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 ancillary 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 link:git-pack-objects.html[git-pack-objects]::
  75         Creates a packed archive of objects.
  76
  77 link:git-unpack-objects.html[git-unpack-objects]::
  78         Unpacks objects out of a packed archive.
  79
  80 link:git-prune-packed.html[git-prune-packed]::
  81         Remove extra objects that are already in pack files.
  82
  83 link:git-apply.html[git-apply]::
  84         Reads a "diff -up1" or git generated patch file and
  85         applies it to the working tree.
  86
  87
  88 Interrogation commands
  89 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  90 link:git-cat-file.html[git-cat-file]::
  91         Provide content or type information for repository objects
  92
  93 link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache]::
  94         Compares content and mode of blobs between the cache and repository
  95
  96 link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files]::
  97         Compares files in the working tree and the cache
  98
  99 link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]::
 100         Compares the content and mode of blobs found via two tree objects
 101
 102 link:git-diff-stages.html[git-diff-stages]::
 103         Compares two "merge stages" in the index file.
 104
 105 link:git-export.html[git-export]::
 106         Exports each commit and a diff against each of its parents
 107
 108 link:git-fsck-cache.html[git-fsck-cache]::
 109         Verifies the connectivity and validity of the objects in the database
 110
 111 link:git-ls-files.html[git-ls-files]::
 112         Information about files in the cache/working directory
 113
 114 link:git-ls-tree.html[git-ls-tree]::
 115         Displays a tree object in human readable form
 116
 117 link:git-merge-cache.html[git-merge-cache]::
 118         Runs a merge for files needing merging
 119
 120 link:git-rev-list.html[git-rev-list]::
 121         Lists commit objects in reverse chronological order
 122
 123 link:git-rev-tree.html[git-rev-tree]::
 124         Provides the revision tree for one or more commits
 125
 126 link:git-tar-tree.html[git-tar-tree]::
 127         Creates a tar archive of the files in the named tree
 128
 129 link:git-unpack-file.html[git-unpack-file]::
 130         Creates a temporary file with a blob's contents
 131
 132 link:git-var.html[git-var]::
 133         Displays a git logical variable
 134
 135 link:git-show-index.html[git-show-index]::
 136         Displays contents of a pack idx file.
 137
 138 link:git-verify-pack.html[git-verify-pack]::
 139         Validates packed GIT archive files
 140
 141 The interrogate commands may create files - and you can force them to
 142 touch the working file set - but in general they don't
 143
 144
 145 Synching repositories
 146 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 147
 148 link:git-clone-script.html[git-clone-script]::
 149         Clones a repository into the current repository (user interface)
 150
 151 link:git-clone-pack.html[git-clone-pack]::
 152         Clones a repository into the current repository (engine
 153         for ssh and local transport)
 154
 155 link:git-http-pull.html[git-http-pull]::
 156         Downloads a remote GIT repository via HTTP
 157
 158 link:git-local-pull.html[git-local-pull]::
 159         Duplicates another GIT repository on a local system
 160
 161 link:git-ssh-pull.html[git-ssh-pull]::
 162         Pulls from a remote repository over ssh connection
 163
 164 link:git-send-pack.html[git-send-pack]::
 165         Pushes to a remote repository, intelligently.
 166
 167 link:git-receive-pack.html[git-receive-pack]::
 168         Invoked by 'git-send-pack' to receive what is pushed to it.
 169
 170 link:git-clone-pack.html[git-clone-pack]::
 171         Clones from a remote repository.
 172
 173 link:git-fetch-pack.html[git-fetch-pack]::
 174         Updates from a remote repository.
 175
 176 link:git-peek-remote.html[git-peek-remote]::
 177         Lists references on a remote repository using upload-pack protocol.
 178
 179 link:git-upload-pack.html[git-upload-pack]::
 180         Invoked by 'git-clone-pack' and 'git-fetch-pack' to push
 181         what are asked for.
 182
 183 link:git-update-server-info.html[git-update-server-info]::
 184         Updates auxiliary information on a dumb server to help
 185         clients discover references and packs on it.
 186
 187
 188 Porcelain-ish Commands
 189 ----------------------
 190 link:git-whatchanged.html[git-whatchanged]::
 191         Shows commit logs and differences they introduce.
 192
 193 link:git-log-script.html[git-log-script]::
 194         Shows commit logs.
 195
 196 link:git-shortlog.html[git-shortlog]::
 197         Summarizes 'git log' output.
 198
 199 link:git-status-script.html[git-status-script]::
 200         Shows the working tree status.
 201
 202 link:git-fetch-script.html[git-fetch-script]::
 203         Download from a remote repository via various protocols.
 204
 205 link:git-pull-script.html[git-pull-script]::
 206         Fetch from and merge with a remote repository.
 207
 208 ulink:git-commit-script.html[git-commit-script]::
 209         Record changes to the repository.
 210
 211 link:git-show-branch.html[git-show-branch]::
 212         Show branches and their commits.
 213
 214 link:git-repack-script.html[git-repack-script]::
 215         Pack unpacked objects in a repository.
 216
 217 link:git-rename-script.html[git-rename]::
 218         Rename files and directories.
 219
 220 link:git-ls-remote-script.html[git-ls-remote-script]::
 221         Shows references in a remote or local repository.
 222
 223
 224 Ancillary Commands
 225 ------------------
 226 Manipulators:
 227
 228 link:git-apply-patch-script.html[git-apply-patch-script]::
 229         Sample script to apply the diffs from git-diff-*
 230
 231 link:git-convert-cache.html[git-convert-cache]::
 232         Converts old-style GIT repository
 233
 234 link:git-merge-one-file-script.html[git-merge-one-file-script]::
 235         The standard helper program to use with "git-merge-cache"
 236
 237 link:git-prune-script.html[git-prune-script]::
 238         Prunes all unreachable objects from the object database
 239
 240 link:git-resolve-script.html[git-resolve-script]::
 241         Script used to merge two trees
 242
 243 link:git-tag-script.html[git-tag-script]::
 244         An example script to create a tag object signed with GPG
 245
 246 link:git-cvsimport-script.html[git-cvsimport-script]::
 247         Salvage your data out of another SCM people love to hate.
 248
 249
 250 Interrogators:
 251
 252 link:git-diff-helper.html[git-diff-helper]::
 253         Generates patch format output for git-diff-*
 254
 255 link:git-ssh-push.html[git-ssh-push]::
 256         Helper "server-side" program used by git-ssh-pull
 257
 258 link:git-send-email-script.html[git-send-email]::
 259         Send patch e-mails out of "format-patch --mbox" output.
 260
 261
 262 Commands not yet documented
 263 ---------------------------
 264
 265 link:git-applymbox.html[git-applymbox]::
 266         git-applymbox.
 267
 268 link:git-applypatch.html[git-applypatch]::
 269         git-applypatch.
 270
 271 link:git-mailinfo.html[git-mailinfo]::
 272         git-mailinfo.
 273
 274 link:git-mailsplit.html[git-mailsplit]::
 275         git-mailsplit.
 276
 277 link:git-add-script.html[git-add-script]::
 278         git-add-script.
 279
 280 link:git-bisect-script.html[git-bisect-script]::
 281         git-bisect-script.
 282
 283 link:git-branch-script.html[git-branch-script]::
 284         git-branch-script.
 285
 286 link:git-build-rev-cache.html[git-build-rev-cache]::
 287         git-build-rev-cache.
 288
 289 link:git-checkout-script.html[git-checkout-script]::
 290         git-checkout-script.
 291
 292 link:git-cherry.html[git-cherry]::
 293         git-cherry.
 294
 295 link:git-clone-dumb-http.html[git-clone-dumb-http]::
 296         git-clone-dumb-http.
 297
 298 link:git-count-objects-script.html[git-count-objects-script]::
 299         git-count-objects-script.
 300
 301 link:git-daemon.html[git-daemon]::
 302         git-daemon.
 303
 304 link:git-diff-script.html[git-diff-script]::
 305         git-diff-script.
 306
 307 link:git-format-patch-script.html[git-format-patch-script]::
 308         git-format-patch-script.
 309
 310 link:git-get-tar-commit-id.html[git-get-tar-commit-id]::
 311         git-get-tar-commit-id.
 312
 313 link:git-patch-id.html[git-patch-id]::
 314         git-patch-id.
 315
 316 link:git-push-script.html[git-push-script]::
 317         git-push-script.
 318
 319 link:git-rebase-script.html[git-rebase-script]::
 320         git-rebase-script.
 321
 322 link:git-relink-script.html[git-relink-script]::
 323         git-relink-script.
 324
 325 link:git-request-pull-script.html[git-request-pull-script]::
 326         git-request-pull-script.
 327
 328 link:git-reset-script.html[git-reset-script]::
 329         git-reset-script.
 330
 331 link:git-rev-parse.html[git-rev-parse]::
 332         git-rev-parse.
 333
 334 link:git-revert-script.html[git-revert-script]::
 335         git-revert-script.
 336
 337 link:git-sh-setup-script.html[git-sh-setup-script]::
 338         git-sh-setup-script.
 339
 340 link:git-show-rev-cache.html[git-show-rev-cache]::
 341         git-show-rev-cache.
