6 git-worktree - Manage multiple working trees
12 'git worktree add' [-f] [--detach] [--checkout] [--lock] [-b <new-branch>] <path> [<commit-ish>]
13 'git worktree list' [--porcelain]
14 'git worktree lock' [--reason <string>] <worktree>
15 'git worktree move' <worktree> <new-path>
16 'git worktree prune' [-n] [-v] [--expire <expire>]
17 'git worktree remove' [--force] <worktree>
18 'git worktree unlock' <worktree>
23 Manage multiple working trees attached to the same repository.
25 A git repository can support multiple working trees, allowing you to check
26 out more than one branch at a time. With `git worktree add` a new working
27 tree is associated with the repository. This new working tree is called a
28 "linked working tree" as opposed to the "main working tree" prepared by "git
29 init" or "git clone". A repository has one main working tree (if it's not a
30 bare repository) and zero or more linked working trees.
32 When you are done with a linked working tree you can simply delete it.
33 The working tree's administrative files in the repository (see
34 "DETAILS" below) will eventually be removed automatically (see
35 `gc.worktreePruneExpire` in linkgit:git-config[1]), or you can run
36 `git worktree prune` in the main or any linked working tree to
37 clean up any stale administrative files.
39 If a linked working tree is stored on a portable device or network share
40 which is not always mounted, you can prevent its administrative files from
41 being pruned by issuing the `git worktree lock` command, optionally
42 specifying `--reason` to explain why the working tree is locked.
46 add <path> [<commit-ish>]::
48 Create `<path>` and checkout `<commit-ish>` into it. The new working directory
49 is linked to the current repository, sharing everything except working
50 directory specific files such as HEAD, index, etc. `-` may also be
51 specified as `<commit-ish>`; it is synonymous with `@{-1}`.
53 If <commit-ish> is a branch name (call it `<branch>` and is not found,
54 and neither `-b` nor `-B` nor `--detach` are used, but there does
55 exist a tracking branch in exactly one remote (call it `<remote>`)
56 with a matching name, treat as equivalent to
58 $ git worktree add --track -b <branch> <path> <remote>/<branch>
61 If `<commit-ish>` is omitted and neither `-b` nor `-B` nor `--detach` used,
62 then, as a convenience, a new branch based at HEAD is created automatically,
63 as if `-b $(basename <path>)` was specified.
67 List details of each worktree. The main worktree is listed first, followed by
68 each of the linked worktrees. The output details include if the worktree is
69 bare, the revision currently checked out, and the branch currently checked out
70 (or 'detached HEAD' if none).
74 If a working tree is on a portable device or network share which
75 is not always mounted, lock it to prevent its administrative
76 files from being pruned automatically. This also prevents it from
77 being moved or deleted. Optionally, specify a reason for the lock
82 Move a working tree to a new location. Note that the main working tree
83 or linked working trees containing submodules cannot be moved.
87 Prune working tree information in $GIT_DIR/worktrees.
91 Remove a working tree. Only clean working trees (no untracked files
92 and no modification in tracked files) can be removed. Unclean working
93 trees or ones with submodules can be removed with `--force`. The main
94 working tree cannot be removed.
98 Unlock a working tree, allowing it to be pruned, moved or deleted.
105 By default, `add` refuses to create a new working tree when
106 `<commit-ish>` is a branch name and is already checked out by
107 another working tree and `remove` refuses to remove an unclean
108 working tree. This option overrides that safeguard.
112 With `add`, create a new branch named `<new-branch>` starting at
113 `<commit-ish>`, and check out `<new-branch>` into the new working tree.
114 If `<commit-ish>` is omitted, it defaults to HEAD.
115 By default, `-b` refuses to create a new branch if it already
116 exists. `-B` overrides this safeguard, resetting `<new-branch>` to
120 With `add`, detach HEAD in the new working tree. See "DETACHED HEAD"
121 in linkgit:git-checkout[1].
124 By default, `add` checks out `<commit-ish>`, however, `--no-checkout` can
125 be used to suppress checkout in order to make customizations,
126 such as configuring sparse-checkout. See "Sparse checkout"
127 in linkgit:git-read-tree[1].
129 --[no-]guess-remote::
130 With `worktree add <path>`, without `<commit-ish>`, instead
131 of creating a new branch from HEAD, if there exists a tracking
132 branch in exactly one remote matching the basename of `<path>`,
133 base the new branch on the remote-tracking branch, and mark
134 the remote-tracking branch as "upstream" from the new branch.
136 This can also be set up as the default behaviour by using the
137 `worktree.guessRemote` config option.
140 When creating a new branch, if `<commit-ish>` is a branch,
141 mark it as "upstream" from the new branch. This is the
142 default if `<commit-ish>` is a remote-tracking branch. See
143 "--track" in linkgit:git-branch[1] for details.
146 Keep the working tree locked after creation. This is the
147 equivalent of `git worktree lock` after `git worktree add`,
148 but without race condition.
