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 There are also some ancilliary programs that can be viewed as useful
38 aids for using the core commands but which are unlikely to be used by
39 SCMs layered over git.
43 link:git-checkout-cache.html[git-checkout-cache]::
44 Copy files from the cache to the working directory
46 link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]::
47 Creates a new commit object
49 link:git-init-db.html[git-init-db]::
50 Creates an empty git object database
52 link:git-merge-base.html[git-merge-base]::
53 Finds as good a common ancestor as possible for a merge
55 link:git-mktag.html[git-mktag]::
58 link:git-read-tree.html[git-read-tree]::
59 Reads tree information into the directory cache
61 link:git-update-cache.html[git-update-cache]::
62 Modifies the index or directory cache
64 link:git-hash-object.html[git-hash-object]::
65 Computes the object ID from a file.
67 link:git-write-tree.html[git-write-tree]::
68 Creates a tree from the current cache
70 Interrogation commands
71 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
72 link:git-cat-file.html[git-cat-file]::
73 Provide content or type information for repository objects
75 link:git-check-files.html[git-check-files]::
76 Verify a list of files are up-to-date
78 link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache]::
79 Compares content and mode of blobs between the cache and repository
81 link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files]::
82 Compares files in the working tree and the cache
84 link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]::
85 Compares the content and mode of blobs found via two tree objects
87 link:git-export.html[git-export]::
88 Exports each commit and a diff against each of its parents
90 link:git-fsck-cache.html[git-fsck-cache]::
91 Verifies the connectivity and validity of the objects in the database
93 link:git-ls-files.html[git-ls-files]::
94 Information about files in the cache/working directory
96 link:git-ls-tree.html[git-ls-tree]::
97 Displays a tree object in human readable form
99 link:git-merge-cache.html[git-merge-cache]::
100 Runs a merge for files needing merging
102 link:git-rev-list.html[git-rev-list]::
103 Lists commit objects in reverse chronological order
105 link:git-rev-tree.html[git-rev-tree]::
106 Provides the revision tree for one or more commits
108 link:git-tar-tree.html[git-tar-tree]::
109 Creates a tar archive of the files in the named tree
111 link:git-unpack-file.html[git-unpack-file]::
112 Creates a temporary file with a blob's contents
114 link:git-var.html[git-var]::
115 Displays a git logical variable
117 link:git-verify-pack.html[git-verify-pack]::
118 Validates packed GIT archive files
120 The interrogate commands may create files - and you can force them to
121 touch the working file set - but in general they don't
124 link:git-clone-script.html[git-clone-script]::
125 Clones a repository into the current repository (user interface)
127 link:git-clone-pack.html[git-clone-pack]::
128 Clones a repository into the current repository (engine
129 for ssh and local transport)
131 link:git-pull-script.html[git-pull-script]::
132 Pull from a repote repository via various protocols
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-upload-pack.html[git-upload-pack]::
157 Invoked by 'git-clone-pack' and 'git-fetch-pack' to push
165 link:git-apply-patch-script.html[git-apply-patch-script]::
166 Sample script to apply the diffs from git-diff-*
168 link:git-convert-cache.html[git-convert-cache]::
169 Converts old-style GIT repository
171 link:git-merge-one-file-script.html[git-merge-one-file-script]::
172 The standard helper program to use with "git-merge-cache"
174 link:git-prune-script.html[git-prune-script]::
175 Prunes all unreachable objects from the object database
177 link:git-resolve-script.html[git-resolve-script]::
178 Script used to merge two trees
180 link:git-tag-script.html[git-tag-script]::
181 An example script to create a tag object signed with GPG
186 link:git-diff-helper.html[git-diff-helper]::
187 Generates patch format output for git-diff-*
189 link:git-ssh-push.html[git-ssh-push]::
190 Helper "server-side" program used by git-ssh-pull
194 Identifier Terminology
195 ----------------------
197 Indicates the sha1 identifier for any type of object
200 Indicates a blob object sha1 identifier
203 Indicates a tree object sha1 identifier
206 Indicates a commit object sha1 identifier
209 Indicates a tree, commit or tag object sha1 identifier. A
210 command that takes a <tree-ish> argument ultimately wants to
211 operate on a <tree> object but automatically dereferences
212 <commit> and <tag> objects that point at a <tree>.
215 Indicates that an object type is required.
216 Currently one of: blob/tree/commit/tag
219 Indicates a filename - always relative to the root of
220 the tree structure GIT_INDEX_FILE describes.
224 Any git comand accepting any <object> can also use the following
228 indicates the head of the repository (ie the contents of
232 (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags/<tag>`)
235 (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/<head>`)
237 a valid snapshot 'name'+
238 (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/snap/<snap>`)
241 File/Directory Structure
242 ------------------------
243 The git-core manipulates the following areas in the directory:
245 .git/ The base (overridden with $GIT_DIR)
246 objects/ The object base (overridden with $GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY)
247 ??/ 'First 2 chars of object' directories.
248 pack/ Packed archives.
250 refs/ Directories containing symbolic names for objects
251 (each file contains the hex SHA1 + newline)
252 heads/ Commits which are heads of various sorts
253 tags/ Tags, by the tag name (or some local renaming of it)
254 */ Any other subdirectory of refs/ can be used to store
255 files similar to what are under refs/heads/.
256 HEAD Symlink to refs/heads/<current-branch-name>
258 Higher level SCMs may provide and manage additional information in the
263 Each line contains terms which you may see used interchangeably
265 object database, .git directory
266 directory cache, index
267 id, sha1, sha1-id, sha1 hash
271 Environment Variables
272 ---------------------
273 Various git commands use the following environment variables:
277 These environment variables apply to 'all' core git commands. Nb: it
278 is worth noting that they may be used/overridden by SCMS sitting above
279 git so take care if using Cogito etc
282 This environment allows the specification of an alternate
283 cache/index file. If not specified, the default of
284 `$GIT_DIR/index` is used.
286 'GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY'::
287 If the object storage directory is specified via this
288 environment variable then the sha1 directories are created
289 underneath - otherwise the default `$GIT_DIR/objects`
292 'GIT_ALTERNATE_OBJECT_DIRECTORIES'::
293 Due to the immutable nature of git objects, old objects can be
294 archived into shared, read-only directories. This variable
295 specifies a ":" seperated list of git object directories which
296 can be used to search for git objects. New objects will not be
297 written to these directories.
300 If the 'GIT_DIR' environment variable is set then it specifies
301 a path to use instead of `./.git` for the base of the
309 'GIT_COMMITTER_NAME'::
310 'GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL'::
311 see link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]
316 'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF'::
317 see the "generating patches" section in :
318 link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache];
319 link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files];
320 link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]
328 Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
332 Documentation by David Greaves, Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
336 Part of the link:git.html[git] suite