 342
 343 link:git-stripspace.html[git-stripspace]::
 344         git-stripspace.
 345
 346 link:git-verify-tag-script.html[git-verify-tag-script]::
 347         git-verify-tag-script.
 348
 349 link:gitk.html[gitk]::
 350         gitk.
 351
 352
 353 Identifier Terminology
 354 ----------------------
 355 <object>::
 356         Indicates the sha1 identifier for any type of object
 357
 358 <blob>::
 359         Indicates a blob object sha1 identifier
 360
 361 <tree>::
 362         Indicates a tree object sha1 identifier
 363
 364 <commit>::
 365         Indicates a commit object sha1 identifier
 366
 367 <tree-ish>::
 368         Indicates a tree, commit or tag object sha1 identifier.  A
 369         command that takes a <tree-ish> argument ultimately wants to
 370         operate on a <tree> object but automatically dereferences
 371         <commit> and <tag> objects that point at a <tree>.
 372
 373 <type>::
 374         Indicates that an object type is required.
 375         Currently one of: blob/tree/commit/tag
 376
 377 <file>::
 378         Indicates a filename - always relative to the root of
 379         the tree structure GIT_INDEX_FILE describes.
 380
 381 Symbolic Identifiers
 382 --------------------
 383 Any git command accepting any <object> can also use the following
 384 symbolic notation:
 385
 386 HEAD::
 387         indicates the head of the repository (ie the contents of
 388         `$GIT_DIR/HEAD`)
 389 <tag>::
 390         a valid tag 'name'+
 391         (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags/<tag>`)
 392 <head>::
 393         a valid head 'name'+
 394         (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/<head>`)
 395 <snap>::
 396         a valid snapshot 'name'+
 397         (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/snap/<snap>`)
 398
 399
 400 File/Directory Structure
 401 ------------------------
 402 The git-core manipulates the following areas in the directory:
 403
 404  .git/         The base (overridden with $GIT_DIR)
 405    objects/    The object base (overridden with $GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY)
 406      ??/       'First 2 chars of object' directories.
 407      pack/     Packed archives.
 408
 409    refs/       Directories containing symbolic names for objects
 410                (each file contains the hex SHA1 + newline)
 411      heads/    Commits which are heads of various sorts
 412      tags/     Tags, by the tag name (or some local renaming of it)
 413      */        Any other subdirectory of refs/ can be used to store
 414                files similar to what are under refs/heads/.
 415    HEAD        Symlink to refs/heads/<current-branch-name>
 416
 417 Higher level SCMs may provide and manage additional information in the
 418 GIT_DIR.
 419
 420 Terminology
 421 -----------
 422 Please see link:glossary.html[glossary] document.
 423
 424
 425 Environment Variables
 426 ---------------------
 427 Various git commands use the following environment variables:
 428
 429 The git Repository
 430 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 431 These environment variables apply to 'all' core git commands. Nb: it
 432 is worth noting that they may be used/overridden by SCMS sitting above
 433 git so take care if using Cogito etc
 434
 435 'GIT_INDEX_FILE'::
 436         This environment allows the specification of an alternate
 437         cache/index file. If not specified, the default of
 438         `$GIT_DIR/index` is used.
 439
 440 'GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY'::
 441         If the object storage directory is specified via this
 442         environment variable then the sha1 directories are created
 443         underneath - otherwise the default `$GIT_DIR/objects`
 444         directory is used.
 445
 446 'GIT_ALTERNATE_OBJECT_DIRECTORIES'::
 447         Due to the immutable nature of git objects, old objects can be
 448         archived into shared, read-only directories. This variable
 449         specifies a ":" separated list of git object directories which
 450         can be used to search for git objects. New objects will not be
 451         written to these directories.
 452
 453 'GIT_DIR'::
 454         If the 'GIT_DIR' environment variable is set then it specifies
 455         a path to use instead of `./.git` for the base of the
 456         repository.
 457
 458 git Commits
 459 ~~~~~~~~~~~
 460 'GIT_AUTHOR_NAME'::
 461 'GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL'::
 462 'GIT_AUTHOR_DATE'::
 463 'GIT_COMMITTER_NAME'::
 464 'GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL'::
 465         see link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]
 466
 467 git Diffs
 468 ~~~~~~~~~
 469 'GIT_DIFF_OPTS'::
 470 'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF'::
 471         see the "generating patches" section in :
 472         link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache];
 473         link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files];
 474         link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]
 475
 476 Discussion
 477 ----------
 478 include::../README[]
 479
 480 Author
 481 ------
 482 Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
 483
 484 Documentation
 485 --------------
 486 Documentation by David Greaves, Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
 487
 488 GIT
 489 ---
 490 Part of the link:git.html[git] suite
 491