Documentation/git.txt

   1 git(7)
   2 ======
   3 v0.99.5, 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 Before reading this cover to cover, you may want to take a look
  20 at the link:tutorial.html[tutorial] document.
  21
  22 The <<Discussion>> section below contains much useful definition and
  23 clarification info - read that first.  And of the commands, I suggest
  24 reading link:git-update-index.html[git-update-index] and
  25 link:git-read-tree.html[git-read-tree] first - I wish I had!
  26
  27 If you are migrating from CVS, link:cvs-migration.html[cvs migration]
  28 document may be helpful after you finish the tutorial.
  29
  30 After you get the general feel from the tutorial and this
  31 overview page, you may want to take a look at the
  32 link:howto-index.html[howto] documents.
  33
  34
  35 David Greaves <david@dgreaves.com>
  36 08/05/05
  37
  38 Updated by Junio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net> on 2005-05-05 to
  39 reflect recent changes.
  40
  41 Commands Overview
  42 -----------------
  43 The git commands can helpfully be split into those that manipulate
  44 the repository, the cache and the working fileset, those that
  45 interrogate and compare them, and those that moves objects and
  46 references between repositories.
  47
  48 In addition, git itself comes with a spartan set of porcelain
  49 commands.  They are usable but are not meant to compete with real
  50 Porcelains.
  51
  52 There are also some ancillary programs that can be viewed as useful
  53 aids for using the core commands but which are unlikely to be used by
  54 SCMs layered over git.
  55
  56 Manipulation commands
  57 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  58 link:git-apply.html[git-apply]::
  59         Reads a "diff -up1" or git generated patch file and
  60         applies it to the working tree.
  61
  62 link:git-checkout-index.html[git-checkout-index]::
  63         Copy files from the cache to the working directory
  64         Previously this command was known as git-checkout-cache.
  65
  66 link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]::
  67         Creates a new commit object
  68
  69 link:git-hash-object.html[git-hash-object]::
  70         Computes the object ID from a file.
  71
  72 link:git-init-db.html[git-init-db]::
  73         Creates an empty git object database
  74
  75 link:git-merge-index.html[git-merge-index]::
  76         Runs a merge for files needing merging
  77         Previously this command was known as git-merge-cache.
  78
  79 link:git-mktag.html[git-mktag]::
  80         Creates a tag object
  81
  82 link:git-pack-objects.html[git-pack-objects]::
  83         Creates a packed archive of objects.
  84
  85 link:git-prune-packed.html[git-prune-packed]::
  86         Remove extra objects that are already in pack files.
  87
  88 link:git-read-tree.html[git-read-tree]::
  89         Reads tree information into the directory cache
  90
  91 link:git-unpack-objects.html[git-unpack-objects]::
  92         Unpacks objects out of a packed archive.
  93
  94 link:git-update-index.html[git-update-index]::
  95         Modifies the index or directory cache
  96         Previously this command was known as git-update-cache.
  97
  98 link:git-write-tree.html[git-write-tree]::
  99         Creates a tree from the current cache
 100
 101
 102 Interrogation commands
 103 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 104
 105 link:git-cat-file.html[git-cat-file]::
 106         Provide content or type information for repository objects
 107
 108 link:git-diff-index.html[git-diff-index]::
 109         Compares content and mode of blobs between the cache and repository
 110         Previously this command was known as git-diff-cache.
 111
 112 link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files]::
 113         Compares files in the working tree and the cache
 114
 115 link:git-diff-stages.html[git-diff-stages]::
 116         Compares two "merge stages" in the index file.
 117
 118 link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]::
 119         Compares the content and mode of blobs found via two tree objects
 120
 121 link:git-export.html[git-export]::
 122         Exports each commit and a diff against each of its parents
 123
 124 link:git-fsck-objects.html[git-fsck-objects]::
 125         Verifies the connectivity and validity of the objects in the database
 126         Previously this command was known as git-fsck-cache.
 127
 128 link:git-ls-files.html[git-ls-files]::
 129         Information about files in the cache/working directory
 130
 131 link:git-ls-tree.html[git-ls-tree]::
 132         Displays a tree object in human readable form
 133
 134 link:git-merge-base.html[git-merge-base]::
 135         Finds as good a common ancestor as possible for a merge
 136
 137 link:git-rev-list.html[git-rev-list]::
 138         Lists commit objects in reverse chronological order
 139
 140 link:git-rev-tree.html[git-rev-tree]::
 141         Provides the revision tree for one or more commits
 142
 143 link:git-show-index.html[git-show-index]::
 144         Displays contents of a pack idx file.
 145
 146 link:git-tar-tree.html[git-tar-tree]::
 147         Creates a tar archive of the files in the named tree
 148
 149 link:git-unpack-file.html[git-unpack-file]::
 150         Creates a temporary file with a blob's contents
 151
 152 link:git-var.html[git-var]::
 153         Displays a git logical variable
 154
 155 link:git-verify-pack.html[git-verify-pack]::
 156         Validates packed GIT archive files
 157
 158 The interrogate commands may create files - and you can force them to
 159 touch the working file set - but in general they don't
 160
 161
 162 Synching repositories
 163 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 164
 165 link:git-clone-pack.html[git-clone-pack]::
 166         Clones a repository into the current repository (engine
 167         for ssh and local transport)
 168
 169 link:git-fetch-pack.html[git-fetch-pack]::
 170         Updates from a remote repository.
 171
 172 link:git-http-fetch.html[git-http-fetch]::
 173         Downloads a remote GIT repository via HTTP
 174         Previously this command was known as git-http-pull.
 175
 176 link:git-local-fetch.html[git-local-fetch]::
 177         Duplicates another GIT repository on a local system
 178         Previously this command was known as git-local-pull.
 179
 180 link:git-peek-remote.html[git-peek-remote]::
 181         Lists references on a remote repository using upload-pack protocol.
 182
 183 link:git-receive-pack.html[git-receive-pack]::
 184         Invoked by 'git-send-pack' to receive what is pushed to it.
 185
 186 link:git-send-pack.html[git-send-pack]::
 187         Pushes to a remote repository, intelligently.
 188
 189 link:git-ssh-fetch.html[git-ssh-fetch]::
 190         Pulls from a remote repository over ssh connection
 191         Previously this command was known as git-ssh-pull.
 192
 193 link:git-ssh-upload.html[git-ssh-upload]::
 194         Helper "server-side" program used by git-ssh-fetch
 195         Previously this command was known as git-ssh-push.
 196
 197 link:git-update-server-info.html[git-update-server-info]::
 198         Updates auxiliary information on a dumb server to help
 199         clients discover references and packs on it.
 200
 201 link:git-upload-pack.html[git-upload-pack]::
 202         Invoked by 'git-clone-pack' and 'git-fetch-pack' to push
 203         what are asked for.
 204
 205
 206 Porcelain-ish Commands
 207 ----------------------
 208
 209 link:git-add.html[git-add]::
 210         Add paths to the index file.
 211         Previously this command was known as git-add-script.
 212
 213 link:git-applymbox.html[git-applymbox]::
 214         Apply patches from a mailbox.
 215
 216 link:git-bisect.html[git-bisect]::
 217         Find the change that introduced a bug.
 218         Previously this command was known as git-bisect-script.
 219
 220 link:git-branch.html[git-branch]::
 221         Create and Show branches.
 222         Previously this command was known as git-branch-script.
 223
 224 link:git-checkout.html[git-checkout]::
 225         Checkout and switch to a branch.
 226         Previously this command was known as git-checkout-script.
 227
 228 link:git-cherry-pick.html[git-cherry-pick]::
 229         Cherry-pick the effect of an existing commit.
 230         Previously this command was known as git-cherry-pick-script.
 231
 232 link:git-clone.html[git-clone]::
 233         Clones a repository into a new directory.
 234         Previously this command was known as git-clone-script.
 235
 236 link:git-commit.html[git-commit]::
 237         Record changes to the repository.
 238         Previously this command was known as git-commit-script.
 239
 240 link:git-diff.html[git-diff]::
 241         git-diff.
 242         Previously this command was known as git-diff-script.
 243
 244 link:git-fetch.html[git-fetch]::
 245         Download from a remote repository via various protocols.
 246         Previously this command was known as git-fetch-script.
 247
 248 link:git-format-patch.html[git-format-patch]::
 249         git-format-patch.
 250         Previously this command was known as git-format-patch-script.
 251
 252 link:git-log.html[git-log]::
 253         Shows commit logs.
 254         Previously this command was known as git-log-script.
 255
 256 link:git-ls-remote.html[git-ls-remote]::
 257         Shows references in a remote or local repository.
 258         Previously this command was known as git-ls-remote-script.
 259
 260 link:git-merge.html[git-merge]::
 261         Grand unified merge driver.
 262
 263 link:git-octopus.html[git-octopus]::
 264         Merge more than two commits.
 265         Previously this command was known as git-octopus-script.
 266
 267 link:git-pull.html[git-pull]::
 268         Fetch from and merge with a remote repository.
 269         Previously this command was known as git-pull-script.
 270
 271 link:git-push.html[git-push]::
 272         Update remote refs along with associated objects.
 273         Previously this command was known as git-push-script.
 274
 275 link:git-rebase.html[git-rebase]::
 276         Rebase local commits to new upstream head.
 277         Previously this command was known as git-rebase-script.
 278
 279 link:git-rename.html[git-rename]::
 280         Rename files and directories.
 281         Previously this command was known as git-rename-script.
 282
 283 link:git-repack.html[git-repack]::
 284         Pack unpacked objects in a repository.
 285         Previously this command was known as git-repack-script.
 286
 287 link:git-reset.html[git-reset]::
 288         Reset current HEAD to the specified state.
 289         Previously this command was known as git-reset-script.
 290
 291 link:git-resolve.html[git-resolve]::
 292         Merge two commits.
 293         Previously this command was known as git-resolve-script.
 294
 295 link:git-revert.html[git-revert]::
 296         Revert an existing commit.
 297         Previously this command was known as git-revert-script.
 298
 299 link:git-shortlog.html[git-shortlog]::
 300         Summarizes 'git log' output.
 301
 302 link:git-show-branch.html[git-show-branch]::
 303         Show branches and their commits.
 304
 305 link:git-status.html[git-status]::
 306         Shows the working tree status.
 307         Previously this command was known as git-status-script.
 308
 309 link:git-verify-tag.html[git-verify-tag]::
 310         Check the GPG signature of tag.
 311         Previously this command was known as git-verify-tag-script.
 312
 313 link:git-whatchanged.html[git-whatchanged]::
 314         Shows commit logs and differences they introduce.
 315
 316
 317 Ancillary Commands
 318 ------------------
 319 Manipulators:
 320
 321 link:git-applypatch.html[git-applypatch]::
 322         Apply one patch extracted from an e-mail.
 323
 324 link:git-archimport.html[git-archimport]::
 325         Import an arch repository into git.
 326         Previously this command was known as git-archimport-script.
 327
 328 link:git-convert-objects.html[git-convert-objects]::
 329         Converts old-style GIT repository
 330         Previously this command was known as git-convert-cache.
 331
 332 link:git-cvsimport.html[git-cvsimport]::
 333         Salvage your data out of another SCM people love to hate.
 334         Previously this command was known as git-cvsimport-script.
 335
 336 link:git-merge-one-file.html[git-merge-one-file]::
 337         The standard helper program to use with "git-merge-index"
 338         Previously this command was known as git-merge-one-file-script.
 339
 340 link:git-prune.html[git-prune]::
 341         Prunes all unreachable objects from the object database
 342         Previously this command was known as git-prune-script.
 343
 344 link:git-relink.html[git-relink]::
 345         Hardlink common objects in local repositories.
 346         Previously this command was known as git-relink-script.
 347
 348 link:git-sh-setup.html[git-sh-setup]::
 349         Common git shell script setup code.
 350         Previously this command was known as git-sh-setup-script.
 351
 352 link:git-tag.html[git-tag]::
 353         An example script to create a tag object signed with GPG
 354         Previously this command was known as git-tag-script.
 355
 356
 357 Interrogators:
 358
 359 link:git-build-rev-cache.html[git-build-rev-cache]::
 360         Create or update a rev-cache file.
 361
 362 link:git-cherry.html[git-cherry]::
 363         Find commits not merged upstream.
 364
 365 link:git-count-objects.html[git-count-objects]::
 366         Count unpacked number of objects and their disk consumption.
 367         Previously this command was known as git-count-objects-script.
 368
 369 link:git-daemon.html[git-daemon]::
 370         A really simple server for GIT repositories.
 371
 372 link:git-diff-helper.html[git-diff-helper]::
 373         Generates patch format output for git-diff-*
 374
 375 link:git-get-tar-commit-id.html[git-get-tar-commit-id]::
 376         Extract commit ID from an archive created using git-tar-tree.
 377
 378 link:git-mailinfo.html[git-mailinfo]::
 379         Extracts patch from a single e-mail message.
 380
 381 link:git-mailsplit.html[git-mailsplit]::
 382         git-mailsplit.
 383
 384 link:git-patch-id.html[git-patch-id]::
 385         Compute unique ID for a patch.
 386
 387 link:git-parse-remote.html[git-parse-remote]::
 388         Routines to help parsing $GIT_DIR/remotes/
 389         Previously this command was known as git-parse-remote-script.
 390
 391 link:git-request-pull.html[git-request-pull]::
 392         git-request-pull.
