status if it is not.
A reference is used in git to specify branches and tags. A
-branch head is stored under the `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads` directory, and
-a tag is stored under the `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags` directory (or, if refs
-are packed by `git gc`, as entries in the `$GIT_DIR/packed-refs` file).
+branch head is stored in the `refs/heads` hierarchy, while
+a tag is stored in the `refs/tags` hierarchy of the ref namespace
+(typically in `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads` and `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags`
+directories or, as entries in file `$GIT_DIR/packed-refs`
+if refs are packed by `git gc`).
+
git imposes the following rules on how references are named:
. They can include slash `/` for hierarchical (directory)
+
With `-t <branch>` option, instead of the default glob
refspec for the remote to track all branches under
-`$GIT_DIR/remotes/<name>/`, a refspec to track only `<branch>`
+the `refs/remotes/<name>/` namespace, a refspec to track only `<branch>`
is created. You can give more than one `-t <branch>` to track
multiple branches without grabbing all branches.
+
-With `-m <master>` option, `$GIT_DIR/remotes/<name>/HEAD` is set
+With `-m <master>` option, a symbolic-ref `refs/remotes/<name>/HEAD` is set
up to point at remote's `<master>` branch. See also the set-head command.
+
When a fetch mirror is created with `\--mirror=fetch`, the refs will not
'set-head'::
-Sets or deletes the default branch (`$GIT_DIR/remotes/<name>/HEAD`) for
+Sets or deletes the default branch (i.e. the target of the
+symbolic-ref `refs/remotes/<name>/HEAD`) for
the named remote. Having a default branch for a remote is not required,
but allows the name of the remote to be specified in lieu of a specific
branch. For example, if the default branch for `origin` is set to
`master`, then `origin` may be specified wherever you would normally
specify `origin/master`.
+
-With `-d`, `$GIT_DIR/remotes/<name>/HEAD` is deleted.
+With `-d`, the symbolic ref `refs/remotes/<name>/HEAD` is deleted.
+
-With `-a`, the remote is queried to determine its `HEAD`, then
-`$GIT_DIR/remotes/<name>/HEAD` is set to the same branch. e.g., if the remote
+With `-a`, the remote is queried to determine its `HEAD`, then the
+symbolic-ref `refs/remotes/<name>/HEAD` is set to the same branch. e.g., if the remote
`HEAD` is pointed at `next`, "`git remote set-head origin -a`" will set
-`$GIT_DIR/refs/remotes/origin/HEAD` to `refs/remotes/origin/next`. This will
+the symbolic-ref `refs/remotes/origin/HEAD` to `refs/remotes/origin/next`. This will
only work if `refs/remotes/origin/next` already exists; if not it must be
fetched first.
+
-Use `<branch>` to set `$GIT_DIR/remotes/<name>/HEAD` explicitly. e.g., "git
-remote set-head origin master" will set `$GIT_DIR/refs/remotes/origin/HEAD` to
+Use `<branch>` to set the symbolic-ref `refs/remotes/<name>/HEAD` explicitly. e.g., "git
+remote set-head origin master" will set the symbolic-ref `refs/remotes/origin/HEAD` to
`refs/remotes/origin/master`. This will only work if
`refs/remotes/origin/master` already exists; if not it must be fetched first.
+
symbolic notation:
HEAD::
- indicates the head of the current branch (i.e. the
- contents of `$GIT_DIR/HEAD`).
+ indicates the head of the current branch.
<tag>::
a valid tag 'name'
- (i.e. the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags/<tag>`).
+ (i.e. a `refs/tags/<tag>` reference).
<head>::
a valid head 'name'
- (i.e. the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/<head>`).
+ (i.e. a `refs/heads/<head>` reference).
For a more complete list of ways to spell object names, see
"SPECIFYING REVISIONS" section in linkgit:gitrevisions[7].
[[def_head]]head::
A <<def_ref,named reference>> to the <<def_commit,commit>> at the tip of a
- <<def_branch,branch>>. Heads are stored in
- `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/`, except when using packed refs. (See
+ <<def_branch,branch>>. Heads are stored in a file in
+ `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/` directory, except when using packed refs. (See
linkgit:git-pack-refs[1].)
[[def_HEAD]]HEAD::
working tree>> is normally derived from the state of the tree
referred to by HEAD. HEAD is a reference to one of the
<<def_head,heads>> in your repository, except when using a
- <<def_detached_HEAD,detached HEAD>>, in which case it may
- reference an arbitrary commit.
+ <<def_detached_HEAD,detached HEAD>>, in which case it directly
+ references an arbitrary commit.
[[def_head_ref]]head ref::
A synonym for <<def_head,head>>.
[[def_ref]]ref::
A 40-byte hex representation of a <<def_SHA1,SHA1>> or a name that
- denotes a particular <<def_object,object>>. These may be stored in
- `$GIT_DIR/refs/`.
+ denotes a particular <<def_object,object>>. They may be stored in
+ a file under `$GIT_DIR/refs/` directory, or
+ in the `$GIT_DIR/packed-refs` file.
[[def_reflog]]reflog::
A reflog shows the local "history" of a ref. In other words,
command.
[[def_tag]]tag::
- A <<def_ref,ref>> pointing to a <<def_tag_object,tag>> or
- <<def_commit_object,commit object>>. In contrast to a <<def_head,head>>,
- a tag is not changed by a <<def_commit,commit>>. Tags (not
- <<def_tag_object,tag objects>>) are stored in `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags/`. A
- git tag has nothing to do with a Lisp tag (which would be
- called an <<def_object_type,object type>> in git's context). A
- tag is most typically used to mark a particular point in the
- commit ancestry <<def_chain,chain>>.
+ A <<def_ref,ref>> under `refs/tags/` namespace that points to an
+ object of an arbitrary type (typically a tag points to either a
+ <<def_tag_object,tag>> or a <<def_commit_object,commit object>>).
+ In contrast to a <<def_head,head>>, a tag is not updated by
+ the `commit` command. A git tag has nothing to do with a Lisp
+ tag (which would be called an <<def_object_type,object type>>
+ in git's context). A tag is most typically used to mark a particular
+ point in the commit ancestry <<def_chain,chain>>.
[[def_tag_object]]tag object::
An <<def_object,object>> containing a <<def_ref,ref>> pointing to