Documentation / git-push.txton commit Merge branch 'nd/grep-exclude-standard-help-fix' into maint (2408f3b)
   1git-push(1)
   2===========
   3
   4NAME
   5----
   6git-push - Update remote refs along with associated objects
   7
   8
   9SYNOPSIS
  10--------
  11[verse]
  12'git push' [--all | --mirror | --tags] [--follow-tags] [-n | --dry-run] [--receive-pack=<git-receive-pack>]
  13           [--repo=<repository>] [-f | --force] [--prune] [-v | --verbose]
  14           [-u | --set-upstream] [--signed]
  15           [--force-with-lease[=<refname>[:<expect>]]]
  16           [--no-verify] [<repository> [<refspec>...]]
  17
  18DESCRIPTION
  19-----------
  20
  21Updates remote refs using local refs, while sending objects
  22necessary to complete the given refs.
  23
  24You can make interesting things happen to a repository
  25every time you push into it, by setting up 'hooks' there.  See
  26documentation for linkgit:git-receive-pack[1].
  27
  28When the command line does not specify where to push with the
  29`<repository>` argument, `branch.*.remote` configuration for the
  30current branch is consulted to determine where to push.  If the
  31configuration is missing, it defaults to 'origin'.
  32
  33When the command line does not specify what to push with `<refspec>...`
  34arguments or `--all`, `--mirror`, `--tags` options, the command finds
  35the default `<refspec>` by consulting `remote.*.push` configuration,
  36and if it is not found, honors `push.default` configuration to decide
  37what to push (See linkgit:git-config[1] for the meaning of `push.default`).
  38
  39
  40OPTIONS[[OPTIONS]]
  41------------------
  42<repository>::
  43        The "remote" repository that is destination of a push
  44        operation.  This parameter can be either a URL
  45        (see the section <<URLS,GIT URLS>> below) or the name
  46        of a remote (see the section <<REMOTES,REMOTES>> below).
  47
  48<refspec>...::
  49        Specify what destination ref to update with what source object.
  50        The format of a <refspec> parameter is an optional plus
  51        `+`, followed by the source object <src>, followed
  52        by a colon `:`, followed by the destination ref <dst>.
  53+
  54The <src> is often the name of the branch you would want to push, but
  55it can be any arbitrary "SHA-1 expression", such as `master~4` or
  56`HEAD` (see linkgit:gitrevisions[7]).
  57+
  58The <dst> tells which ref on the remote side is updated with this
  59push. Arbitrary expressions cannot be used here, an actual ref must
  60be named.
  61If `git push [<repository>]` without any `<refspec>` argument is set to
  62update some ref at the destination with `<src>` with
  63`remote.<repository>.push` configuration variable, `:<dst>` part can
  64be omitted---such a push will update a ref that `<src>` normally updates
  65without any `<refspec>` on the command line.  Otherwise, missing
  66`:<dst>` means to update the same ref as the `<src>`.
  67+
  68The object referenced by <src> is used to update the <dst> reference
  69on the remote side.  By default this is only allowed if <dst> is not
  70a tag (annotated or lightweight), and then only if it can fast-forward
  71<dst>.  By having the optional leading `+`, you can tell Git to update
  72the <dst> ref even if it is not allowed by default (e.g., it is not a
  73fast-forward.)  This does *not* attempt to merge <src> into <dst>.  See
  74EXAMPLES below for details.
  75+
  76`tag <tag>` means the same as `refs/tags/<tag>:refs/tags/<tag>`.
  77+
  78Pushing an empty <src> allows you to delete the <dst> ref from
  79the remote repository.
  80+
  81The special refspec `:` (or `+:` to allow non-fast-forward updates)
  82directs Git to push "matching" branches: for every branch that exists on
  83the local side, the remote side is updated if a branch of the same name
  84already exists on the remote side.
  85
  86--all::
  87        Push all branches (i.e. refs under `refs/heads/`); cannot be
  88        used with other <refspec>.
  89
  90--prune::
  91        Remove remote branches that don't have a local counterpart. For example
  92        a remote branch `tmp` will be removed if a local branch with the same
  93        name doesn't exist any more. This also respects refspecs, e.g.
  94        `git push --prune remote refs/heads/*:refs/tmp/*` would
  95        make sure that remote `refs/tmp/foo` will be removed if `refs/heads/foo`
  96        doesn't exist.
  97
  98--mirror::
  99        Instead of naming each ref to push, specifies that all
 100        refs under `refs/` (which includes but is not
 101        limited to `refs/heads/`, `refs/remotes/`, and `refs/tags/`)
 102        be mirrored to the remote repository.  Newly created local
 103        refs will be pushed to the remote end, locally updated refs
 104        will be force updated on the remote end, and deleted refs
 105        will be removed from the remote end.  This is the default
 106        if the configuration option `remote.<remote>.mirror` is
 107        set.
 108
 109-n::
 110--dry-run::
 111        Do everything except actually send the updates.
 112
 113--porcelain::
 114        Produce machine-readable output.  The output status line for each ref
 115        will be tab-separated and sent to stdout instead of stderr.  The full
 116        symbolic names of the refs will be given.
 117
 118--delete::
 119        All listed refs are deleted from the remote repository. This is
 120        the same as prefixing all refs with a colon.
 121
 122--tags::
 123        All refs under `refs/tags` are pushed, in
 124        addition to refspecs explicitly listed on the command
 125        line.
 126
 127--follow-tags::
 128        Push all the refs that would be pushed without this option,
 129        and also push annotated tags in `refs/tags` that are missing
 130        from the remote but are pointing at commit-ish that are
 131        reachable from the refs being pushed.
 132
 133--signed::
 134        GPG-sign the push request to update refs on the receiving
 135        side, to allow it to be checked by the hooks and/or be
 136        logged.  See linkgit:git-receive-pack[1] for the details
 137        on the receiving end.
 138
 139--receive-pack=<git-receive-pack>::
 140--exec=<git-receive-pack>::
 141        Path to the 'git-receive-pack' program on the remote
 142        end.  Sometimes useful when pushing to a remote
 143        repository over ssh, and you do not have the program in
 144        a directory on the default $PATH.
 145
 146--[no-]force-with-lease::
 147--force-with-lease=<refname>::
 148--force-with-lease=<refname>:<expect>::
 149        Usually, "git push" refuses to update a remote ref that is
 150        not an ancestor of the local ref used to overwrite it.
 151+
 152This option bypasses the check, but instead requires that the
 153current value of the ref to be the expected value.  "git push"
 154fails otherwise.
 155+
 156Imagine that you have to rebase what you have already published.
 157You will have to bypass the "must fast-forward" rule in order to
 158replace the history you originally published with the rebased history.
 159If somebody else built on top of your original history while you are
 160rebasing, the tip of the branch at the remote may advance with her
 161commit, and blindly pushing with `--force` will lose her work.
 162+
 163This option allows you to say that you expect the history you are
 164updating is what you rebased and want to replace. If the remote ref
 165still points at the commit you specified, you can be sure that no
 166other people did anything to the ref (it is like taking a "lease" on
 167the ref without explicitly locking it, and you update the ref while
 168making sure that your earlier "lease" is still valid).
 169+
 170`--force-with-lease` alone, without specifying the details, will protect
 171all remote refs that are going to be updated by requiring their
 172current value to be the same as the remote-tracking branch we have
 173for them, unless specified with a `--force-with-lease=<refname>:<expect>`
 174option that explicitly states what the expected value is.
 175+
 176`--force-with-lease=<refname>`, without specifying the expected value, will
 177protect the named ref (alone), if it is going to be updated, by
 178requiring its current value to be the same as the remote-tracking
 179branch we have for it.
 180+
 181`--force-with-lease=<refname>:<expect>` will protect the named ref (alone),
 182if it is going to be updated, by requiring its current value to be
 183the same as the specified value <expect> (which is allowed to be
 184different from the remote-tracking branch we have for the refname,
 185or we do not even have to have such a remote-tracking branch when
 186this form is used).
 187+
 188Note that all forms other than `--force-with-lease=<refname>:<expect>`
 189that specifies the expected current value of the ref explicitly are
 190still experimental and their semantics may change as we gain experience
 191with this feature.
