Documentation/git.txt

   1 git(7)
   2 ======
   3 v0.99.4, Aug 2005
   4
   5 NAME
   6 ----
   7 git - the stupid content tracker
   8
   9
  10 SYNOPSIS
  11 --------
  12 'git-<command>' <args>
  13
  14 DESCRIPTION
  15 -----------
  16
  17 This is reference information for the core git commands.
  18
  19 The Discussion section below contains much useful definition and
  20 clarification info - read that first.  And of the commands, I suggest
  21 reading link:git-update-cache.html[git-update-cache] and
  22 link:git-read-tree.html[git-read-tree] first - I wish I had!
  23
  24 David Greaves <david@dgreaves.com>
  25 08/05/05
  26
  27 Updated by Junio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net> on 2005-05-05 to
  28 reflect recent changes.
  29
  30 Commands Overview
  31 -----------------
  32 The git commands can helpfully be split into those that manipulate
  33 the repository, the cache and the working fileset, those that
  34 interrogate and compare them, and those that moves objects and
  35 references between repositories.
  36
  37 In addition, git itself comes with a spartan set of porcelain
  38 commands.  They are usable but are not meant to compete with real
  39 Porcelains.
  40
  41 There are also some ancilliary programs that can be viewed as useful
  42 aids for using the core commands but which are unlikely to be used by
  43 SCMs layered over git.
  44
  45 Manipulation commands
  46 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  47 link:git-checkout-cache.html[git-checkout-cache]::
  48         Copy files from the cache to the working directory
  49
  50 link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]::
  51         Creates a new commit object
  52
  53 link:git-init-db.html[git-init-db]::
  54         Creates an empty git object database
  55
  56 link:git-merge-base.html[git-merge-base]::
  57         Finds as good a common ancestor as possible for a merge
  58
  59 link:git-mktag.html[git-mktag]::
  60         Creates a tag object
  61
  62 link:git-read-tree.html[git-read-tree]::
  63         Reads tree information into the directory cache
  64
  65 link:git-update-cache.html[git-update-cache]::
  66         Modifies the index or directory cache
  67
  68 link:git-hash-object.html[git-hash-object]::
  69         Computes the object ID from a file.
  70
  71 link:git-write-tree.html[git-write-tree]::
  72         Creates a tree from the current cache
  73
  74 Interrogation commands
  75 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  76 link:git-cat-file.html[git-cat-file]::
  77         Provide content or type information for repository objects
  78
  79 link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache]::
  80         Compares content and mode of blobs between the cache and repository
  81
  82 link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files]::
  83         Compares files in the working tree and the cache
  84
  85 link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]::
  86         Compares the content and mode of blobs found via two tree objects
  87
  88 link:git-export.html[git-export]::
  89         Exports each commit and a diff against each of its parents
  90
  91 link:git-fsck-cache.html[git-fsck-cache]::
  92         Verifies the connectivity and validity of the objects in the database
  93
  94 link:git-ls-files.html[git-ls-files]::
  95         Information about files in the cache/working directory
  96
  97 link:git-ls-tree.html[git-ls-tree]::
  98         Displays a tree object in human readable form
  99
 100 link:git-merge-cache.html[git-merge-cache]::
 101         Runs a merge for files needing merging
 102
 103 link:git-rev-list.html[git-rev-list]::
 104         Lists commit objects in reverse chronological order
 105
 106 link:git-rev-tree.html[git-rev-tree]::
 107         Provides the revision tree for one or more commits
 108
 109 link:git-tar-tree.html[git-tar-tree]::
 110         Creates a tar archive of the files in the named tree
 111
 112 link:git-unpack-file.html[git-unpack-file]::
 113         Creates a temporary file with a blob's contents
 114
 115 link:git-var.html[git-var]::
 116         Displays a git logical variable
 117
 118 link:git-verify-pack.html[git-verify-pack]::
 119         Validates packed GIT archive files
 120
 121 The interrogate commands may create files - and you can force them to
 122 touch the working file set - but in general they don't
 123
 124
 125 Synching repositories
 126 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 127
 128 link:git-clone-script.html[git-clone-script]::
 129         Clones a repository into the current repository (user interface)
 130
 131 link:git-clone-pack.html[git-clone-pack]::
 132         Clones a repository into the current repository (engine
 133         for ssh and local transport)
 134
 135 link:git-http-pull.html[git-http-pull]::
 136         Downloads a remote GIT repository via HTTP
 137
 138 link:git-local-pull.html[git-local-pull]::
 139         Duplicates another GIT repository on a local system
 140
 141 link:git-ssh-pull.html[git-ssh-pull]::
 142         Pulls from a remote repository over ssh connection
 143
 144 link:git-send-pack.html[git-send-pack]::
 145         Pushes to a remote repository, intelligently.
 146
 147 link:git-receive-pack.html[git-receive-pack]::
 148         Invoked by 'git-send-pack' to receive what is pushed to it.
 149
 150 link:git-clone-pack.html[git-clone-pack]::
 151         Clones from a remote repository.
 152
 153 link:git-fetch-pack.html[git-fetch-pack]::
 154         Updates from a remote repository.
 155
 156 link:git-peek-remote.html[git-peek-remote]::
 157         Lists references on a remote repository using upload-pack protocol.
 158
 159 link:git-upload-pack.html[git-upload-pack]::
 160         Invoked by 'git-clone-pack' and 'git-fetch-pack' to push
 161         what are asked for.
 162
 163 link:git-update-server-info.html[git-update-server-info]::
 164         Updates auxiliary information on a dumb server to help
 165         clients discover references and packs on it.
 166
 167
 168 Porcelain-ish Commands
 169 ----------------------
 170 link:git-whatchanged.html[git-whatchanged]::
 171         Shows commit logs and differences they introduce.
 172
 173 link:git-log-script.html[git-log-script]::
 174         Shows commit logs.
 175
 176 link:git-shortlog.html[git-shortlog]::
 177         Summarizes 'git log' output.
 178
 179 link:git-status-script.html[git-status-script]::
 180         Shows the working tree status.
 181
 182 link:git-fetch-script.html[git-fetch-script]::
 183         Download from a remote repository via various protocols.
 184
 185 link:git-pull-script.html[git-pull-script]::
 186         Fetch from and merge with a remote repository.
 187
 188 link:git-commit-script.html[git-commit-script]::
 189         Record changes to the repository.
 190
 191 link:git-show-branches-script.html[git-show-branches-script]::
 192         Show branches and their commits.
 193
 194 Ancilliary Commands
 195 -------------------
 196 Manipulators:
 197
 198 link:git-apply-patch-script.html[git-apply-patch-script]::
 199         Sample script to apply the diffs from git-diff-*
 200
 201 link:git-convert-cache.html[git-convert-cache]::
 202         Converts old-style GIT repository
 203
 204 link:git-merge-one-file-script.html[git-merge-one-file-script]::
 205         The standard helper program to use with "git-merge-cache"
 206
 207 link:git-prune-script.html[git-prune-script]::
 208         Prunes all unreachable objects from the object database
 209
 210 link:git-resolve-script.html[git-resolve-script]::
 211         Script used to merge two trees
 212
 213 link:git-tag-script.html[git-tag-script]::
 214         An example script to create a tag object signed with GPG
 215
 216
 217 Interogators:
 218
 219 link:git-diff-helper.html[git-diff-helper]::
 220         Generates patch format output for git-diff-*
 221
 222 link:git-ssh-push.html[git-ssh-push]::
 223         Helper "server-side" program used by git-ssh-pull
 224
 225
 226
 227 Identifier Terminology
 228 ----------------------
 229 <object>::
 230         Indicates the sha1 identifier for any type of object
 231
 232 <blob>::
 233         Indicates a blob object sha1 identifier
 234
 235 <tree>::
 236         Indicates a tree object sha1 identifier
 237
 238 <commit>::
 239         Indicates a commit object sha1 identifier
 240
 241 <tree-ish>::
 242         Indicates a tree, commit or tag object sha1 identifier.  A
 243         command that takes a <tree-ish> argument ultimately wants to
 244         operate on a <tree> object but automatically dereferences
 245         <commit> and <tag> objects that point at a <tree>.
 246
 247 <type>::
 248         Indicates that an object type is required.
 249         Currently one of: blob/tree/commit/tag
 250
 251 <file>::
 252         Indicates a filename - always relative to the root of
 253         the tree structure GIT_INDEX_FILE describes.
 254
 255 Symbolic Identifiers
 256 --------------------
 257 Any git comand accepting any <object> can also use the following
 258 symbolic notation:
 259
 260 HEAD::
 261         indicates the head of the repository (ie the contents of
 262         `$GIT_DIR/HEAD`)
 263 <tag>::
 264         a valid tag 'name'+
 265         (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags/<tag>`)
 266 <head>::
 267         a valid head 'name'+
 268         (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/<head>`)
 269 <snap>::
 270         a valid snapshot 'name'+
 271         (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/snap/<snap>`)
 272
 273
 274 File/Directory Structure
 275 ------------------------
 276 The git-core manipulates the following areas in the directory:
 277
 278  .git/         The base (overridden with $GIT_DIR)
 279    objects/    The object base (overridden with $GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY)
 280      ??/       'First 2 chars of object' directories.
 281      pack/     Packed archives.
 282
 283    refs/       Directories containing symbolic names for objects
 284                (each file contains the hex SHA1 + newline)
 285      heads/    Commits which are heads of various sorts
 286      tags/     Tags, by the tag name (or some local renaming of it)
 287      */        Any other subdirectory of refs/ can be used to store
 288                files similar to what are under refs/heads/.
 289    HEAD        Symlink to refs/heads/<current-branch-name>
 290
 291 Higher level SCMs may provide and manage additional information in the
 292 GIT_DIR.
 293
 294 Terminology
 295 -----------
 296 Each line contains terms which you may see used interchangeably
 297
 298  object database, .git directory
 299  directory cache, index
 300  id, sha1, sha1-id, sha1 hash
 301  type, tag
 302
 303
 304 Environment Variables
 305 ---------------------
 306 Various git commands use the following environment variables:
 307
 308 The git Repository
 309 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 310 These environment variables apply to 'all' core git commands. Nb: it
 311 is worth noting that they may be used/overridden by SCMS sitting above
 312 git so take care if using Cogito etc
 313
 314 'GIT_INDEX_FILE'::
 315         This environment allows the specification of an alternate
 316         cache/index file. If not specified, the default of
 317         `$GIT_DIR/index` is used.
 318
 319 'GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY'::
 320         If the object storage directory is specified via this
 321         environment variable then the sha1 directories are created
 322         underneath - otherwise the default `$GIT_DIR/objects`
 323         directory is used.
 324
 325 'GIT_ALTERNATE_OBJECT_DIRECTORIES'::
 326         Due to the immutable nature of git objects, old objects can be
 327         archived into shared, read-only directories. This variable
 328         specifies a ":" seperated list of git object directories which
 329         can be used to search for git objects. New objects will not be
 330         written to these directories.
 331
 332 'GIT_DIR'::
 333         If the 'GIT_DIR' environment variable is set then it specifies
 334         a path to use instead of `./.git` for the base of the
 335         repository.
 336
 337 git Commits
 338 ~~~~~~~~~~~
 339 'GIT_AUTHOR_NAME'::
 340 'GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL'::
 341 'GIT_AUTHOR_DATE'::
 342 'GIT_COMMITTER_NAME'::
 343 'GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL'::
 344         see link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]
 345
 346 git Diffs
 347 ~~~~~~~~~
 348 'GIT_DIFF_OPTS'::
 349 'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF'::
 350         see the "generating patches" section in :
 351         link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache];
 352         link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files];
 353         link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]
 354
 355 Discussion
 356 ----------
 357 include::../README[]
 358
 359 Author
 360 ------
 361 Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
 362
 363 Documentation
 364 --------------
 365 Documentation by David Greaves, Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
 366
 367 GIT
 368 ---
 369 Part of the link:git.html[git] suite
 370