7 git - the stupid content tracker
12 'git-<command>' <args>
17 This is reference information for the core git commands.
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!
24 David Greaves <david@dgreaves.com>
27 Updated by Junio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net> on 2005-05-05 to
28 reflect recent changes.
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.
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
41 There are also some ancilliary 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.
47 link:git-checkout-cache.html[git-checkout-cache]::
48 Copy files from the cache to the working directory
50 link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]::
51 Creates a new commit object
53 link:git-init-db.html[git-init-db]::
54 Creates an empty git object database
56 link:git-merge-base.html[git-merge-base]::
57 Finds as good a common ancestor as possible for a merge
59 link:git-mktag.html[git-mktag]::
62 link:git-read-tree.html[git-read-tree]::
63 Reads tree information into the directory cache
65 link:git-update-cache.html[git-update-cache]::
66 Modifies the index or directory cache
68 link:git-hash-object.html[git-hash-object]::
69 Computes the object ID from a file.
71 link:git-write-tree.html[git-write-tree]::
72 Creates a tree from the current cache
74 Interrogation commands
75 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
76 link:git-cat-file.html[git-cat-file]::
77 Provide content or type information for repository objects
79 link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache]::
80 Compares content and mode of blobs between the cache and repository
82 link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files]::
83 Compares files in the working tree and the cache
85 link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]::
86 Compares the content and mode of blobs found via two tree objects
88 link:git-export.html[git-export]::
89 Exports each commit and a diff against each of its parents
91 link:git-fsck-cache.html[git-fsck-cache]::
92 Verifies the connectivity and validity of the objects in the database
94 link:git-ls-files.html[git-ls-files]::
95 Information about files in the cache/working directory
97 link:git-ls-tree.html[git-ls-tree]::
98 Displays a tree object in human readable form
100 link:git-merge-cache.html[git-merge-cache]::
101 Runs a merge for files needing merging
103 link:git-rev-list.html[git-rev-list]::
104 Lists commit objects in reverse chronological order
106 link:git-rev-tree.html[git-rev-tree]::
107 Provides the revision tree for one or more commits
109 link:git-tar-tree.html[git-tar-tree]::
110 Creates a tar archive of the files in the named tree
112 link:git-unpack-file.html[git-unpack-file]::
113 Creates a temporary file with a blob's contents
115 link:git-var.html[git-var]::
116 Displays a git logical variable
118 link:git-verify-pack.html[git-verify-pack]::
119 Validates packed GIT archive files
121 The interrogate commands may create files - and you can force them to
122 touch the working file set - but in general they don't
125 Synching repositories
126 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
128 link:git-clone-script.html[git-clone-script]::
129 Clones a repository into the current repository (user interface)
131 link:git-clone-pack.html[git-clone-pack]::
132 Clones a repository into the current repository (engine
133 for ssh and local transport)
135 link:git-http-pull.html[git-http-pull]::
136 Downloads a remote GIT repository via HTTP
138 link:git-local-pull.html[git-local-pull]::
139 Duplicates another GIT repository on a local system
141 link:git-ssh-pull.html[git-ssh-pull]::
142 Pulls from a remote repository over ssh connection
144 link:git-send-pack.html[git-send-pack]::
145 Pushes to a remote repository, intelligently.
147 link:git-receive-pack.html[git-receive-pack]::
148 Invoked by 'git-send-pack' to receive what is pushed to it.
150 link:git-clone-pack.html[git-clone-pack]::
151 Clones from a remote repository.
153 link:git-fetch-pack.html[git-fetch-pack]::
154 Updates from a remote repository.
156 link:git-peek-remote.html[git-peek-remote]::
157 Lists references on a remote repository using upload-pack protocol.
159 link:git-upload-pack.html[git-upload-pack]::
160 Invoked by 'git-clone-pack' and 'git-fetch-pack' to push
163 link:git-update-server-info.html[git-update-server-info]::
164 Updates auxiliary information on a dumb server to help
165 clients discover references and packs on it.