 192+
 193"--no-force-with-lease" will cancel all the previous --force-with-lease on the
 194command line.
 195
 196-f::
 197--force::
 198        Usually, the command refuses to update a remote ref that is
 199        not an ancestor of the local ref used to overwrite it.
 200        Also, when `--force-with-lease` option is used, the command refuses
 201        to update a remote ref whose current value does not match
 202        what is expected.
 203+
 204This flag disables these checks, and can cause the remote repository
 205to lose commits; use it with care.
 206+
 207Note that `--force` applies to all the refs that are pushed, hence
 208using it with `push.default` set to `matching` or with multiple push
 209destinations configured with `remote.*.push` may overwrite refs
 210other than the current branch (including local refs that are
 211strictly behind their remote counterpart).  To force a push to only
 212one branch, use a `+` in front of the refspec to push (e.g `git push
 213origin +master` to force a push to the `master` branch). See the
 214`<refspec>...` section above for details.
 215
 216--repo=<repository>::
 217        This option is equivalent to the <repository> argument. If both
 218        are specified, the command-line argument takes precedence.
 219
 220-u::
 221--set-upstream::
 222        For every branch that is up to date or successfully pushed, add
 223        upstream (tracking) reference, used by argument-less
 224        linkgit:git-pull[1] and other commands. For more information,
 225        see 'branch.<name>.merge' in linkgit:git-config[1].
 226
 227--[no-]thin::
 228        These options are passed to linkgit:git-send-pack[1]. A thin transfer
 229        significantly reduces the amount of sent data when the sender and
 230        receiver share many of the same objects in common. The default is
 231        \--thin.
 232
 233-q::
 234--quiet::
 235        Suppress all output, including the listing of updated refs,
 236        unless an error occurs. Progress is not reported to the standard
 237        error stream.
 238
 239-v::
 240--verbose::
 241        Run verbosely.
 242
 243--progress::
 244        Progress status is reported on the standard error stream
 245        by default when it is attached to a terminal, unless -q
 246        is specified. This flag forces progress status even if the
 247        standard error stream is not directed to a terminal.
 248
 249--recurse-submodules=check|on-demand::
 250        Make sure all submodule commits used by the revisions to be
 251        pushed are available on a remote-tracking branch. If 'check' is
 252        used Git will verify that all submodule commits that changed in
 253        the revisions to be pushed are available on at least one remote
 254        of the submodule. If any commits are missing the push will be
 255        aborted and exit with non-zero status. If 'on-demand' is used
 256        all submodules that changed in the revisions to be pushed will
 257        be pushed. If on-demand was not able to push all necessary
 258        revisions it will also be aborted and exit with non-zero status.
 259
 260--[no-]verify::
 261        Toggle the pre-push hook (see linkgit:githooks[5]).  The
 262        default is \--verify, giving the hook a chance to prevent the
 263        push.  With \--no-verify, the hook is bypassed completely.
 264
 265
 266include::urls-remotes.txt[]
 267
 268OUTPUT
 269------
 270
 271The output of "git push" depends on the transport method used; this
 272section describes the output when pushing over the Git protocol (either
 273locally or via ssh).
 274
 275The status of the push is output in tabular form, with each line
 276representing the status of a single ref. Each line is of the form:
 277
 278-------------------------------
 279 <flag> <summary> <from> -> <to> (<reason>)
 280-------------------------------
 281
 282If --porcelain is used, then each line of the output is of the form:
 283
 284-------------------------------
 285 <flag> \t <from>:<to> \t <summary> (<reason>)
 286-------------------------------
 287
 288The status of up-to-date refs is shown only if --porcelain or --verbose
 289option is used.
 290
 291flag::
 292        A single character indicating the status of the ref:
 293(space);; for a successfully pushed fast-forward;
 294`+`;; for a successful forced update;
 295`-`;; for a successfully deleted ref;
 296`*`;; for a successfully pushed new ref;
 297`!`;; for a ref that was rejected or failed to push; and
 298`=`;; for a ref that was up to date and did not need pushing.
 299
 300summary::
 301        For a successfully pushed ref, the summary shows the old and new
 302        values of the ref in a form suitable for using as an argument to
 303        `git log` (this is `<old>..<new>` in most cases, and
 304        `<old>...<new>` for forced non-fast-forward updates).
 305+
 306For a failed update, more details are given:
 307+
 308--
 309rejected::
 310        Git did not try to send the ref at all, typically because it
 311        is not a fast-forward and you did not force the update.
 312
 313remote rejected::
 314        The remote end refused the update.  Usually caused by a hook
 315        on the remote side, or because the remote repository has one
 316        of the following safety options in effect:
 317        `receive.denyCurrentBranch` (for pushes to the checked out
 318        branch), `receive.denyNonFastForwards` (for forced
 319        non-fast-forward updates), `receive.denyDeletes` or
 320        `receive.denyDeleteCurrent`.  See linkgit:git-config[1].
 321
 322remote failure::
 323        The remote end did not report the successful update of the ref,
 324        perhaps because of a temporary error on the remote side, a
 325        break in the network connection, or other transient error.
 326--
 327
 328from::
 329        The name of the local ref being pushed, minus its
 330        `refs/<type>/` prefix. In the case of deletion, the
 331        name of the local ref is omitted.
 332
 333to::
 334        The name of the remote ref being updated, minus its
 335        `refs/<type>/` prefix.
 336
 337reason::
 338        A human-readable explanation. In the case of successfully pushed
 339        refs, no explanation is needed. For a failed ref, the reason for
 340        failure is described.
 341
 342Note about fast-forwards
 343------------------------
 344
 345When an update changes a branch (or more in general, a ref) that used to
 346point at commit A to point at another commit B, it is called a
 347fast-forward update if and only if B is a descendant of A.
 348
 349In a fast-forward update from A to B, the set of commits that the original
 350commit A built on top of is a subset of the commits the new commit B
 351builds on top of.  Hence, it does not lose any history.
 352
 353In contrast, a non-fast-forward update will lose history.  For example,
 354suppose you and somebody else started at the same commit X, and you built
 355a history leading to commit B while the other person built a history
 356leading to commit A.  The history looks like this:
 357
 358----------------
 359
 360      B
 361     /
 362 ---X---A
 363
 364----------------
 365
 366Further suppose that the other person already pushed changes leading to A
 367back to the original repository from which you two obtained the original
 368commit X.
 369
 370The push done by the other person updated the branch that used to point at
 371commit X to point at commit A.  It is a fast-forward.
 372
 373But if you try to push, you will attempt to update the branch (that
 374now points at A) with commit B.  This does _not_ fast-forward.  If you did
 375so, the changes introduced by commit A will be lost, because everybody
 376will now start building on top of B.
 377
 378The command by default does not allow an update that is not a fast-forward
 379to prevent such loss of history.
 380
 381If you do not want to lose your work (history from X to B) or the work by
 382the other person (history from X to A), you would need to first fetch the
 383history from the repository, create a history that contains changes done
 384by both parties, and push the result back.
 385
 386You can perform "git pull", resolve potential conflicts, and "git push"
 387the result.  A "git pull" will create a merge commit C between commits A
 388and B.
 389
 390----------------
 391
 392      B---C
 393     /   /
 394 ---X---A
 395
 396----------------
 397
 398Updating A with the resulting merge commit will fast-forward and your
 399push will be accepted.
 400
 401Alternatively, you can rebase your change between X and B on top of A,
 402with "git pull --rebase", and push the result back.  The rebase will
 403create a new commit D that builds the change between X and B on top of
 404A.
 405
 406----------------
 407
 408      B   D
 409     /   /
 410 ---X---A
 411
 412----------------
 413
 414Again, updating A with this commit will fast-forward and your push will be
 415accepted.
 416
 417There is another common situation where you may encounter non-fast-forward
 418rejection when you try to push, and it is possible even when you are
 419pushing into a repository nobody else pushes into. After you push commit
 420A yourself (in the first picture in this section), replace it with "git
 421commit --amend" to produce commit B, and you try to push it out, because
 422forgot that you have pushed A out already. In such a case, and only if
 423you are certain that nobody in the meantime fetched your earlier commit A
 424(and started building on top of it), you can run "git push --force" to
 425overwrite it. In other words, "git push --force" is a method reserved for
 426a case where you do mean to lose history.
