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 Synching repositories
125 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
127 link:git-clone-script.html[git-clone-script]::
128 Clones a repository into the current repository (user interface)
130 link:git-clone-pack.html[git-clone-pack]::
131 Clones a repository into the current repository (engine
132 for ssh and local transport)
134 link:git-fetch-script.html[git-pull-script]::
135 Pull from a repote repository via various protocols
138 link:git-pull-script.html[git-pull-script]::
139 Fetch from and merge with a repote repository via
140 various protocols (user interface).
142 link:git-http-pull.html[git-http-pull]::
143 Downloads a remote GIT repository via HTTP
145 link:git-local-pull.html[git-local-pull]::
146 Duplicates another GIT repository on a local system
148 link:git-ssh-pull.html[git-ssh-pull]::
149 Pulls from a remote repository over ssh connection
151 link:git-send-pack.html[git-send-pack]::
152 Pushes to a remote repository, intelligently.
154 link:git-receive-pack.html[git-receive-pack]::
155 Invoked by 'git-send-pack' to receive what is pushed to it.
157 link:git-clone-pack.html[git-clone-pack]::
158 Clones from a remote repository.
160 link:git-fetch-pack.html[git-fetch-pack]::
161 Updates from a remote repository.
163 link:git-upload-pack.html[git-upload-pack]::
164 Invoked by 'git-clone-pack' and 'git-fetch-pack' to push
172 link:git-apply-patch-script.html[git-apply-patch-script]::
173 Sample script to apply the diffs from git-diff-*
175 link:git-convert-cache.html[git-convert-cache]::
176 Converts old-style GIT repository
178 link:git-merge-one-file-script.html[git-merge-one-file-script]::
179 The standard helper program to use with "git-merge-cache"
181 link:git-prune-script.html[git-prune-script]::
182 Prunes all unreachable objects from the object database
184 link:git-resolve-script.html[git-resolve-script]::
185 Script used to merge two trees
187 link:git-tag-script.html[git-tag-script]::
188 An example script to create a tag object signed with GPG
193 link:git-diff-helper.html[git-diff-helper]::
194 Generates patch format output for git-diff-*
196 link:git-ssh-push.html[git-ssh-push]::
197 Helper "server-side" program used by git-ssh-pull
201 Identifier Terminology
202 ----------------------
204 Indicates the sha1 identifier for any type of object
207 Indicates a blob object sha1 identifier
210 Indicates a tree object sha1 identifier
213 Indicates a commit object sha1 identifier
216 Indicates a tree, commit or tag object sha1 identifier. A
217 command that takes a <tree-ish> argument ultimately wants to
218 operate on a <tree> object but automatically dereferences
219 <commit> and <tag> objects that point at a <tree>.
222 Indicates that an object type is required.
223 Currently one of: blob/tree/commit/tag
226 Indicates a filename - always relative to the root of
227 the tree structure GIT_INDEX_FILE describes.
231 Any git comand accepting any <object> can also use the following
235 indicates the head of the repository (ie the contents of
239 (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags/<tag>`)
242 (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/<head>`)
244 a valid snapshot 'name'+
245 (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/snap/<snap>`)
248 File/Directory Structure
249 ------------------------
250 The git-core manipulates the following areas in the directory:
252 .git/ The base (overridden with $GIT_DIR)
253 objects/ The object base (overridden with $GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY)
254 ??/ 'First 2 chars of object' directories.
255 pack/ Packed archives.
257 refs/ Directories containing symbolic names for objects
258 (each file contains the hex SHA1 + newline)
259 heads/ Commits which are heads of various sorts
260 tags/ Tags, by the tag name (or some local renaming of it)
261 */ Any other subdirectory of refs/ can be used to store
262 files similar to what are under refs/heads/.
263 HEAD Symlink to refs/heads/<current-branch-name>
265 Higher level SCMs may provide and manage additional information in the
270 Each line contains terms which you may see used interchangeably
272 object database, .git directory
273 directory cache, index
274 id, sha1, sha1-id, sha1 hash
278 Environment Variables
279 ---------------------
280 Various git commands use the following environment variables:
284 These environment variables apply to 'all' core git commands. Nb: it
285 is worth noting that they may be used/overridden by SCMS sitting above
286 git so take care if using Cogito etc
289 This environment allows the specification of an alternate
290 cache/index file. If not specified, the default of
291 `$GIT_DIR/index` is used.
293 'GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY'::
294 If the object storage directory is specified via this
295 environment variable then the sha1 directories are created
296 underneath - otherwise the default `$GIT_DIR/objects`
299 'GIT_ALTERNATE_OBJECT_DIRECTORIES'::
300 Due to the immutable nature of git objects, old objects can be
301 archived into shared, read-only directories. This variable
302 specifies a ":" seperated list of git object directories which
303 can be used to search for git objects. New objects will not be
304 written to these directories.
307 If the 'GIT_DIR' environment variable is set then it specifies
308 a path to use instead of `./.git` for the base of the
316 'GIT_COMMITTER_NAME'::
317 'GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL'::
318 see link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]
323 'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF'::
324 see the "generating patches" section in :
325 link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache];
326 link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files];
327 link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]
335 Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
339 Documentation by David Greaves, Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
343 Part of the link:git.html[git] suite