git(7)
======
-May 2005
NAME
----
SYNOPSIS
--------
-'git-<command>' <args>
+'git' [--version] [--exec-path[=GIT_EXEC_PATH]] [--help] COMMAND [ARGS]
DESCRIPTION
-----------
+'git' is both a program and a directory content tracker system.
+The program 'git' is just a wrapper to reach the core git programs
+(or a potty if you like, as it's not exactly porcelain but still
+brings your stuff to the plumbing).
-This is reference information for the core git commands.
+OPTIONS
+-------
+--version::
+ prints the git suite version that the 'git' program came from.
-The Discussion section below contains much useful definition and
-clarification info - read that first. And of the commands, I suggest
-reading link:git-update-cache.html[git-update-cache] and
-link:git-read-tree.html[git-read-tree] first - I wish I had!
+--help::
+ prints the synopsis and a list of available commands.
+ If a git command is named this option will bring up the
+ man-page for that command.
-David Greaves <david@dgreaves.com>
-08/05/05
+--exec-path::
+ path to wherever your core git programs are installed.
+ This can also be controlled by setting the GIT_EXEC_PATH
+ environment variable. If no path is given 'git' will print
+ the current setting and then exit.
+
+
+NOT LEARNING CORE GIT COMMANDS
+------------------------------
+
+This manual is intended to give complete background information
+and internal workings of git, which may be too much for most
+people. The <<Discussion>> section below contains much useful
+definition and clarification - read that first.
+
+If you are interested in using git to manage (version control)
+projects, use link:tutorial.html[The Tutorial] to get you started,
+and then link:everyday.html[Everyday GIT] as a guide to the
+minimum set of commands you need to know for day-to-day work.
+Most likely, that will get you started, and you can go a long
+way without knowing the low level details too much.
+
+The link:core-tutorial.html[Core tutorial] document covers how things
+internally work.
+
+If you are migrating from CVS, link:cvs-migration.html[cvs
+migration] document may be helpful after you finish the
+tutorial.
+
+After you get the general feel from the tutorial and this
+overview page, you may want to take a look at the
+link:howto-index.html[howto] documents.
+
+
+CORE GIT COMMANDS
+-----------------
+
+If you are writing your own Porcelain, you need to be familiar
+with most of the low level commands --- I suggest starting from
+gitlink:git-update-index[1] and gitlink:git-read-tree[1].
-Updated by Junio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net> on 2005-05-05 to
-reflect recent changes.
Commands Overview
-----------------
The git commands can helpfully be split into those that manipulate
-the repository, the cache and the working fileset and those that
-interrogate and compare them.
+the repository, the index and the files in the working tree, those that
+interrogate and compare them, and those that moves objects and
+references between repositories.
-There are also some ancilliary programs that can be viewed as useful
+In addition, git itself comes with a spartan set of porcelain
+commands. They are usable but are not meant to compete with real
+Porcelains.
+
+There are also some ancillary programs that can be viewed as useful
aids for using the core commands but which are unlikely to be used by
SCMs layered over git.
Manipulation commands
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-link:git-checkout-cache.html[git-checkout-cache]::
- Copy files from the cache to the working directory
+gitlink:git-apply[1]::
+ Reads a "diff -up1" or git generated patch file and
+ applies it to the working tree.
+
+gitlink:git-checkout-index[1]::
+ Copy files from the index to the working tree.
+
+gitlink:git-commit-tree[1]::
+ Creates a new commit object.
-link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]::
- Creates a new commit object
+gitlink:git-hash-object[1]::
+ Computes the object ID from a file.
-link:git-init-db.html[git-init-db]::
- Creates an empty git object database
+gitlink:git-index-pack[1]::
+ Build pack idx file for an existing packed archive.
-link:git-merge-base.html[git-merge-base]::
- Finds as good a common ancestor as possible for a merge
+gitlink:git-init-db[1]::
+ Creates an empty git object database, or reinitialize an
+ existing one.
-link:git-mktag.html[git-mktag]::
- Creates a tag object
+gitlink:git-merge-index[1]::
+ Runs a merge for files needing merging.
-link:git-read-tree.html[git-read-tree]::
- Reads tree information into the directory cache
+gitlink:git-mktag[1]::
+ Creates a tag object.
-link:git-update-cache.html[git-update-cache]::
- Modifies the index or directory cache
+gitlink:git-pack-objects[1]::
+ Creates a packed archive of objects.