 427
 428
 429Examples
 430--------
 431
 432`git push`::
 433        Works like `git push <remote>`, where <remote> is the
 434        current branch's remote (or `origin`, if no remote is
 435        configured for the current branch).
 436
 437`git push origin`::
 438        Without additional configuration, pushes the current branch to
 439        the configured upstream (`remote.origin.merge` configuration
 440        variable) if it has the same name as the current branch, and
 441        errors out without pushing otherwise.
 442+
 443The default behavior of this command when no <refspec> is given can be
 444configured by setting the `push` option of the remote, or the `push.default`
 445configuration variable.
 446+
 447For example, to default to pushing only the current branch to `origin`
 448use `git config remote.origin.push HEAD`.  Any valid <refspec> (like
 449the ones in the examples below) can be configured as the default for
 450`git push origin`.
 451
 452`git push origin :`::
 453        Push "matching" branches to `origin`. See
 454        <refspec> in the <<OPTIONS,OPTIONS>> section above for a
 455        description of "matching" branches.
 456
 457`git push origin master`::
 458        Find a ref that matches `master` in the source repository
 459        (most likely, it would find `refs/heads/master`), and update
 460        the same ref (e.g. `refs/heads/master`) in `origin` repository
 461        with it.  If `master` did not exist remotely, it would be
 462        created.
 463
 464`git push origin HEAD`::
 465        A handy way to push the current branch to the same name on the
 466        remote.
 467
 468`git push mothership master:satellite/master dev:satellite/dev`::
 469        Use the source ref that matches `master` (e.g. `refs/heads/master`)
 470        to update the ref that matches `satellite/master` (most probably
 471        `refs/remotes/satellite/master`) in the `mothership` repository;
 472        do the same for `dev` and `satellite/dev`.
 473+
 474This is to emulate `git fetch` run on the `mothership` using `git
 475push` that is run in the opposite direction in order to integrate
 476the work done on `satellite`, and is often necessary when you can
 477only make connection in one way (i.e. satellite can ssh into
 478mothership but mothership cannot initiate connection to satellite
 479because the latter is behind a firewall or does not run sshd).
 480+
 481After running this `git push` on the `satellite` machine, you would
 482ssh into the `mothership` and run `git merge` there to complete the
 483emulation of `git pull` that were run on `mothership` to pull changes
 484made on `satellite`.
 485
 486`git push origin HEAD:master`::
 487        Push the current branch to the remote ref matching `master` in the
 488        `origin` repository. This form is convenient to push the current
 489        branch without thinking about its local name.
 490
 491`git push origin master:refs/heads/experimental`::
 492        Create the branch `experimental` in the `origin` repository
 493        by copying the current `master` branch.  This form is only
 494        needed to create a new branch or tag in the remote repository when
 495        the local name and the remote name are different; otherwise,
 496        the ref name on its own will work.
 497
 498`git push origin :experimental`::
 499        Find a ref that matches `experimental` in the `origin` repository
 500        (e.g. `refs/heads/experimental`), and delete it.
 501
 502`git push origin +dev:master`::
 503        Update the origin repository's master branch with the dev branch,
 504        allowing non-fast-forward updates.  *This can leave unreferenced
 505        commits dangling in the origin repository.*  Consider the
 506        following situation, where a fast-forward is not possible:
 507+
 508----
 509            o---o---o---A---B  origin/master
 510                     \
 511                      X---Y---Z  dev
 512----
 513+
 514The above command would change the origin repository to
 515+
 516----
 517                      A---B  (unnamed branch)
 518                     /
 519            o---o---o---X---Y---Z  master
 520----
 521+
 522Commits A and B would no longer belong to a branch with a symbolic name,
 523and so would be unreachable.  As such, these commits would be removed by
 524a `git gc` command on the origin repository.
 525
 526GIT
 527---
 528Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite