Documentation/git.txt

   1 git(7)
   2 ======
   3 v0.99.4, Aug 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 In addition, git itself comes with a spartan set of porcelain
  38 commands.  They are usable but are not meant to compete with real
  39 Porcelains.
  40
  41 There are also some ancillary programs that can be viewed as useful
  42 aids for using the core commands but which are unlikely to be used by
  43 SCMs layered over git.
  44
  45 Manipulation commands
  46 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  47 link:git-checkout-cache.html[git-checkout-cache]::
  48         Copy files from the cache to the working directory
  49
  50 link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]::
  51         Creates a new commit object
  52
  53 link:git-init-db.html[git-init-db]::
  54         Creates an empty git object database
  55
  56 link:git-merge-base.html[git-merge-base]::
  57         Finds as good a common ancestor as possible for a merge
  58
  59 link:git-mktag.html[git-mktag]::
  60         Creates a tag object
  61
  62 link:git-read-tree.html[git-read-tree]::
  63         Reads tree information into the directory cache
  64
  65 link:git-update-cache.html[git-update-cache]::
  66         Modifies the index or directory cache
  67
  68 link:git-hash-object.html[git-hash-object]::
  69         Computes the object ID from a file.
  70
  71 link:git-write-tree.html[git-write-tree]::
  72         Creates a tree from the current cache
  73
  74 link:git-pack-objects.html[git-pack-objects]::
  75         Creates a packed archive of objects.
  76
  77 link:git-prune-packed.html[git-prune-packed]::
  78         Remove extra objects that are already in pack files.
  79
  80
  81 Interrogation commands
  82 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  83 link:git-cat-file.html[git-cat-file]::
  84         Provide content or type information for repository objects
  85
  86 link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache]::
  87         Compares content and mode of blobs between the cache and repository
  88
  89 link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files]::
  90         Compares files in the working tree and the cache
  91
  92 link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]::
  93         Compares the content and mode of blobs found via two tree objects
  94
  95 link:git-export.html[git-export]::
  96         Exports each commit and a diff against each of its parents
  97
  98 link:git-fsck-cache.html[git-fsck-cache]::
  99         Verifies the connectivity and validity of the objects in the database
 100
 101 link:git-ls-files.html[git-ls-files]::
 102         Information about files in the cache/working directory
 103
 104 link:git-ls-tree.html[git-ls-tree]::
 105         Displays a tree object in human readable form
 106
 107 link:git-merge-cache.html[git-merge-cache]::
 108         Runs a merge for files needing merging
 109
 110 link:git-rev-list.html[git-rev-list]::
 111         Lists commit objects in reverse chronological order
 112
 113 link:git-rev-tree.html[git-rev-tree]::
 114         Provides the revision tree for one or more commits
 115
 116 link:git-tar-tree.html[git-tar-tree]::
 117         Creates a tar archive of the files in the named tree
 118
 119 link:git-unpack-file.html[git-unpack-file]::
 120         Creates a temporary file with a blob's contents
 121
 122 link:git-var.html[git-var]::
 123         Displays a git logical variable
 124
 125 link:git-verify-pack.html[git-verify-pack]::
 126         Validates packed GIT archive files
 127
 128 The interrogate commands may create files - and you can force them to
 129 touch the working file set - but in general they don't
 130
 131
 132 Synching repositories
 133 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 134
 135 link:git-clone-script.html[git-clone-script]::
 136         Clones a repository into the current repository (user interface)
 137
 138 link:git-clone-pack.html[git-clone-pack]::
 139         Clones a repository into the current repository (engine
 140         for ssh and local transport)
 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 link:git-update-server-info.html[git-update-server-info]::
 171         Updates auxiliary information on a dumb server to help
 172         clients discover references and packs on it.
 173
 174
 175 Porcelain-ish Commands
 176 ----------------------
 177 link:git-whatchanged.html[git-whatchanged]::
 178         Shows commit logs and differences they introduce.
 179
 180 link:git-log-script.html[git-log-script]::
 181         Shows commit logs.
 182
 183 link:git-shortlog.html[git-shortlog]::
 184         Summarizes 'git log' output.
 185
 186 link:git-status-script.html[git-status-script]::
 187         Shows the working tree status.
 188
 189 link:git-fetch-script.html[git-fetch-script]::
 190         Download from a remote repository via various protocols.
 191
 192 link:git-pull-script.html[git-pull-script]::
 193         Fetch from and merge with a remote repository.
 194
 195 link:git-commit-script.html[git-commit-script]::
 196         Record changes to the repository.
 197
 198 link:git-show-branches-script.html[git-show-branches-script]::
 199         Show branches and their commits.
 200
 201 link:git-repack-script.html[git-repack-script]::