168 Porcelain-ish Commands
169 ----------------------
170 link:git-whatchanged.html[git-whatchanged]::
171 Shows commit logs and differences they introduce.
173 link:git-log-script.html[git-log-script]::
176 link:git-shortlog.html[git-shortlog]::
177 Summarizes 'git log' output.
179 link:git-status-script.html[git-status-script]::
180 Shows the working tree status.
182 link:git-fetch-script.html[git-fetch-script]::
183 Download from a remote repository via various protocols.
185 link:git-pull-script.html[git-pull-script]::
186 Fetch from and merge with a remote repository.
188 link:git-commit-script.html[git-commit-script]::
189 Record changes to the repository.
196 link:git-apply-patch-script.html[git-apply-patch-script]::
197 Sample script to apply the diffs from git-diff-*
199 link:git-convert-cache.html[git-convert-cache]::
200 Converts old-style GIT repository
202 link:git-merge-one-file-script.html[git-merge-one-file-script]::
203 The standard helper program to use with "git-merge-cache"
205 link:git-prune-script.html[git-prune-script]::
206 Prunes all unreachable objects from the object database
208 link:git-resolve-script.html[git-resolve-script]::
209 Script used to merge two trees
211 link:git-tag-script.html[git-tag-script]::
212 An example script to create a tag object signed with GPG
217 link:git-diff-helper.html[git-diff-helper]::
218 Generates patch format output for git-diff-*
220 link:git-ssh-push.html[git-ssh-push]::
221 Helper "server-side" program used by git-ssh-pull
225 Identifier Terminology
226 ----------------------
228 Indicates the sha1 identifier for any type of object
231 Indicates a blob object sha1 identifier
234 Indicates a tree object sha1 identifier
237 Indicates a commit object sha1 identifier
240 Indicates a tree, commit or tag object sha1 identifier. A
241 command that takes a <tree-ish> argument ultimately wants to
242 operate on a <tree> object but automatically dereferences
243 <commit> and <tag> objects that point at a <tree>.
246 Indicates that an object type is required.
247 Currently one of: blob/tree/commit/tag
250 Indicates a filename - always relative to the root of
251 the tree structure GIT_INDEX_FILE describes.
255 Any git comand accepting any <object> can also use the following
259 indicates the head of the repository (ie the contents of
263 (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags/<tag>`)
266 (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/<head>`)
268 a valid snapshot 'name'+
269 (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/snap/<snap>`)
272 File/Directory Structure
273 ------------------------
274 The git-core manipulates the following areas in the directory:
276 .git/ The base (overridden with $GIT_DIR)
277 objects/ The object base (overridden with $GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY)
278 ??/ 'First 2 chars of object' directories.
279 pack/ Packed archives.
281 refs/ Directories containing symbolic names for objects
282 (each file contains the hex SHA1 + newline)
283 heads/ Commits which are heads of various sorts
284 tags/ Tags, by the tag name (or some local renaming of it)
285 */ Any other subdirectory of refs/ can be used to store
286 files similar to what are under refs/heads/.
287 HEAD Symlink to refs/heads/<current-branch-name>
289 Higher level SCMs may provide and manage additional information in the
294 Each line contains terms which you may see used interchangeably
296 object database, .git directory
297 directory cache, index
298 id, sha1, sha1-id, sha1 hash
302 Environment Variables
303 ---------------------
304 Various git commands use the following environment variables:
308 These environment variables apply to 'all' core git commands. Nb: it
309 is worth noting that they may be used/overridden by SCMS sitting above
310 git so take care if using Cogito etc
313 This environment allows the specification of an alternate
314 cache/index file. If not specified, the default of
315 `$GIT_DIR/index` is used.
317 'GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY'::
318 If the object storage directory is specified via this
319 environment variable then the sha1 directories are created
320 underneath - otherwise the default `$GIT_DIR/objects`
323 'GIT_ALTERNATE_OBJECT_DIRECTORIES'::
324 Due to the immutable nature of git objects, old objects can be
325 archived into shared, read-only directories. This variable
326 specifies a ":" seperated list of git object directories which
327 can be used to search for git objects. New objects will not be
328 written to these directories.
331 If the 'GIT_DIR' environment variable is set then it specifies
332 a path to use instead of `./.git` for the base of the
340 'GIT_COMMITTER_NAME'::
341 'GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL'::
342 see link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]
347 'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF'::
348 see the "generating patches" section in :
349 link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache];
350 link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files];
351 link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]
359 Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
363 Documentation by David Greaves, Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
367 Part of the link:git.html[git] suite