NAME
----
-git-symbolic-ref - read and modify symbolic refs
+git-symbolic-ref - Read and modify symbolic refs
SYNOPSIS
--------
-'git-symbolic-ref' <name> [<ref>]
+'git-symbolic-ref' [-q] <name> [<ref>]
DESCRIPTION
-----------
Give two arguments, create or update a symbolic ref <name> to
point at the given branch <ref>.
-Traditionally, `.git/HEAD` is a symlink pointing at
-`refs/heads/master`. When we want to switch to another branch,
-we did `ln -sf refs/heads/newbranch .git/HEAD`, and when we want
+A symbolic ref is a regular file that stores a string that
+begins with `ref: refs/`. For example, your `.git/HEAD` is
+a regular file whose contents is `ref: refs/heads/master`.
+
+OPTIONS
+-------
+
+-q::
+ Do not issue an error message if the <name> is not a
+ symbolic ref but a detached HEAD; instead exit with
+ non-zero status silently.
+
+NOTES
+-----
+In the past, `.git/HEAD` was a symbolic link pointing at
+`refs/heads/master`. When we wanted to switch to another branch,
+we did `ln -sf refs/heads/newbranch .git/HEAD`, and when we wanted
to find out which branch we are on, we did `readlink .git/HEAD`.
This was fine, and internally that is what still happens by
default, but on platforms that do not have working symlinks,
or that do not have the `readlink(1)` command, this was a bit
cumbersome. On some platforms, `ln -sf` does not even work as
-advertised (horrors).
-
-A symbolic ref can be a regular file that stores a string that
-begins with `ref: refs/`. For example, your `.git/HEAD` *can*
-be a regular file whose contents is `ref: refs/heads/master`.
-This can be used on a filesystem that does not support symbolic
-links. Instead of doing `readlink .git/HEAD`, `git-symbolic-ref
-HEAD` can be used to find out which branch we are on. To point
-the HEAD to `newbranch`, instead of `ln -sf refs/heads/newbranch
-.git/HEAD`, `git-symbolic-ref HEAD refs/heads/newbranch` can be
-used.
-
-Currently, .git/HEAD uses a regular file symbolic ref on Cygwin,
-and everywhere else it is implemented as a symlink. This can be
-changed at compilation time.
+advertised (horrors). Therefore symbolic links are now deprecated
+and symbolic refs are used by default.
+
+git-symbolic-ref will exit with status 0 if the contents of the
+symbolic ref were printed correctly, with status 1 if the requested
+name is not a symbolic ref, or 128 if another error occurs.
Author
------