 202         Pack unpacked objects in a repository.
 203
 204
 205 Ancillary Commands
 206 ------------------
 207 Manipulators:
 208
 209 link:git-apply-patch-script.html[git-apply-patch-script]::
 210         Sample script to apply the diffs from git-diff-*
 211
 212 link:git-convert-cache.html[git-convert-cache]::
 213         Converts old-style GIT repository
 214
 215 link:git-merge-one-file-script.html[git-merge-one-file-script]::
 216         The standard helper program to use with "git-merge-cache"
 217
 218 link:git-prune-script.html[git-prune-script]::
 219         Prunes all unreachable objects from the object database
 220
 221 link:git-resolve-script.html[git-resolve-script]::
 222         Script used to merge two trees
 223
 224 link:git-tag-script.html[git-tag-script]::
 225         An example script to create a tag object signed with GPG
 226
 227
 228 Interrogators:
 229
 230 link:git-diff-helper.html[git-diff-helper]::
 231         Generates patch format output for git-diff-*
 232
 233 link:git-ssh-push.html[git-ssh-push]::
 234         Helper "server-side" program used by git-ssh-pull
 235
 236
 237
 238 Identifier Terminology
 239 ----------------------
 240 <object>::
 241         Indicates the sha1 identifier for any type of object
 242
 243 <blob>::
 244         Indicates a blob object sha1 identifier
 245
 246 <tree>::
 247         Indicates a tree object sha1 identifier
 248
 249 <commit>::
 250         Indicates a commit object sha1 identifier
 251
 252 <tree-ish>::
 253         Indicates a tree, commit or tag object sha1 identifier.  A
 254         command that takes a <tree-ish> argument ultimately wants to
 255         operate on a <tree> object but automatically dereferences
 256         <commit> and <tag> objects that point at a <tree>.
 257
 258 <type>::
 259         Indicates that an object type is required.
 260         Currently one of: blob/tree/commit/tag
 261
 262 <file>::
 263         Indicates a filename - always relative to the root of
 264         the tree structure GIT_INDEX_FILE describes.
 265
 266 Symbolic Identifiers
 267 --------------------
 268 Any git command accepting any <object> can also use the following
 269 symbolic notation:
 270
 271 HEAD::
 272         indicates the head of the repository (ie the contents of
 273         `$GIT_DIR/HEAD`)
 274 <tag>::
 275         a valid tag 'name'+
 276         (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags/<tag>`)
 277 <head>::
 278         a valid head 'name'+
 279         (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/<head>`)
 280 <snap>::
 281         a valid snapshot 'name'+
 282         (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/snap/<snap>`)
 283
 284
 285 File/Directory Structure
 286 ------------------------
 287 The git-core manipulates the following areas in the directory:
 288
 289  .git/         The base (overridden with $GIT_DIR)
 290    objects/    The object base (overridden with $GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY)
 291      ??/       'First 2 chars of object' directories.
 292      pack/     Packed archives.
 293
 294    refs/       Directories containing symbolic names for objects
 295                (each file contains the hex SHA1 + newline)
 296      heads/    Commits which are heads of various sorts
 297      tags/     Tags, by the tag name (or some local renaming of it)
 298      */        Any other subdirectory of refs/ can be used to store
 299                files similar to what are under refs/heads/.
 300    HEAD        Symlink to refs/heads/<current-branch-name>
 301
 302 Higher level SCMs may provide and manage additional information in the
 303 GIT_DIR.
 304
 305 Terminology
 306 -----------
 307 Each line contains terms which you may see used interchangeably
 308
 309  object database, .git directory
 310  directory cache, index
 311  id, sha1, sha1-id, sha1 hash
 312  type, tag
 313
 314
 315 Environment Variables
 316 ---------------------
 317 Various git commands use the following environment variables:
 318
 319 The git Repository
 320 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 321 These environment variables apply to 'all' core git commands. Nb: it
 322 is worth noting that they may be used/overridden by SCMS sitting above
 323 git so take care if using Cogito etc
 324
 325 'GIT_INDEX_FILE'::
 326         This environment allows the specification of an alternate
 327         cache/index file. If not specified, the default of
 328         `$GIT_DIR/index` is used.
 329
 330 'GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY'::
 331         If the object storage directory is specified via this
 332         environment variable then the sha1 directories are created
 333         underneath - otherwise the default `$GIT_DIR/objects`
 334         directory is used.
 335
 336 'GIT_ALTERNATE_OBJECT_DIRECTORIES'::
 337         Due to the immutable nature of git objects, old objects can be
 338         archived into shared, read-only directories. This variable
 339         specifies a ":" separated list of git object directories which
 340         can be used to search for git objects. New objects will not be
 341         written to these directories.
 342
 343 'GIT_DIR'::
 344         If the 'GIT_DIR' environment variable is set then it specifies
 345         a path to use instead of `./.git` for the base of the
 346         repository.
 347
 348 git Commits
 349 ~~~~~~~~~~~
 350 'GIT_AUTHOR_NAME'::
 351 'GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL'::
 352 'GIT_AUTHOR_DATE'::
 353 'GIT_COMMITTER_NAME'::
 354 'GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL'::
 355         see link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]
 356
 357 git Diffs
 358 ~~~~~~~~~
 359 'GIT_DIFF_OPTS'::
 360 'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF'::
 361         see the "generating patches" section in :
 362         link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache];
 363         link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files];
 364         link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]
 365
 366 Discussion
 367 ----------
 368 include::../README[]
 369
 370 Author
 371 ------
 372 Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
 373
 374 Documentation
 375 --------------
 376 Documentation by David Greaves, Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
 377
 378 GIT
 379 ---
 380 Part of the link:git.html[git] suite
 381