Documentation/git-worktree.txt

   1 git-worktree(1)
   2 ===============
   3
   4 NAME
   5 ----
   6 git-worktree - Manage multiple worktrees
   7
   8
   9 SYNOPSIS
  10 --------
  11 [verse]
  12 'git worktree prune' [-n] [-v] [--expire <expire>]
  13
  14 DESCRIPTION
  15 -----------
  16
  17 Manage multiple worktrees attached to the same repository. These are
  18 created by the command `git checkout --to`.
  19
  20 A git repository can support multiple working trees, allowing you to check
  21 out more than one branch at a time.  With `git checkout --to` a new working
  22 tree is associated with the repository.  This new working tree is called a
  23 "linked working tree" as opposed to the "main working tree" prepared by "git
  24 init" or "git clone".  A repository has one main working tree (if it's not a
  25 bare repository) and zero or more linked working trees.
  26
  27 When you are done with a linked working tree you can simply delete it.
  28 The working tree's administrative files in the repository (see
  29 "DETAILS" below) will eventually be removed automatically (see
  30 `gc.pruneworktreesexpire` in linkgit::git-config[1]), or you can run
  31 `git worktree prune` in the main or any linked working tree to
  32 clean up any stale administrative files.
  33
  34 If you move a linked working directory to another file system, or
  35 within a file system that does not support hard links, you need to run
  36 at least one git command inside the linked working directory
  37 (e.g. `git status`) in order to update its administrative files in the
  38 repository so that they do not get automatically pruned.
  39
  40 To prevent a $GIT_DIR/worktrees entry from from being pruned (which
  41 can be useful in some situations, such as when the
  42 entry's working tree is stored on a portable device), add a file named
  43 'locked' to the entry's directory. The file contains the reason in
  44 plain text. For example, if a linked working tree's `.git` file points
  45 to `/path/main/.git/worktrees/test-next` then a file named
  46 `/path/main/.git/worktrees/test-next/locked` will prevent the
  47 `test-next` entry from being pruned.  See
  48 linkgit:gitrepository-layout[5] for details.
  49
  50 COMMANDS
  51 --------
  52 prune::
  53
  54 Prune working tree information in $GIT_DIR/worktrees.
  55
  56 OPTIONS
  57 -------
  58
  59 -n::
  60 --dry-run::
  61         With `prune`, do not remove anything; just report what it would
  62         remove.
  63
  64 -v::
  65 --verbose::
  66         With `prune`, report all removals.
  67
  68 --expire <time>::
  69         With `prune`, only expire unused worktrees older than <time>.
  70
  71 DETAILS
  72 -------
  73 Each linked working tree has a private sub-directory in the repository's
  74 $GIT_DIR/worktrees directory.  The private sub-directory's name is usually
  75 the base name of the linked working tree's path, possibly appended with a
  76 number to make it unique.  For example, when `$GIT_DIR=/path/main/.git` the
  77 command `git checkout --to /path/other/test-next next` creates the linked
  78 working tree in `/path/other/test-next` and also creates a
  79 `$GIT_DIR/worktrees/test-next` directory (or `$GIT_DIR/worktrees/test-next1`
  80 if `test-next` is already taken).
  81
  82 Within a linked working tree, $GIT_DIR is set to point to this private
  83 directory (e.g. `/path/main/.git/worktrees/test-next` in the example) and
  84 $GIT_COMMON_DIR is set to point back to the main working tree's $GIT_DIR
  85 (e.g. `/path/main/.git`). These settings are made in a `.git` file located at
  86 the top directory of the linked working tree.
  87
  88 Path resolution via `git rev-parse --git-path` uses either
  89 $GIT_DIR or $GIT_COMMON_DIR depending on the path. For example, in the
  90 linked working tree `git rev-parse --git-path HEAD` returns
  91 `/path/main/.git/worktrees/test-next/HEAD` (not
  92 `/path/other/test-next/.git/HEAD` or `/path/main/.git/HEAD`) while `git
  93 rev-parse --git-path refs/heads/master` uses
  94 $GIT_COMMON_DIR and returns `/path/main/.git/refs/heads/master`,
  95 since refs are shared across all working trees.
  96
  97 See linkgit:gitrepository-layout[5] for more information. The rule of
  98 thumb is do not make any assumption about whether a path belongs to
  99 $GIT_DIR or $GIT_COMMON_DIR when you need to directly access something
 100 inside $GIT_DIR. Use `git rev-parse --git-path` to get the final path.
 101
 102 BUGS
 103 ----
 104 Multiple checkout support for submodules is incomplete. It is NOT
 105 recommended to make multiple checkouts of a superproject.
 106
 107 git-worktree could provide more automation for tasks currently
 108 performed manually or via other commands, such as:
 109
 110 - `add` to create a new linked worktree
 111 - `remove` to remove a linked worktree and its administrative files (and
 112   warn if the worktree is dirty)
 113 - `mv` to move or rename a worktree and update its administrative files
 114 - `list` to list linked worktrees
 115 - `lock` to prevent automatic pruning of administrative files (for instance,
 116   for a worktree on a portable device)
 117
 118 SEE ALSO
 119 --------
 120
 121 linkgit:git-checkout[1]
 122
 123 GIT
 124 ---
 125 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite