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 cache and the working fileset, 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
aids for using the core commands but which are unlikely to be used by
link:git-update-cache.html[git-update-cache]::
Modifies the index or directory cache
-link:git-write-blob.html[git-write-blob]::
- Creates a blob from a file
+link:git-hash-object.html[git-hash-object]::
+ Computes the object ID from a file.
link:git-write-tree.html[git-write-tree]::
Creates a tree from the current cache
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
-
link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache]::
Compares content and mode of blobs between the cache and repository
link:git-unpack-file.html[git-unpack-file]::
Creates a temporary file with a blob's contents
+link:git-var.html[git-var]::
+ Displays a git logical variable
+
link:git-verify-pack.html[git-verify-pack]::
Validates packed GIT archive files
touch the working file set - but in general they don't
+Synching repositories
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+link:git-clone-script.html[git-clone-script]::
+ Clones a repository into the current repository (user interface)
+
+link:git-clone-pack.html[git-clone-pack]::
+ Clones a repository into the current repository (engine
+ for ssh and local transport)
+
+link:git-fetch-script.html[git-fetch-script]::
+ Download from a remote repository via various protocols
+ (user interface).
+
+link:git-pull-script.html[git-pull-script]::
+ Fetch from and merge with a remote repository via
+ various protocols (user interface).
+
+link:git-http-pull.html[git-http-pull]::
+ Downloads a remote GIT repository via HTTP
+
+link:git-local-pull.html[git-local-pull]::
+ Duplicates another GIT repository on a local system
+
+link:git-ssh-pull.html[git-ssh-pull]::
+ Pulls from a remote repository over ssh connection
+
+link:git-send-pack.html[git-send-pack]::
+ Pushes to a remote repository, intelligently.
+
+link:git-receive-pack.html[git-receive-pack]::
+ Invoked by 'git-send-pack' to receive what is pushed to it.
+
+link:git-clone-pack.html[git-clone-pack]::
+ Clones from a remote repository.
+
+link:git-fetch-pack.html[git-fetch-pack]::
+ Updates from a remote repository.
+
+link:git-peek-remote.html[git-peek-remote]::
+ Lists references on a remote repository using upload-pack protocol.
+
+link:git-upload-pack.html[git-upload-pack]::
+ Invoked by 'git-clone-pack' and 'git-fetch-pack' to push
+ what are asked for.
+
+link:git-update-server-info.html[git-update-server-info]::
+ Updates auxiliary information on a dumb server to help
+ clients discover references and packs on it.
+
+
Ancilliary Commands
-------------------
Manipulators:
link:git-convert-cache.html[git-convert-cache]::
Converts old-style GIT repository
-link:git-http-pull.html[git-http-pull]::
- Downloads a remote GIT repository via HTTP
-
-link:git-local-pull.html[git-local-pull]::
- Duplicates another GIT repository on a local system
-
link:git-merge-one-file-script.html[git-merge-one-file-script]::
The standard helper program to use with "git-merge-cache"
-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
link:git-tag-script.html[git-tag-script]::
An example script to create a tag object signed with GPG
-link:git-ssh-pull.html[git-ssh-pull]::
- Pulls from a remote repository over ssh connection
Interogators:
.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:
+ ??/ 'First 2 chars of object' directories.
+ pack/ Packed archives.
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>
+ */ Any other subdirectory of refs/ can be used to store
+ files similar to what are under refs/heads/.
+ HEAD Symlink to refs/heads/<current-branch-name>
Higher level SCMs may provide and manage additional information in the
GIT_DIR.