7 git - the stupid content tracker
12 'git-<command>' <args>
17 This is reference information for the core git commands.
19 Before reading this cover to cover, you may want to take a look
20 at the link:tutorial.html[tutorial] document.
22 The Discussion section below contains much useful definition and
23 clarification info - read that first. And of the commands, I suggest
24 reading link:git-update-cache.html[git-update-cache] and
25 link:git-read-tree.html[git-read-tree] first - I wish I had!
27 After you get the general feel from the tutorial and this
28 overview page, you may want to take a look at the
29 link:howto-index.html[howto] documents.
32 David Greaves <david@dgreaves.com>
35 Updated by Junio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net> on 2005-05-05 to
36 reflect recent changes.
40 The git commands can helpfully be split into those that manipulate
41 the repository, the cache and the working fileset, those that
42 interrogate and compare them, and those that moves objects and
43 references between repositories.
45 In addition, git itself comes with a spartan set of porcelain
46 commands. They are usable but are not meant to compete with real
49 There are also some ancillary programs that can be viewed as useful
50 aids for using the core commands but which are unlikely to be used by
51 SCMs layered over git.
55 link:git-apply.html[git-apply]::
56 Reads a "diff -up1" or git generated patch file and
57 applies it to the working tree.
59 link:git-checkout-cache.html[git-checkout-cache]::
60 Copy files from the cache to the working directory
62 link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]::
63 Creates a new commit object
65 link:git-hash-object.html[git-hash-object]::
66 Computes the object ID from a file.
68 link:git-init-db.html[git-init-db]::
69 Creates an empty git object database
71 link:git-merge-cache.html[git-merge-cache]::
72 Runs a merge for files needing merging
74 link:git-mktag.html[git-mktag]::
77 link:git-pack-objects.html[git-pack-objects]::
78 Creates a packed archive of objects.
80 link:git-prune-packed.html[git-prune-packed]::
81 Remove extra objects that are already in pack files.
83 link:git-read-tree.html[git-read-tree]::
84 Reads tree information into the directory cache
86 link:git-unpack-objects.html[git-unpack-objects]::
87 Unpacks objects out of a packed archive.
89 link:git-update-cache.html[git-update-cache]::
90 Modifies the index or directory cache
92 link:git-write-tree.html[git-write-tree]::
93 Creates a tree from the current cache
96 Interrogation commands
97 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
99 link:git-cat-file.html[git-cat-file]::
100 Provide content or type information for repository objects
102 link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache]::
103 Compares content and mode of blobs between the cache and repository
105 link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files]::
106 Compares files in the working tree and the cache
108 link:git-diff-stages.html[git-diff-stages]::
109 Compares two "merge stages" in the index file.
111 link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]::
112 Compares the content and mode of blobs found via two tree objects
114 link:git-export.html[git-export]::
115 Exports each commit and a diff against each of its parents
117 link:git-fsck-cache.html[git-fsck-cache]::
118 Verifies the connectivity and validity of the objects in the database
120 link:git-ls-files.html[git-ls-files]::
121 Information about files in the cache/working directory
123 link:git-ls-tree.html[git-ls-tree]::
124 Displays a tree object in human readable form
126 link:git-merge-base.html[git-merge-base]::
127 Finds as good a common ancestor as possible for a merge
129 link:git-rev-list.html[git-rev-list]::
130 Lists commit objects in reverse chronological order
132 link:git-rev-tree.html[git-rev-tree]::
133 Provides the revision tree for one or more commits
135 link:git-show-index.html[git-show-index]::
136 Displays contents of a pack idx file.
138 link:git-tar-tree.html[git-tar-tree]::
139 Creates a tar archive of the files in the named tree
141 link:git-unpack-file.html[git-unpack-file]::
142 Creates a temporary file with a blob's contents
144 link:git-var.html[git-var]::
145 Displays a git logical variable
147 link:git-verify-pack.html[git-verify-pack]::
148 Validates packed GIT archive files
150 The interrogate commands may create files - and you can force them to
151 touch the working file set - but in general they don't
154 Synching repositories
155 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
157 link:git-clone-pack.html[git-clone-pack]::
158 Clones a repository into the current repository (engine
159 for ssh and local transport)
161 link:git-fetch-pack.html[git-fetch-pack]::
162 Updates from a remote repository.
164 link:git-http-pull.html[git-http-pull]::
165 Downloads a remote GIT repository via HTTP
167 link:git-local-pull.html[git-local-pull]::
168 Duplicates another GIT repository on a local system
170 link:git-peek-remote.html[git-peek-remote]::
171 Lists references on a remote repository using upload-pack protocol.
173 link:git-receive-pack.html[git-receive-pack]::
174 Invoked by 'git-send-pack' to receive what is pushed to it.
176 link:git-send-pack.html[git-send-pack]::
177 Pushes to a remote repository, intelligently.
179 link:git-ssh-pull.html[git-ssh-pull]::
180 Pulls from a remote repository over ssh connection
182 link:git-ssh-push.html[git-ssh-push]::
183 Helper "server-side" program used by git-ssh-pull
185 link:git-update-server-info.html[git-update-server-info]::
186 Updates auxiliary information on a dumb server to help
187 clients discover references and packs on it.
189 link:git-upload-pack.html[git-upload-pack]::
190 Invoked by 'git-clone-pack' and 'git-fetch-pack' to push
194 Porcelain-ish Commands
195 ----------------------
197 link:git-add-script.html[git-add-script]::
198 Add paths to the index file.
200 link:git-applymbox.html[git-applymbox]::
201 Apply patches from a mailbox.
203 link:git-bisect-script.html[git-bisect-script]::
204 Find the change that introduced a bug.
206 link:git-branch-script.html[git-branch-script]::
207 Create and Show branches.
209 link:git-cherry-pick-script.html[git-cherry-pick-script]::
210 Cherry-pick the effect of an existing commit.
212 link:git-clone-script.html[git-clone-script]::
213 Clones a repository into a new directory.
215 link:git-commit-script.html[git-commit-script]::
216 Record changes to the repository.
218 link:git-fetch-script.html[git-fetch-script]::
219 Download from a remote repository via various protocols.
221 link:git-log-script.html[git-log-script]::
224 link:git-ls-remote-script.html[git-ls-remote-script]::
225 Shows references in a remote or local repository.
227 link:git-octopus-script.html[git-octopus-script]::
228 Merge more than two commits.
230 link:git-pull-script.html[git-pull-script]::
231 Fetch from and merge with a remote repository.
233 link:git-push-script.html[git-push-script]::
234 Update remote refs along with associated objects.
236 link:git-rebase-script.html[git-rebase-script]::
237 Rebase local commits to new upstream head.
239 link:git-rename-script.html[git-rename]::
240 Rename files and directories.
242 link:git-repack-script.html[git-repack-script]::
243 Pack unpacked objects in a repository.
245 link:git-resolve-script.html[git-resolve-script]::
248 link:git-revert-script.html[git-revert-script]::
249 Revert an existing commit.
251 link:git-shortlog.html[git-shortlog]::
252 Summarizes 'git log' output.
254 link:git-show-branch.html[git-show-branch]::
255 Show branches and their commits.
257 link:git-status-script.html[git-status-script]::
258 Shows the working tree status.
260 link:git-verify-tag-script.html[git-verify-tag-script]::
261 Check the GPG signature of tag.
263 link:git-whatchanged.html[git-whatchanged]::
264 Shows commit logs and differences they introduce.
271 link:git-applypatch.html[git-applypatch]::
272 Apply one patch extracted from an e-mail.
274 link:git-convert-cache.html[git-convert-cache]::
275 Converts old-style GIT repository
277 link:git-cvsimport-script.html[git-cvsimport-script]::
278 Salvage your data out of another SCM people love to hate.
280 link:git-merge-one-file-script.html[git-merge-one-file-script]::
281 The standard helper program to use with "git-merge-cache"
283 link:git-prune-script.html[git-prune-script]::
284 Prunes all unreachable objects from the object database
286 link:git-relink-script.html[git-relink-script]::
287 Hardlink common objects in local repositories.
289 link:git-sh-setup-script.html[git-sh-setup-script]::
290 Common git shell script setup code.
292 link:git-tag-script.html[git-tag-script]::
293 An example script to create a tag object signed with GPG
298 link:git-cherry.html[git-cherry]::
299 Find commits not merged upstream.
301 link:git-count-objects-script.html[git-count-objects-script]::
302 Count unpacked number of objects and their disk consumption.
304 link:git-diff-helper.html[git-diff-helper]::
305 Generates patch format output for git-diff-*
307 link:git-mailinfo.html[git-mailinfo]::
308 Extracts patch from a single e-mail message.
310 link:git-mailsplit.html[git-mailsplit]::
313 link:git-patch-id.html[git-patch-id]::
314 Compute unique ID for a patch.
316 link:git-send-email-script.html[git-send-email]::
317 Send patch e-mails out of "format-patch --mbox" output.
320 Commands not yet documented
321 ---------------------------
323 link:git-build-rev-cache.html[git-build-rev-cache]::
326 link:git-checkout-script.html[git-checkout-script]::
329 link:git-clone-dumb-http.html[git-clone-dumb-http]::
332 link:git-daemon.html[git-daemon]::
335 link:git-diff-script.html[git-diff-script]::
338 link:git-format-patch-script.html[git-format-patch-script]::
339 git-format-patch-script.
341 link:git-get-tar-commit-id.html[git-get-tar-commit-id]::
342 git-get-tar-commit-id.
344 link:git-request-pull-script.html[git-request-pull-script]::
345 git-request-pull-script.
347 link:git-reset-script.html[git-reset-script]::
350 link:git-rev-parse.html[git-rev-parse]::
353 link:git-show-rev-cache.html[git-show-rev-cache]::
356 link:git-stripspace.html[git-stripspace]::
359 link:gitk.html[gitk]::
363 Identifier Terminology
364 ----------------------
366 Indicates the sha1 identifier for any type of object
369 Indicates a blob object sha1 identifier
372 Indicates a tree object sha1 identifier
375 Indicates a commit object sha1 identifier
378 Indicates a tree, commit or tag object sha1 identifier. A
379 command that takes a <tree-ish> argument ultimately wants to
380 operate on a <tree> object but automatically dereferences
381 <commit> and <tag> objects that point at a <tree>.
384 Indicates that an object type is required.
385 Currently one of: blob/tree/commit/tag
388 Indicates a filename - always relative to the root of
389 the tree structure GIT_INDEX_FILE describes.
393 Any git command accepting any <object> can also use the following
397 indicates the head of the repository (ie the contents of
401 (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags/<tag>`)
404 (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/<head>`)
406 a valid snapshot 'name'+
407 (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/snap/<snap>`)
410 File/Directory Structure
411 ------------------------
412 The git-core manipulates the following areas in the directory:
414 .git/ The base (overridden with $GIT_DIR)
415 objects/ The object base (overridden with $GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY)
416 ??/ 'First 2 chars of object' directories.
417 pack/ Packed archives.
419 refs/ Directories containing symbolic names for objects
420 (each file contains the hex SHA1 + newline)
421 heads/ Commits which are heads of various sorts
422 tags/ Tags, by the tag name (or some local renaming of it)
423 */ Any other subdirectory of refs/ can be used to store
424 files similar to what are under refs/heads/.
425 HEAD Symlink to refs/heads/<current-branch-name>
427 Higher level SCMs may provide and manage additional information in the
432 Please see link:glossary.html[glossary] document.
435 Environment Variables
436 ---------------------
437 Various git commands use the following environment variables:
441 These environment variables apply to 'all' core git commands. Nb: it
442 is worth noting that they may be used/overridden by SCMS sitting above
443 git so take care if using Cogito etc
446 This environment allows the specification of an alternate
447 cache/index file. If not specified, the default of
448 `$GIT_DIR/index` is used.
450 'GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY'::
451 If the object storage directory is specified via this
452 environment variable then the sha1 directories are created
453 underneath - otherwise the default `$GIT_DIR/objects`
456 'GIT_ALTERNATE_OBJECT_DIRECTORIES'::
457 Due to the immutable nature of git objects, old objects can be
458 archived into shared, read-only directories. This variable
459 specifies a ":" separated list of git object directories which
460 can be used to search for git objects. New objects will not be
461 written to these directories.
464 If the 'GIT_DIR' environment variable is set then it specifies
465 a path to use instead of `./.git` for the base of the
473 'GIT_COMMITTER_NAME'::
474 'GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL'::
475 see link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]
480 'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF'::
481 see the "generating patches" section in :
482 link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache];
483 link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files];
484 link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]
492 Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
496 Documentation by David Greaves, Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
500 Part of the link:git.html[git] suite