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 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.
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.
191 link:git-show-branches-script.html[git-show-branches-script]::
192 Show branches and their commits.
198 link:git-apply-patch-script.html[git-apply-patch-script]::
199 Sample script to apply the diffs from git-diff-*
201 link:git-convert-cache.html[git-convert-cache]::
202 Converts old-style GIT repository
204 link:git-merge-one-file-script.html[git-merge-one-file-script]::
205 The standard helper program to use with "git-merge-cache"
207 link:git-prune-script.html[git-prune-script]::
208 Prunes all unreachable objects from the object database
210 link:git-resolve-script.html[git-resolve-script]::
211 Script used to merge two trees
213 link:git-tag-script.html[git-tag-script]::
214 An example script to create a tag object signed with GPG
219 link:git-diff-helper.html[git-diff-helper]::
220 Generates patch format output for git-diff-*
222 link:git-ssh-push.html[git-ssh-push]::
223 Helper "server-side" program used by git-ssh-pull
227 Identifier Terminology
228 ----------------------
230 Indicates the sha1 identifier for any type of object
233 Indicates a blob object sha1 identifier
236 Indicates a tree object sha1 identifier
239 Indicates a commit object sha1 identifier
242 Indicates a tree, commit or tag object sha1 identifier. A
243 command that takes a <tree-ish> argument ultimately wants to
244 operate on a <tree> object but automatically dereferences
245 <commit> and <tag> objects that point at a <tree>.
248 Indicates that an object type is required.
249 Currently one of: blob/tree/commit/tag
252 Indicates a filename - always relative to the root of
253 the tree structure GIT_INDEX_FILE describes.
257 Any git command accepting any <object> can also use the following
261 indicates the head of the repository (ie the contents of
265 (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags/<tag>`)
268 (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/<head>`)
270 a valid snapshot 'name'+
271 (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/snap/<snap>`)
274 File/Directory Structure
275 ------------------------
276 The git-core manipulates the following areas in the directory:
278 .git/ The base (overridden with $GIT_DIR)
279 objects/ The object base (overridden with $GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY)
280 ??/ 'First 2 chars of object' directories.
281 pack/ Packed archives.
283 refs/ Directories containing symbolic names for objects
284 (each file contains the hex SHA1 + newline)
285 heads/ Commits which are heads of various sorts
286 tags/ Tags, by the tag name (or some local renaming of it)
287 */ Any other subdirectory of refs/ can be used to store
288 files similar to what are under refs/heads/.
289 HEAD Symlink to refs/heads/<current-branch-name>
291 Higher level SCMs may provide and manage additional information in the
296 Each line contains terms which you may see used interchangeably
298 object database, .git directory
299 directory cache, index
300 id, sha1, sha1-id, sha1 hash
304 Environment Variables
305 ---------------------
306 Various git commands use the following environment variables:
310 These environment variables apply to 'all' core git commands. Nb: it
311 is worth noting that they may be used/overridden by SCMS sitting above
312 git so take care if using Cogito etc
315 This environment allows the specification of an alternate
316 cache/index file. If not specified, the default of
317 `$GIT_DIR/index` is used.
319 'GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY'::
320 If the object storage directory is specified via this
321 environment variable then the sha1 directories are created
322 underneath - otherwise the default `$GIT_DIR/objects`
325 'GIT_ALTERNATE_OBJECT_DIRECTORIES'::
326 Due to the immutable nature of git objects, old objects can be
327 archived into shared, read-only directories. This variable
328 specifies a ":" separated list of git object directories which
329 can be used to search for git objects. New objects will not be
330 written to these directories.
333 If the 'GIT_DIR' environment variable is set then it specifies
334 a path to use instead of `./.git` for the base of the
342 'GIT_COMMITTER_NAME'::
343 'GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL'::
344 see link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]
349 'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF'::
350 see the "generating patches" section in :
351 link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache];
352 link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files];
353 link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]
361 Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
365 Documentation by David Greaves, Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
369 Part of the link:git.html[git] suite