Everyday GIT With 20 Commands Or So =================================== GIT suite has over 100 commands, and the manual page for each of them discusses what the command does and how it is used in detail, but until you know what command should be used in order to achieve what you want to do, you cannot tell which manual page to look at, and if you know that already you do not need the manual. Does that mean you need to know all of them before you can use git? Not at all. Depending on the role you play, the set of commands you need to know is slightly different, but in any case what you need to learn is far smaller than the full set of commands to carry out your day-to-day work. This document is to serve as a cheat-sheet and a set of pointers for people playing various roles. <> commands are needed by people who has a repository --- that is everybody, because every working tree of git is a repository. In addition, <> commands are essential for anybody who makes a commit, even for somebody who works alone. If you work with other people, you will need commands listed in <> section as well. People who play <> role need to learn some more commands in addition to the above. <> commands are for system administrators who are responsible to care and feed git repositories to support developers. Basic Repository[[Basic Repository]] ------------------------------------ Everybody uses these commands to feed and care git repositories. * gitlink:git-init-db[1] or gitlink:git-clone[1] to create a new repository. * gitlink:git-fsck-objects[1] to validate the repository. * gitlink:git-prune[1] to garbage collect crufts in the repository. * gitlink:git-repack[1] to pack loose objects for efficiency. Individual Developer (Standalone)[[Individual Developer (Standalone)]] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A standalone individual developer does not exchange patches with other poeple, and works alone in a single repository, using the following commands. * gitlink:git-show-branch[1] to see where you are. * gitlink:git-log[1] to see what happened. * gitlink:git-whatchanged[1] to find out where things have come from. * gitlink:git-checkout[1] and gitlink:git-branch[1] to switch branches. * gitlink:git-add[1] and gitlink:git-update-index[1] to manage the index file. * gitlink:git-diff[1] and gitlink:git-status[1] to see what you are in the middle of doing. * gitlink:git-commit[1] to advance the current branch. * gitlink:git-reset[1] and gitlink:git-checkout[1] (with pathname parameters) to undo changes. * gitlink:git-pull[1] with "." as the remote to merge between local branches. * gitlink:git-rebase[1] to maintain topic branches. Examples ~~~~~~~~ * Extract a tarball and create a working tree and a new repository to keep track of it. ------------ $ tar zxf frotz.tar.gz $ cd frotz $ git-init-db $ git add . $ git commit -m 'import of frotz source tree.' ------------ * Create a topic branch and develop ------------ $ git checkout -b private $ edit/compile/test $ git diff <1> $ git checkout -- foo.c <2> $ edit/compile/test $ git commit -a -s <3> $ git checkout master <4> $ git pull . private <5> <1> to see what changes you are committing. <2> revert your botched changes in selected path "foo.c". <3> commit everything as you have tested. <4> switch to the master branch. <5> merge a topic branch into your master branch ------------ Individual Developer (Participant)[[Individual Developer (Participant)]] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A developer working as a participant in a group project needs to learn how to communicate with others, and uses these commands in addition to the ones needed by a standalone developer. * gitlink:git-pull[1] from "origin" to keep up-to-date with the upstream. * gitlink:git-push[1] to shared repository if you adopt CVS style shared repository workflow. * gitlink:git-format-patch[1] to prepare e-mail submission, if you adopt Linux kernel-style public forum workflow. Examples ~~~~~~~~ * Clone the upstream and work on it. Feed changes to upstream. ------------ $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/.../torvalds/linux-2.6 my2.6 $ cd my2.6 $ edit/compile/test; git commit -a -s <1> $ git format-patch master <2> $ git pull <3> $ git pull git://git.kernel.org/pub/.../jgarzik/libata-dev.git ALL <4> <1> repeat as needed. <2> extract patches from your branch for e-mail submission. <3> "pull" fetches from "origin" by default and merges. <4> fetch from a specific branch from a specific repository and and merge. ------------ * Branch off of a specific tag. ------------ $ git checkout -b private2.6.14 v2.6.14 <1> $ edit/compile/test; git commit -a $ git checkout master $ git format-patch -k -m --stdout v2.6.14..private2.6.14 | git am -3 -k <2> <1> create a private branch based on a well known (but somewhat behind) tag. <2> forward port all changes in private2.6.14 branch to master branch without formal "merging". ------------ Integrator[[Integrator]] ------------------------ A fairly central person acting as the integrator in a group project receives changes made by others, reviews and integrates them and publishes the result for others to use, using these commands in addition to the ones needed by participants. * gitlink:git-am[1] to apply patches e-mailed in from your contributors. * gitlink:git-pull[1] to merge from your trusted lieutenants. * gitlink:git-format-patch[1] to prepare and send suggested alternative to contributors. * gitlink:git-revert[1] to undo botched commits. * gitlink:git-push[1] to publish the bleeding edge. Repository Administration[[Repository Administration]] ------------------------------------------------------ A repository administrator uses the following tools to set up and maintain access to the repository by developers. * gitlink:git-daemon[1] to allow anonymous download from repository. * gitlink:git-shell[1] can be used as a 'restricted login shell' for shared central repository users. * link:howto/update-hook-example.txt[update hook howto] has a good example of managing a shared central repository.