 Branch off of a specific tag.::
219 $ git checkout -b private2.6.14 v2.6.14 <1>
220 $ edit/compile/test; git commit -a
221 $ git checkout master
222 $ git cherry-pick v2.6.14..private2.6.14 <2>
225 <1> create a private branch based on a well known (but somewhat behind)
227 <2> forward port all changes in `private2.6.14` branch to `master` branch
228 without a formal "merging". Or longhand +
229 `git format-patch -k -m --stdout v2.6.14..private2.6.14 |
232 An alternate participant submission mechanism is using the
233 `git request-pull` or pull-request mechanisms (e.g as used on
234 GitHub (www.github.com) to notify your upstream of your
237 Integrator[[INTEGRATOR]]
238 ------------------------
240 A fairly central person acting as the integrator in a group
241 project receives changes made by others, reviews and integrates
242 them and publishes the result for others to use, using these
243 commands in addition to the ones needed by participants.
245 This section can also be used by those who respond to `git
246 request-pull` or pull-request on GitHub (www.github.com) to
247 integrate the work of others into their history. A sub-area
248 lieutenant for a repository will act both as a participant and
252 * linkgit:git-am[1] to apply patches e-mailed in from your
255 * linkgit:git-pull[1] to merge from your trusted lieutenants.
257 * linkgit:git-format-patch[1] to prepare and send suggested
258 alternative to contributors.
260 * linkgit:git-revert[1] to undo botched commits.
262 * linkgit:git-push[1] to publish the bleeding edge.
268 A typical integrator's Git day.::
272 $ git branch --no-merged master <2>
274 & s 2 3 4 5 ./+to-apply
275 & s 7 8 ./+hold-linus
277 $ git checkout -b topic/one master
278 $ git am -3 -i -s ./+to-apply <4>
280 $ git checkout -b hold/linus && git am -3 -i -s ./+hold-linus <5>
281 $ git checkout topic/one && git rebase master <6>
282 $ git checkout pu && git reset --hard next <7>
283 $ git merge topic/one topic/two && git merge hold/linus <8>
285 $ git cherry-pick master~4 <9>
287 $ git tag -s -m "GIT 0.99.9x" v0.99.9x <10>
288 $ git fetch ko && for branch in master maint next pu <11>
290 git show-branch ko/$branch $branch <12>
292 $ git push --follow-tags ko <13>
295 <1> see what you were in the middle of doing, if anything.
296 <2> see which branches haven't been merged into `master` yet.
297 Likewise for any other integration branches e.g. `maint`, `next`
298 and `pu` (potential updates).
299 <3> read mails, save ones that are applicable, and save others
300 that are not quite ready (other mail readers are available).
301 <4> apply them, interactively, with your sign-offs.
302 <5> create topic branch as needed and apply, again with sign-offs.
303 <6> rebase internal topic branch that has not been merged to the
304 master or exposed as a part of a stable branch.
305 <7> restart `pu` every time from the next.
306 <8> and bundle topic branches still cooking.
307 <9> backport a critical fix.
308 <10> create a signed tag.
309 <11> make sure master was not accidentally rewound beyond that
311 <12> In the output from `git show-branch`, `master` should have
312 everything `ko/master` has, and `next` should have
313 everything `ko/next` has, etc.
314 <13> push out the bleeding edge, together with new tags that point
315 into the pushed history.
317 In this example, the `ko` shorthand points at the Git maintainer's
318 repository at kernel.org, and looks like this:
323 url = kernel.org:/pub/scm/git/git.git
324 fetch = refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/ko/*
325 push = refs/heads/master
326 push = refs/heads/next
327 push = +refs/heads/pu
328 push = refs/heads/maint
332 Repository Administration[[ADMINISTRATION]]
333 -------------------------------------------
335 A repository administrator uses the following tools to set up
336 and maintain access to the repository by developers.
338 * linkgit:git-daemon[1] to allow anonymous download from
341 * linkgit:git-shell[1] can be used as a 'restricted login shell'
342 for shared central repository users.
344 * linkgit:git-http-backend[1] provides a server side implementation
345 of Git-over-HTTP ("Smart http") allowing both fetch and push services.
347 * linkgit:gitweb[1] provides a web front-end to Git repositories,
348 which can be set-up using the linkgit:git-instaweb[1] script.
350 link:howto/update-hook-example.html[update hook howto] has a good
351 example of managing a shared central repository.
353 In addition there are a number of other widely deployed hosting, browsing
354 and reviewing solutions such as:
356 * gitolite, gerrit code review, cgit and others.
360 We assume the following in /etc/services::
363 $ grep 9418 /etc/services
364 git 9418/tcp # Git Version Control System
367 Run git-daemon to serve /pub/scm from inetd.::
370 $ grep git /etc/inetd.conf
371 git stream tcp nowait nobody \
372 /usr/bin/git-daemon git-daemon --inetd --export-all /pub/scm
375 The actual configuration line should be on one line.
377 Run git-daemon to serve /pub/scm from xinetd.::
380 $ cat /etc/xinetd.d/git-daemon
382 # description: The Git server offers access to Git repositories
391 server = /usr/bin/git-daemon
392 server_args = --inetd --export-all --base-path=/pub/scm
393 log_on_failure += USERID
397 Check your xinetd(8) documentation and setup, this is from a Fedora system.
398 Others might be different.
400 Give push/pull only access to developers using git-over-ssh.::
403 `$ git push/pull ssh://host.xz/pub/scm/project`
406 $ grep git /etc/passwd <1>
407 alice:x:1000:1000::/home/alice:/usr/bin/git-shell
408 bob:x:1001:1001::/home/bob:/usr/bin/git-shell
409 cindy:x:1002:1002::/home/cindy:/usr/bin/git-shell
410 david:x:1003:1003::/home/david:/usr/bin/git-shell
411 $ grep git /etc/shells <2>
415 <1> log-in shell is set to /usr/bin/git-shell, which does not
416 allow anything but `git push` and `git pull`. The users require
417 ssh access to the machine.
418 <2> in many distributions /etc/shells needs to list what is used
421 CVS-style shared repository.::
424 $ grep git /etc/group <1>
425 git:x:9418:alice,bob,cindy,david
428 lrwxrwxrwx 1 david git 17 Dec 4 22:40 HEAD -> refs/heads/master
429 drwxrwsr-x 2 david git 4096 Dec 4 22:40 branches
430 -rw-rw-r-- 1 david git 84 Dec 4 22:40 config
431 -rw-rw-r-- 1 david git 58 Dec 4 22:40 description
432 drwxrwsr-x 2 david git 4096 Dec 4 22:40 hooks
433 -rw-rw-r-- 1 david git 37504 Dec 4 22:40 index
434 drwxrwsr-x 2 david git 4096 Dec 4 22:40 info
435 drwxrwsr-x 4 david git 4096 Dec 4 22:40 objects
436 drwxrwsr-x 4 david git 4096 Nov 7 14:58 refs
437 drwxrwsr-x 2 david git 4096 Dec 4 22:40 remotes
438 $ ls -l hooks/update <3>
439 -r-xr-xr-x 1 david git 3536 Dec 4 22:40 update
440 $ cat info/allowed-users <4>
441 refs/heads/master alice\|cindy
442 refs/heads/doc-update bob
443 refs/tags/v[0-9]* david
446 <1> place the developers into the same git group.
447 <2> and make the shared repository writable by the group.
448 <3> use update-hook example by Carl from Documentation/howto/
449 for branch policy control.
450 <4> alice and cindy can push into master, only bob can push into doc-update.
451 david is the release manager and is the only person who can
452 create and push version tags.
456 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite