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-checkout-cache.html[git-checkout-cache]::
56 Copy files from the cache to the working directory
58 link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]::
59 Creates a new commit object
61 link:git-init-db.html[git-init-db]::
62 Creates an empty git object database
64 link:git-merge-base.html[git-merge-base]::
65 Finds as good a common ancestor as possible for a merge
67 link:git-mktag.html[git-mktag]::
70 link:git-read-tree.html[git-read-tree]::
71 Reads tree information into the directory cache
73 link:git-update-cache.html[git-update-cache]::
74 Modifies the index or directory cache
76 link:git-hash-object.html[git-hash-object]::
77 Computes the object ID from a file.
79 link:git-write-tree.html[git-write-tree]::
80 Creates a tree from the current cache
82 link:git-pack-objects.html[git-pack-objects]::
83 Creates a packed archive of objects.
85 link:git-unpack-objects.html[git-unpack-objects]::
86 Unpacks objects out of a packed archive.
88 link:git-prune-packed.html[git-prune-packed]::
89 Remove extra objects that are already in pack files.
91 link:git-apply.html[git-apply]::
92 Reads a "diff -up1" or git generated patch file and
93 applies it to the working tree.
96 Interrogation commands
97 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
98 link:git-cat-file.html[git-cat-file]::
99 Provide content or type information for repository objects
101 link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache]::
102 Compares content and mode of blobs between the cache and repository
104 link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files]::
105 Compares files in the working tree and the cache
107 link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]::
108 Compares the content and mode of blobs found via two tree objects
110 link:git-diff-stages.html[git-diff-stages]::
111 Compares two "merge stages" in the index file.
113 link:git-export.html[git-export]::
114 Exports each commit and a diff against each of its parents
116 link:git-fsck-cache.html[git-fsck-cache]::
117 Verifies the connectivity and validity of the objects in the database
119 link:git-ls-files.html[git-ls-files]::
120 Information about files in the cache/working directory
122 link:git-ls-tree.html[git-ls-tree]::
123 Displays a tree object in human readable form
125 link:git-merge-cache.html[git-merge-cache]::
126 Runs a merge for files needing merging
128 link:git-rev-list.html[git-rev-list]::
129 Lists commit objects in reverse chronological order
131 link:git-rev-tree.html[git-rev-tree]::
132 Provides the revision tree for one or more commits
134 link:git-tar-tree.html[git-tar-tree]::
135 Creates a tar archive of the files in the named tree
137 link:git-unpack-file.html[git-unpack-file]::
138 Creates a temporary file with a blob's contents
140 link:git-var.html[git-var]::
141 Displays a git logical variable
143 link:git-show-index.html[git-show-index]::
144 Displays contents of a pack idx file.
146 link:git-verify-pack.html[git-verify-pack]::
147 Validates packed GIT archive files
149 The interrogate commands may create files - and you can force them to
150 touch the working file set - but in general they don't
153 Synching repositories
154 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
156 link:git-clone-script.html[git-clone-script]::
157 Clones a repository into the current repository (user interface)
159 link:git-clone-pack.html[git-clone-pack]::
160 Clones a repository into the current repository (engine
161 for ssh and local transport)
163 link:git-http-pull.html[git-http-pull]::
164 Downloads a remote GIT repository via HTTP
166 link:git-local-pull.html[git-local-pull]::
167 Duplicates another GIT repository on a local system
169 link:git-ssh-pull.html[git-ssh-pull]::
170 Pulls from a remote repository over ssh connection
172 link:git-send-pack.html[git-send-pack]::
173 Pushes to a remote repository, intelligently.
175 link:git-receive-pack.html[git-receive-pack]::
176 Invoked by 'git-send-pack' to receive what is pushed to it.
178 link:git-clone-pack.html[git-clone-pack]::
179 Clones from a remote repository.
181 link:git-fetch-pack.html[git-fetch-pack]::
182 Updates from a remote repository.
184 link:git-peek-remote.html[git-peek-remote]::
185 Lists references on a remote repository using upload-pack protocol.
187 link:git-upload-pack.html[git-upload-pack]::
188 Invoked by 'git-clone-pack' and 'git-fetch-pack' to push
191 link:git-update-server-info.html[git-update-server-info]::
192 Updates auxiliary information on a dumb server to help
193 clients discover references and packs on it.
196 Porcelain-ish Commands
197 ----------------------
198 link:git-whatchanged.html[git-whatchanged]::
199 Shows commit logs and differences they introduce.
201 link:git-log-script.html[git-log-script]::
204 link:git-shortlog.html[git-shortlog]::
205 Summarizes 'git log' output.
207 link:git-status-script.html[git-status-script]::
208 Shows the working tree status.
210 link:git-fetch-script.html[git-fetch-script]::
211 Download from a remote repository via various protocols.
213 link:git-pull-script.html[git-pull-script]::
214 Fetch from and merge with a remote repository.
216 link:git-resolve-script.html[git-resolve-script]::
219 link:git-octopus-script.html[git-octopus-script]::
220 Merge more than two commits.
222 link:git-push-script.html[git-push-script]::
223 Update remote refs along with associated objects.
225 link:git-commit-script.html[git-commit-script]::
226 Record changes to the repository.
228 link:git-show-branch.html[git-show-branch]::
229 Show branches and their commits.
231 link:git-repack-script.html[git-repack-script]::
232 Pack unpacked objects in a repository.
234 link:git-rename-script.html[git-rename]::
235 Rename files and directories.
237 link:git-ls-remote-script.html[git-ls-remote-script]::
238 Shows references in a remote or local repository.
245 link:git-apply-patch-script.html[git-apply-patch-script]::
246 Sample script to apply the diffs from git-diff-*
248 link:git-convert-cache.html[git-convert-cache]::
249 Converts old-style GIT repository
251 link:git-merge-one-file-script.html[git-merge-one-file-script]::
252 The standard helper program to use with "git-merge-cache"
254 link:git-prune-script.html[git-prune-script]::
255 Prunes all unreachable objects from the object database
257 link:git-tag-script.html[git-tag-script]::
258 An example script to create a tag object signed with GPG
260 link:git-cvsimport-script.html[git-cvsimport-script]::
261 Salvage your data out of another SCM people love to hate.
266 link:git-diff-helper.html[git-diff-helper]::
267 Generates patch format output for git-diff-*
269 link:git-ssh-push.html[git-ssh-push]::
270 Helper "server-side" program used by git-ssh-pull
272 link:git-send-email-script.html[git-send-email]::
273 Send patch e-mails out of "format-patch --mbox" output.
276 Commands not yet documented
277 ---------------------------
279 link:git-applymbox.html[git-applymbox]::
282 link:git-applypatch.html[git-applypatch]::
285 link:git-mailinfo.html[git-mailinfo]::
288 link:git-mailsplit.html[git-mailsplit]::
291 link:git-add-script.html[git-add-script]::
294 link:git-bisect-script.html[git-bisect-script]::
297 link:git-branch-script.html[git-branch-script]::
300 link:git-build-rev-cache.html[git-build-rev-cache]::
303 link:git-checkout-script.html[git-checkout-script]::
306 link:git-cherry.html[git-cherry]::
309 link:git-clone-dumb-http.html[git-clone-dumb-http]::
312 link:git-count-objects-script.html[git-count-objects-script]::
313 git-count-objects-script.
315 link:git-daemon.html[git-daemon]::
318 link:git-diff-script.html[git-diff-script]::
321 link:git-format-patch-script.html[git-format-patch-script]::
322 git-format-patch-script.
324 link:git-get-tar-commit-id.html[git-get-tar-commit-id]::
325 git-get-tar-commit-id.
327 link:git-patch-id.html[git-patch-id]::
330 link:git-rebase-script.html[git-rebase-script]::
333 link:git-relink-script.html[git-relink-script]::
336 link:git-request-pull-script.html[git-request-pull-script]::
337 git-request-pull-script.
339 link:git-reset-script.html[git-reset-script]::
342 link:git-rev-parse.html[git-rev-parse]::
345 link:git-revert-script.html[git-revert-script]::
348 link:git-sh-setup-script.html[git-sh-setup-script]::
351 link:git-show-rev-cache.html[git-show-rev-cache]::
354 link:git-stripspace.html[git-stripspace]::
357 link:git-verify-tag-script.html[git-verify-tag-script]::
358 git-verify-tag-script.
360 link:gitk.html[gitk]::
364 Identifier Terminology
365 ----------------------
367 Indicates the sha1 identifier for any type of object
370 Indicates a blob object sha1 identifier
373 Indicates a tree object sha1 identifier
376 Indicates a commit object sha1 identifier
379 Indicates a tree, commit or tag object sha1 identifier. A
380 command that takes a <tree-ish> argument ultimately wants to
381 operate on a <tree> object but automatically dereferences
382 <commit> and <tag> objects that point at a <tree>.
385 Indicates that an object type is required.
386 Currently one of: blob/tree/commit/tag
389 Indicates a filename - always relative to the root of
390 the tree structure GIT_INDEX_FILE describes.
394 Any git command accepting any <object> can also use the following
398 indicates the head of the repository (ie the contents of
402 (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags/<tag>`)
405 (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/<head>`)
407 a valid snapshot 'name'+
408 (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/snap/<snap>`)
411 File/Directory Structure
412 ------------------------
413 The git-core manipulates the following areas in the directory:
415 .git/ The base (overridden with $GIT_DIR)
416 objects/ The object base (overridden with $GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY)
417 ??/ 'First 2 chars of object' directories.
418 pack/ Packed archives.
420 refs/ Directories containing symbolic names for objects
421 (each file contains the hex SHA1 + newline)
422 heads/ Commits which are heads of various sorts
423 tags/ Tags, by the tag name (or some local renaming of it)
424 */ Any other subdirectory of refs/ can be used to store
425 files similar to what are under refs/heads/.
426 HEAD Symlink to refs/heads/<current-branch-name>
428 Higher level SCMs may provide and manage additional information in the
433 Please see link:glossary.html[glossary] document.
436 Environment Variables
437 ---------------------
438 Various git commands use the following environment variables:
442 These environment variables apply to 'all' core git commands. Nb: it
443 is worth noting that they may be used/overridden by SCMS sitting above
444 git so take care if using Cogito etc
447 This environment allows the specification of an alternate
448 cache/index file. If not specified, the default of
449 `$GIT_DIR/index` is used.
451 'GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY'::
452 If the object storage directory is specified via this
453 environment variable then the sha1 directories are created
454 underneath - otherwise the default `$GIT_DIR/objects`
457 'GIT_ALTERNATE_OBJECT_DIRECTORIES'::
458 Due to the immutable nature of git objects, old objects can be
459 archived into shared, read-only directories. This variable
460 specifies a ":" separated list of git object directories which
461 can be used to search for git objects. New objects will not be
462 written to these directories.
465 If the 'GIT_DIR' environment variable is set then it specifies
466 a path to use instead of `./.git` for the base of the
474 'GIT_COMMITTER_NAME'::
475 'GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL'::
476 see link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]
481 'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF'::
482 see the "generating patches" section in :
483 link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache];
484 link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files];
485 link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]
493 Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
497 Documentation by David Greaves, Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
501 Part of the link:git.html[git] suite