-link:git-write-blob.html[git-write-blob]::
- Creates a blob from a file
+gitlink:git-prune-packed[1]::
+ Remove extra objects that are already in pack files.
+
+gitlink:git-read-tree[1]::
+ Reads tree information into the index.
+
+gitlink:git-repo-config[1]::
+ Get and set options in .git/config.
+
+gitlink:git-unpack-objects[1]::
+ Unpacks objects out of a packed archive.
+
+gitlink:git-update-index[1]::
+ Registers files in the working tree to the index.
+
+gitlink:git-write-tree[1]::
+ Creates a tree from the index.
-link:git-write-tree.html[git-write-tree]::
- Creates a tree from the current cache
Interrogation commands
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-link:git-cat-file.html[git-cat-file]::
- Provide content or type information for repository objects
-link:git-check-files.html[git-check-files]::
- Verify a list of files are up-to-date
+gitlink:git-cat-file[1]::
+ Provide content or type/size information for repository objects.
+
+gitlink:git-describe[1]::
+ Show the most recent tag that is reachable from a commit.
+
+gitlink:git-diff-index[1]::
+ Compares content and mode of blobs between the index and repository.
+
+gitlink:git-diff-files[1]::
+ Compares files in the working tree and the index.
+
+gitlink:git-diff-stages[1]::
+ Compares two "merge stages" in the index.
+
+gitlink:git-diff-tree[1]::
+ Compares the content and mode of blobs found via two tree objects.
+
+gitlink:git-fsck-objects[1]::
+ Verifies the connectivity and validity of the objects in the database.
+
+gitlink:git-ls-files[1]::
+ Information about files in the index and the working tree.
+
+gitlink:git-ls-tree[1]::
+ Displays a tree object in human readable form.
-link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache]::
- Compares content and mode of blobs between the cache and repository
+gitlink:git-merge-base[1]::
+ Finds as good common ancestors as possible for a merge.
-link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files]::
- Compares files in the working tree and the cache
+gitlink:git-name-rev[1]::
+ Find symbolic names for given revs.
+
+gitlink:git-pack-redundant[1]::
+ Find redundant pack files.
+
+gitlink:git-rev-list[1]::
+ Lists commit objects in reverse chronological order.
+
+gitlink:git-show-index[1]::
+ Displays contents of a pack idx file.
+
+gitlink:git-tar-tree[1]::
+ Creates a tar archive of the files in the named tree object.
+
+gitlink:git-unpack-file[1]::
+ Creates a temporary file with a blob's contents.
+
+gitlink:git-var[1]::
+ Displays a git logical variable.
+
+gitlink:git-verify-pack[1]::
+ Validates packed git archive files.
+
+In general, the interrogate commands do not touch the files in
+the working tree.
+
+
+Synching repositories
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+gitlink:git-clone-pack[1]::
+ Clones a repository into the current repository (engine
+ for ssh and local transport).
+
+gitlink:git-fetch-pack[1]::
+ Updates from a remote repository (engine for ssh and
+ local transport).
+
+gitlink:git-http-fetch[1]::
+ Downloads a remote git repository via HTTP by walking
+ commit chain.
+
+gitlink:git-local-fetch[1]::
+ Duplicates another git repository on a local system by
+ walking commit chain.
+
+gitlink:git-peek-remote[1]::
+ Lists references on a remote repository using
+ upload-pack protocol (engine for ssh and local
+ transport).
+
+gitlink:git-receive-pack[1]::
+ Invoked by 'git-send-pack' to receive what is pushed to it.
+
+gitlink:git-send-pack[1]::
+ Pushes to a remote repository, intelligently.
+
+gitlink:git-http-push[1]::
+ Push missing objects using HTTP/DAV.
+
+gitlink:git-shell[1]::
+ Restricted shell for GIT-only SSH access.
+
+gitlink:git-ssh-fetch[1]::
+ Pulls from a remote repository over ssh connection by
+ walking commit chain.
+
+gitlink:git-ssh-upload[1]::
+ Helper "server-side" program used by git-ssh-fetch.
+
+gitlink:git-update-server-info[1]::
+ Updates auxiliary information on a dumb server to help
+ clients discover references and packs on it.
+
+gitlink:git-upload-pack[1]::
+ Invoked by 'git-clone-pack' and 'git-fetch-pack' to push
+ what are asked for.
+
+
+Porcelain-ish Commands
+----------------------
-link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]::
- Compares the content and mode of blobs found via two tree objects
+gitlink:git-add[1]::
+ Add paths to the index.
-link:git-export.html[git-export]::
- Exports each commit and a diff against each of its parents
+gitlink:git-am[1]::
+ Apply patches from a mailbox, but cooler.
-link:git-fsck-cache.html[git-fsck-cache]::
- Verifies the connectivity and validity of the objects in the database
+gitlink:git-applymbox[1]::
+ Apply patches from a mailbox, original version by Linus.
-link:git-ls-files.html[git-ls-files]::
- Information about files in the cache/working directory
+gitlink:git-bisect[1]::
+ Find the change that introduced a bug by binary search.
-link:git-ls-tree.html[git-ls-tree]::
- Displays a tree object in human readable form
+gitlink:git-branch[1]::
+ Create and Show branches.
-link:git-merge-cache.html[git-merge-cache]::
- Runs a merge for files needing merging
+gitlink:git-checkout[1]::
+ Checkout and switch to a branch.
-link:git-rev-list.html[git-rev-list]::
- Lists commit objects in reverse chronological order
+gitlink:git-cherry-pick[1]::
+ Cherry-pick the effect of an existing commit.
-link:git-rev-tree.html[git-rev-tree]::
- Provides the revision tree for one or more commits
+gitlink:git-clone[1]::
+ Clones a repository into a new directory.
-link:git-tar-tree.html[git-tar-tree]::
- Creates a tar archive of the files in the named tree
+gitlink:git-commit[1]::
+ Record changes to the repository.
-link:git-unpack-file.html[git-unpack-file]::
- Creates a temporary file with a blob's contents
+gitlink:git-diff[1]::
+ Show changes between commits, commit and working tree, etc.
-The interrogate commands may create files - and you can force them to
-touch the working file set - but in general they don't
+gitlink:git-fetch[1]::
+ Download from a remote repository via various protocols.
+gitlink:git-format-patch[1]::
+ Prepare patches for e-mail submission.
-Ancilliary Commands
--------------------
+gitlink:git-grep[1]::
+ Print lines matching a pattern.
+
+gitlink:git-log[1]::
+ Shows commit logs.
+
+gitlink:git-ls-remote[1]::
+ Shows references in a remote or local repository.
+
+gitlink:git-merge[1]::
+ Grand unified merge driver.
+
+gitlink:git-mv[1]::
+ Move or rename a file, a directory, or a symlink.
+
+gitlink:git-pull[1]::
+ Fetch from and merge with a remote repository.
+
+gitlink:git-push[1]::
+ Update remote refs along with associated objects.
+
+gitlink:git-rebase[1]::
+ Rebase local commits to the updated upstream head.
+
+gitlink:git-repack[1]::
+ Pack unpacked objects in a repository.
+
+gitlink:git-reset[1]::
+ Reset current HEAD to the specified state.
+
+gitlink:git-resolve[1]::
+ Merge two commits.
+
+gitlink:git-revert[1]::
+ Revert an existing commit.
+
+gitlink:git-shortlog[1]::
+ Summarizes 'git log' output.
+
+gitlink:git-show-branch[1]::
+ Show branches and their commits.
+
+gitlink:git-status[1]::
+ Shows the working tree status.
+
+gitlink:git-verify-tag[1]::
+ Check the GPG signature of tag.
+
+gitlink:git-whatchanged[1]::
+ Shows commit logs and differences they introduce.
+
+
+Ancillary Commands
+------------------
Manipulators:
-link:git-apply-patch-script.html[git-apply-patch-script]::
- Sample script to apply the diffs from git-diff-*
+gitlink:git-applypatch[1]::
+ Apply one patch extracted from an e-mail.
+
+gitlink:git-archimport[1]::
+ Import an arch repository into git.
+
+gitlink:git-convert-objects[1]::
+ Converts old-style git repository.
+
+gitlink:git-cvsimport[1]::
+ Salvage your data out of another SCM people love to hate.
+
+gitlink:git-cvsexportcommit[1]::
+ Export a single commit to a CVS checkout.
+
+gitlink:git-lost-found[1]::
+ Recover lost refs that luckily have not yet been pruned.
+
+gitlink:git-merge-one-file[1]::
+ The standard helper program to use with `git-merge-index`.
+
+gitlink:git-prune[1]::
+ Prunes all unreachable objects from the object database.
+
+gitlink:git-relink[1]::
+ Hardlink common objects in local repositories.
+
+gitlink:git-svnimport[1]::
+ Import a SVN repository into git.
-link:git-convert-cache.html[git-convert-cache]::
- Converts old-style GIT repository
+gitlink:git-sh-setup[1]::
+ Common git shell script setup code.
-link:git-http-pull.html[git-http-pull]::
- Downloads a remote GIT repository via HTTP
+gitlink:git-symbolic-ref[1]::
+ Read and modify symbolic refs.
-link:git-local-pull.html[git-local-pull]::
- Duplicates another GIT repository on a local system
+gitlink:git-tag[1]::
+ An example script to create a tag object signed with GPG.
-link:git-merge-one-file-script.html[git-merge-one-file-script]::
- The standard helper program to use with "git-merge-cache"
+gitlink:git-update-ref[1]::
+ Update the object name stored in a ref safely.
-link:git-pull-script.html[git-pull-script]::
- Script used by Linus to pull and merge a remote repository
-link:git-prune-script.html[git-prune-script]::
- Prunes all unreachable objects from the object database
+Interrogators:
-link:git-resolve-script.html[git-resolve-script]::
- Script used to merge two trees
+gitlink:git-check-ref-format[1]::
+ Make sure ref name is well formed.
-link:git-tag-script.html[git-tag-script]::
- An example script to create a tag object signed with GPG
+gitlink:git-cherry[1]::
+ Find commits not merged upstream.
-link:git-ssh-pull.html[git-ssh-pull]::
- Pulls from a remote repository over ssh connection
+gitlink:git-count-objects[1]::
+ Count unpacked number of objects and their disk consumption.
-Interogators:
+gitlink:git-daemon[1]::
+ A really simple server for git repositories.
-link:git-diff-helper.html[git-diff-helper]::
- Generates patch format output for git-diff-*
+gitlink:git-get-tar-commit-id[1]::
+ Extract commit ID from an archive created using git-tar-tree.
-link:git-ssh-push.html[git-ssh-push]::
- Helper "server-side" program used by git-ssh-pull
+gitlink:git-mailinfo[1]::
+ Extracts patch and authorship information from a single
+ e-mail message, optionally transliterating the commit
+ message into utf-8.
+gitlink:git-mailsplit[1]::
+ A stupid program to split UNIX mbox format mailbox into
+ individual pieces of e-mail.
+
+gitlink:git-patch-id[1]::
+ Compute unique ID for a patch.
+
+gitlink:git-parse-remote[1]::
+ Routines to help parsing `$GIT_DIR/remotes/` files.
+
+gitlink:git-request-pull[1]::
+ git-request-pull.
+
+gitlink:git-rev-parse[1]::
+ Pick out and massage parameters.
+
+gitlink:git-send-email[1]::
+ Send patch e-mails out of "format-patch --mbox" output.
+
+gitlink:git-symbolic-ref[1]::
+ Read and modify symbolic refs.
+
+gitlink:git-stripspace[1]::
+ Filter out empty lines.
+
+
+Commands not yet documented
+---------------------------
+
+gitlink:gitk[1]::
+ The gitk repository browser.
+
+
+Configuration Mechanism
+-----------------------
+
+Starting from 0.99.9 (actually mid 0.99.8.GIT), `.git/config` file
+is used to hold per-repository configuration options. It is a
+simple text file modelled after `.ini` format familiar to some
+people. Here is an example:
+
+------------
+#
+# A '#' or ';' character indicates a comment.
+#
+
+; core variables
+[core]
+ ; Don't trust file modes
+ filemode = false
+
+; user identity
+[user]
+ name = "Junio C Hamano"
+ email = "junkio@twinsun.com"
+
+------------
+
+Various commands read from the configuration file and adjust
+their operation accordingly.
Identifier Terminology
----------------------
<object>::
- Indicates the sha1 identifier for any type of object
+ Indicates the object name for any type of object.
<blob>::
- Indicates a blob object sha1 identifier
+ Indicates a blob object name.
<tree>::
- Indicates a tree object sha1 identifier
+ Indicates a tree object name.
<commit>::
- Indicates a commit object sha1 identifier
+ Indicates a commit object name.
<tree-ish>::
- Indicates a tree, commit or tag object sha1 identifier. A
+ Indicates a tree, commit or tag object name. A
command that takes a <tree-ish> argument ultimately wants to
operate on a <tree> object but automatically dereferences
<commit> and <tag> objects that point at a <tree>.
<type>::
Indicates that an object type is required.
- Currently one of: blob/tree/commit/tag
+ Currently one of: `blob`, `tree`, `commit`, or `tag`.
<file>::
- Indicates a filename - always relative to the root of
- the tree structure GIT_INDEX_FILE describes.
+ Indicates a filename - almost always relative to the
+ root of the tree structure `GIT_INDEX_FILE` describes.
Symbolic Identifiers
--------------------
-Any git comand accepting any <object> can also use the following
+Any git command accepting any <object> can also use the following
symbolic notation:
HEAD::
- indicates the head of the repository (ie the contents of
- `$GIT_DIR/HEAD`)
+ indicates the head of the current branch (i.e. the
+ contents of `$GIT_DIR/HEAD`).
+
<tag>::
- a valid tag 'name'+
- (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags/<tag>`)
+ a valid tag 'name'
+ (i.e. the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags/<tag>`).
+
<head>::
- a valid head 'name'+
- (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/<head>`)
+ a valid head 'name'
+ (i.e. the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/<head>`).
+
<snap>::
- a valid snapshot 'name'+
- (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/snap/<snap>`)
+ a valid snapshot 'name'
+ (i.e. the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/snap/<snap>`).
File/Directory Structure
------------------------
-The git-core manipulates the following areas in the directory:
-
- .git/ The base (overridden with $GIT_DIR)
- objects/ The object base (overridden with $GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY)
- ??/ 'First 2 chars of object' directories
-
-It can interrogate (but never updates) the following areas:
- refs/ Directories containing symbolic names for objects
- (each file contains the hex SHA1 + newline)
- heads/ Commits which are heads of various sorts
- tags/ Tags, by the tag name (or some local renaming of it)
- snap/ ????
- ... Everything else isn't shared
- HEAD Symlink to refs/heads/<something>
+Please see link:repository-layout.html[repository layout] document.
Higher level SCMs may provide and manage additional information in the
-GIT_DIR.
+`$GIT_DIR`.
+
Terminology
-----------
-Each line contains terms which you may see used interchangeably
-
- object database, .git directory
- directory cache, index
- id, sha1, sha1-id, sha1 hash
- type, tag
+Please see link:glossary.html[glossary] document.
Environment Variables
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These environment variables apply to 'all' core git commands. Nb: it
is worth noting that they may be used/overridden by SCMS sitting above
-git so take care if using Cogito etc
+git so take care if using Cogito etc.
'GIT_INDEX_FILE'::
This environment allows the specification of an alternate
- cache/index file. If not specified, the default of
- `$GIT_DIR/index` is used.
+ index file. If not specified, the default of `$GIT_DIR/index`
+ is used.
'GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY'::
If the object storage directory is specified via this
'GIT_ALTERNATE_OBJECT_DIRECTORIES'::
Due to the immutable nature of git objects, old objects can be
archived into shared, read-only directories. This variable
- specifies a ":" seperated list of git object directories which
+ specifies a ":" separated list of git object directories which
can be used to search for git objects. New objects will not be
written to these directories.
'GIT_DIR'::
- If the 'GIT_DIR' environment variable is set then it specifies
- a path to use instead of `./.git` for the base of the
- repository.
+ If the 'GIT_DIR' environment variable is set then it
+ specifies a path to use instead of the default `.git`
+ for the base of the repository.
git Commits
~~~~~~~~~~~
'GIT_AUTHOR_DATE'::
'GIT_COMMITTER_NAME'::
'GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL'::
- see link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]
+ see gitlink:git-commit-tree[1]
git Diffs
~~~~~~~~~
'GIT_DIFF_OPTS'::
'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF'::
see the "generating patches" section in :
- link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache];
- link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files];
- link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]
+ gitlink:git-diff-index[1];
+ gitlink:git-diff-files[1];
+ gitlink:git-diff-tree[1]
-Discussion
-----------
-include::../README[]
+Discussion[[Discussion]]
+------------------------
+include::README[]
-Author
-------
-Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
+Authors
+-------
+* git's founding father is Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org>.
+* The current git nurse is Junio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net>.
+* The git potty was written by Andres Ericsson <ae@op5.se>.
+* General upbringing is handled by the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
Documentation
--------------
-Documentation by David Greaves, Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
+The documentation for git suite was started by David Greaves
+<david@dgreaves.com>, and later enhanced greatly by the
+contributors on the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
GIT
---
-Part of the link:git.html[git] suite
+Part of the gitlink:git[7] suite