 393         Previously this command was known as git-request-pull-script.
 394
 395 link:git-rev-parse.html[git-rev-parse]::
 396         Pick out and massage parameters.
 397
 398 link:git-send-email.html[git-send-email]::
 399         Send patch e-mails out of "format-patch --mbox" output.
 400         Previously this command was known as git-send-email-script.
 401
 402 link:git-show-rev-cache.html[git-show-rev-cache]::
 403         Show the contents of a rev-cache file.
 404
 405 link:git-stripspace.html[git-stripspace]::
 406         Filter out empty lines.
 407
 408
 409 Commands not yet documented
 410 ---------------------------
 411
 412 link:gitk.html[gitk]::
 413         gitk.
 414
 415
 416 Identifier Terminology
 417 ----------------------
 418 <object>::
 419         Indicates the sha1 identifier for any type of object
 420
 421 <blob>::
 422         Indicates a blob object sha1 identifier
 423
 424 <tree>::
 425         Indicates a tree object sha1 identifier
 426
 427 <commit>::
 428         Indicates a commit object sha1 identifier
 429
 430 <tree-ish>::
 431         Indicates a tree, commit or tag object sha1 identifier.  A
 432         command that takes a <tree-ish> argument ultimately wants to
 433         operate on a <tree> object but automatically dereferences
 434         <commit> and <tag> objects that point at a <tree>.
 435
 436 <type>::
 437         Indicates that an object type is required.
 438         Currently one of: blob/tree/commit/tag
 439
 440 <file>::
 441         Indicates a filename - always relative to the root of
 442         the tree structure GIT_INDEX_FILE describes.
 443
 444 Symbolic Identifiers
 445 --------------------
 446 Any git command accepting any <object> can also use the following
 447 symbolic notation:
 448
 449 HEAD::
 450         indicates the head of the repository (ie the contents of
 451         `$GIT_DIR/HEAD`)
 452 <tag>::
 453         a valid tag 'name'+
 454         (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags/<tag>`)
 455 <head>::
 456         a valid head 'name'+
 457         (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/<head>`)
 458 <snap>::
 459         a valid snapshot 'name'+
 460         (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/snap/<snap>`)
 461
 462
 463 File/Directory Structure
 464 ------------------------
 465
 466 Please see link:repository-layout.html[repository layout] document.
 467
 468 Higher level SCMs may provide and manage additional information in the
 469 GIT_DIR.
 470
 471
 472 Terminology
 473 -----------
 474 Please see link:glossary.html[glossary] document.
 475
 476
 477 Environment Variables
 478 ---------------------
 479 Various git commands use the following environment variables:
 480
 481 The git Repository
 482 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 483 These environment variables apply to 'all' core git commands. Nb: it
 484 is worth noting that they may be used/overridden by SCMS sitting above
 485 git so take care if using Cogito etc
 486
 487 'GIT_INDEX_FILE'::
 488         This environment allows the specification of an alternate
 489         cache/index file. If not specified, the default of
 490         `$GIT_DIR/index` is used.
 491
 492 'GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY'::
 493         If the object storage directory is specified via this
 494         environment variable then the sha1 directories are created
 495         underneath - otherwise the default `$GIT_DIR/objects`
 496         directory is used.
 497
 498 'GIT_ALTERNATE_OBJECT_DIRECTORIES'::
 499         Due to the immutable nature of git objects, old objects can be
 500         archived into shared, read-only directories. This variable
 501         specifies a ":" separated list of git object directories which
 502         can be used to search for git objects. New objects will not be
 503         written to these directories.
 504
 505 'GIT_DIR'::
 506         If the 'GIT_DIR' environment variable is set then it specifies
 507         a path to use instead of `./.git` for the base of the
 508         repository.
 509
 510 git Commits
 511 ~~~~~~~~~~~
 512 'GIT_AUTHOR_NAME'::
 513 'GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL'::
 514 'GIT_AUTHOR_DATE'::
 515 'GIT_COMMITTER_NAME'::
 516 'GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL'::
 517         see link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]
 518
 519 git Diffs
 520 ~~~~~~~~~
 521 'GIT_DIFF_OPTS'::
 522 'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF'::
 523         see the "generating patches" section in :
 524         link:git-diff-index.html[git-diff-index];
 525         link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files];
 526         link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]
 527
 528 Discussion[[Discussion]]
 529 ------------------------
 530 include::../README[]
 531
 532 Author
 533 ------
 534 Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
 535
 536 Documentation
 537 --------------
 538 Documentation by David Greaves, Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
 539
 540 GIT
 541 ---
 542 Part of the link:git.html[git] suite
 543