152 With `prune`, do not remove anything; just report what it would
156 With `list`, output in an easy-to-parse format for scripts.
157 This format will remain stable across Git versions and regardless of user
158 configuration. See below for details.
162 With `prune`, report all removals.
165 With `prune`, only expire unused working trees older than <time>.
168 With `lock`, an explanation why the working tree is locked.
171 Working trees can be identified by path, either relative or
174 If the last path components in the working tree's path is unique among
175 working trees, it can be used to identify worktrees. For example if
176 you only have two working trees, at "/abc/def/ghi" and "/abc/def/ggg",
177 then "ghi" or "def/ghi" is enough to point to the former working tree.
181 Each linked working tree has a private sub-directory in the repository's
182 $GIT_DIR/worktrees directory. The private sub-directory's name is usually
183 the base name of the linked working tree's path, possibly appended with a
184 number to make it unique. For example, when `$GIT_DIR=/path/main/.git` the
185 command `git worktree add /path/other/test-next next` creates the linked
186 working tree in `/path/other/test-next` and also creates a
187 `$GIT_DIR/worktrees/test-next` directory (or `$GIT_DIR/worktrees/test-next1`
188 if `test-next` is already taken).
190 Within a linked working tree, $GIT_DIR is set to point to this private
191 directory (e.g. `/path/main/.git/worktrees/test-next` in the example) and
192 $GIT_COMMON_DIR is set to point back to the main working tree's $GIT_DIR
193 (e.g. `/path/main/.git`). These settings are made in a `.git` file located at
194 the top directory of the linked working tree.
196 Path resolution via `git rev-parse --git-path` uses either
197 $GIT_DIR or $GIT_COMMON_DIR depending on the path. For example, in the
198 linked working tree `git rev-parse --git-path HEAD` returns
199 `/path/main/.git/worktrees/test-next/HEAD` (not
200 `/path/other/test-next/.git/HEAD` or `/path/main/.git/HEAD`) while `git
201 rev-parse --git-path refs/heads/master` uses
202 $GIT_COMMON_DIR and returns `/path/main/.git/refs/heads/master`,
203 since refs are shared across all working trees.
205 See linkgit:gitrepository-layout[5] for more information. The rule of
206 thumb is do not make any assumption about whether a path belongs to
207 $GIT_DIR or $GIT_COMMON_DIR when you need to directly access something
208 inside $GIT_DIR. Use `git rev-parse --git-path` to get the final path.
210 If you manually move a linked working tree, you need to update the 'gitdir' file
211 in the entry's directory. For example, if a linked working tree is moved
212 to `/newpath/test-next` and its `.git` file points to
213 `/path/main/.git/worktrees/test-next`, then update
214 `/path/main/.git/worktrees/test-next/gitdir` to reference `/newpath/test-next`
217 To prevent a $GIT_DIR/worktrees entry from being pruned (which
218 can be useful in some situations, such as when the
219 entry's working tree is stored on a portable device), use the
220 `git worktree lock` command, which adds a file named
221 'locked' to the entry's directory. The file contains the reason in
222 plain text. For example, if a linked working tree's `.git` file points
223 to `/path/main/.git/worktrees/test-next` then a file named
224 `/path/main/.git/worktrees/test-next/locked` will prevent the
225 `test-next` entry from being pruned. See
226 linkgit:gitrepository-layout[5] for details.
230 The worktree list command has two output formats. The default format shows the
231 details on a single line with columns. For example:
235 /path/to/bare-source (bare)
236 /path/to/linked-worktree abcd1234 [master]
237 /path/to/other-linked-worktree 1234abc (detached HEAD)
242 The porcelain format has a line per attribute. Attributes are listed with a
243 label and value separated by a single space. Boolean attributes (like 'bare'
244 and 'detached') are listed as a label only, and are only present if and only
245 if the value is true. An empty line indicates the end of a worktree. For
249 S git worktree list --porcelain
250 worktree /path/to/bare-source
253 worktree /path/to/linked-worktree
254 HEAD abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234
255 branch refs/heads/master
257 worktree /path/to/other-linked-worktree
258 HEAD 1234abc1234abc1234abc1234abc1234abc1234a
265 You are in the middle of a refactoring session and your boss comes in and
266 demands that you fix something immediately. You might typically use
267 linkgit:git-stash[1] to store your changes away temporarily, however, your
268 working tree is in such a state of disarray (with new, moved, and removed
269 files, and other bits and pieces strewn around) that you don't want to risk
270 disturbing any of it. Instead, you create a temporary linked working tree to
271 make the emergency fix, remove it when done, and then resume your earlier
275 $ git worktree add -b emergency-fix ../temp master
277 # ... hack hack hack ...
278 $ git commit -a -m 'emergency fix for boss'
286 Multiple checkout in general is still experimental, and the support
287 for submodules is incomplete. It is NOT recommended to make multiple
288 checkouts of a superproject.
292 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite