Documentation/git.txt

   1 git(7)
   2 ======
   3
   4 NAME
   5 ----
   6 git - the stupid content tracker
   7
   8
   9 SYNOPSIS
  10 --------
  11 [verse]
  12 'git' [--version] [--exec-path[=GIT_EXEC_PATH]] [-p|--paginate]
  13     [--bare] [--git-dir=GIT_DIR] [--help] COMMAND [ARGS]
  14
  15 DESCRIPTION
  16 -----------
  17 Git is a fast, scalable, distributed revision control system with an
  18 unusually rich command set that provides both high-level operations
  19 and full access to internals.
  20
  21 See this link:tutorial.html[tutorial] to get started, then see
  22 link:everyday.html[Everyday Git] for a useful minimum set of commands, and
  23 "man git-commandname" for documentation of each command.  CVS users may
  24 also want to read link:cvs-migration.html[CVS migration].
  25 link:user-manual.html[Git User's Manual] is still work in
  26 progress, but when finished hopefully it will guide a new user
  27 in a coherent way to git enlightenment ;-).
  28
  29 The COMMAND is either a name of a Git command (see below) or an alias
  30 as defined in the configuration file (see gitlink:git-config[1]).
  31
  32 ifdef::stalenotes[]
  33 [NOTE]
  34 ============
  35 You are reading the documentation for the latest version of git.
  36 Documentation for older releases are available here:
  37
  38 * link:v1.5.0.3/git.html[documentation for release 1.5.0.3]
  39
  40 * link:v1.5.0.3/RelNotes-1.5.0.3.txt[release notes for 1.5.0.3]
  41
  42 * link:v1.5.0.2/RelNotes-1.5.0.2.txt[release notes for 1.5.0.2]
  43
  44 * link:v1.5.0.1/RelNotes-1.5.0.1.txt[release notes for 1.5.0.1]
  45
  46 * link:v1.5.0/RelNotes-1.5.0.txt[release notes for 1.5.0]
  47
  48 * link:v1.4.4.4/git.html[documentation for release 1.4.4.4]
  49
  50 * link:v1.3.3/git.html[documentation for release 1.3.3]
  51
  52 * link:v1.2.6/git.html[documentation for release 1.2.6]
  53
  54 * link:v1.0.13/git.html[documentation for release 1.0.13]
  55
  56 ============
  57
  58 endif::stalenotes[]
  59
  60 OPTIONS
  61 -------
  62 --version::
  63         Prints the git suite version that the 'git' program came from.
  64
  65 --help::
  66         Prints the synopsis and a list of the most commonly used
  67         commands.  If a git command is named this option will bring up
  68         the man-page for that command. If the option '--all' or '-a' is
  69         given then all available commands are printed.
  70
  71 --exec-path::
  72         Path to wherever your core git programs are installed.
  73         This can also be controlled by setting the GIT_EXEC_PATH
  74         environment variable. If no path is given 'git' will print
  75         the current setting and then exit.
  76
  77 -p|--paginate::
  78         Pipe all output into 'less' (or if set, $PAGER).
  79
  80 --git-dir=<path>::
  81         Set the path to the repository. This can also be controlled by
  82         setting the GIT_DIR environment variable.
  83
  84 --bare::
  85         Same as --git-dir=`pwd`.
  86
  87 FURTHER DOCUMENTATION
  88 ---------------------
  89
  90 See the references above to get started using git.  The following is
  91 probably more detail than necessary for a first-time user.
  92
  93 The <<Discussion,Discussion>> section below and the
  94 link:core-tutorial.html[Core tutorial] both provide introductions to the
  95 underlying git architecture.
  96
  97 See also the link:howto-index.html[howto] documents for some useful
  98 examples.
  99
 100 GIT COMMANDS
 101 ------------
 102
 103 We divide git into high level ("porcelain") commands and low level
 104 ("plumbing") commands.
 105
 106 High-level commands (porcelain)
 107 -------------------------------
 108
 109 We separate the porcelain commands into the main commands and some
 110 ancillary user utilities.
 111
 112 Main porcelain commands
 113 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 114
 115 include::cmds-mainporcelain.txt[]
 116
 117 Ancillary Commands
 118 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 119 Manipulators:
 120
 121 include::cmds-ancillarymanipulators.txt[]
 122
 123 Interrogators:
 124
 125 include::cmds-ancillaryinterrogators.txt[]
 126
 127
 128 Interacting with Others
 129 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 130
 131 These commands are to interact with foreign SCM and with other
 132 people via patch over e-mail.
 133
 134 include::cmds-foreignscminterface.txt[]
 135
 136
 137 Low-level commands (plumbing)
 138 -----------------------------
 139
 140 Although git includes its
 141 own porcelain layer, its low-level commands are sufficient to support
 142 development of alternative porcelains.  Developers of such porcelains
 143 might start by reading about gitlink:git-update-index[1] and
 144 gitlink:git-read-tree[1].
 145
 146 The interface (input, output, set of options and the semantics)
 147 to these low-level commands are meant to be a lot more stable
 148 than Porcelain level commands, because these commands are
 149 primarily for scripted use.  The interface to Porcelain commands
 150 on the other hand are subject to change in order to improve the
 151 end user experience.
 152
 153 The following description divides
 154 the low-level commands into commands that manipulate objects (in
 155 the repository, index, and working tree), commands that interrogate and
 156 compare objects, and commands that move objects and references between
 157 repositories.
 158
 159
 160 Manipulation commands
 161 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 162
 163 include::cmds-plumbingmanipulators.txt[]
 164
 165
 166 Interrogation commands
 167 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 168
 169 include::cmds-plumbinginterrogators.txt[]
 170
 171 In general, the interrogate commands do not touch the files in
 172 the working tree.
 173
 174
 175 Synching repositories
 176 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 177
 178 include::cmds-synchingrepositories.txt[]
 179
 180 The following are helper programs used by the above; end users
 181 typically do not use them directly.
 182
 183 include::cmds-synchelpers.txt[]
 184
 185
 186 Internal helper commands
 187 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 188
 189 These are internal helper commands used by other commands; end
 190 users typically do not use them directly.
 191
 192 include::cmds-purehelpers.txt[]
 193
 194
 195 Configuration Mechanism
 196 -----------------------
 197
 198 Starting from 0.99.9 (actually mid 0.99.8.GIT), `.git/config` file
 199 is used to hold per-repository configuration options.  It is a
 200 simple text file modeled after `.ini` format familiar to some
 201 people.  Here is an example:
 202
 203 ------------
 204 #
 205 # A '#' or ';' character indicates a comment.
 206 #
 207
 208 ; core variables
 209 [core]
 210         ; Don't trust file modes
 211         filemode = false
 212
 213 ; user identity
 214 [user]
 215         name = "Junio C Hamano"
 216         email = "junkio@twinsun.com"
 217
 218 ------------
 219
 220 Various commands read from the configuration file and adjust
 221 their operation accordingly.
 222
 223
 224 Identifier Terminology
 225 ----------------------
 226 <object>::
 227         Indicates the object name for any type of object.
 228
 229 <blob>::
 230         Indicates a blob object name.
 231
 232 <tree>::
 233         Indicates a tree object name.
 234
 235 <commit>::
 236         Indicates a commit object name.
 237
 238 <tree-ish>::
 239         Indicates a tree, commit or tag object name.  A
 240         command that takes a <tree-ish> argument ultimately wants to
 241         operate on a <tree> object but automatically dereferences
 242         <commit> and <tag> objects that point at a <tree>.
 243
 244 <commit-ish>::
 245         Indicates a commit or tag object name.  A
 246         command that takes a <commit-ish> argument ultimately wants to
 247         operate on a <commit> object but automatically dereferences
 248         <tag> objects that point at a <commit>.
 249
 250 <type>::
 251         Indicates that an object type is required.
 252         Currently one of: `blob`, `tree`, `commit`, or `tag`.
 253
 254 <file>::
 255         Indicates a filename - almost always relative to the
 256         root of the tree structure `GIT_INDEX_FILE` describes.
 257
 258 Symbolic Identifiers
 259 --------------------
 260 Any git command accepting any <object> can also use the following
 261 symbolic notation:
 262
 263 HEAD::
 264         indicates the head of the current branch (i.e. the
 265         contents of `$GIT_DIR/HEAD`).
 266
 267 <tag>::
 268         a valid tag 'name'
 269         (i.e. the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags/<tag>`).
 270
 271 <head>::
 272         a valid head 'name'
 273         (i.e. the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/<head>`).
 274
 275 For a more complete list of ways to spell object names, see
 276 "SPECIFYING REVISIONS" section in gitlink:git-rev-parse[1].
 277
 278
 279 File/Directory Structure
 280 ------------------------
 281
 282 Please see link:repository-layout.html[repository layout] document.
 283
 284 Read link:hooks.html[hooks] for more details about each hook.
 285
 286 Higher level SCMs may provide and manage additional information in the
 287 `$GIT_DIR`.
 288
 289
 290 Terminology
 291 -----------
 292 Please see link:glossary.html[glossary] document.
 293
 294
 295 Environment Variables
 296 ---------------------
 297 Various git commands use the following environment variables:
 298
 299 The git Repository
 300 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 301 These environment variables apply to 'all' core git commands. Nb: it
 302 is worth noting that they may be used/overridden by SCMS sitting above
 303 git so take care if using Cogito etc.
 304
 305 'GIT_INDEX_FILE'::
 306         This environment allows the specification of an alternate
 307         index file. If not specified, the default of `$GIT_DIR/index`
 308         is used.
 309
 310 'GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY'::
 311         If the object storage directory is specified via this
 312         environment variable then the sha1 directories are created
 313         underneath - otherwise the default `$GIT_DIR/objects`
 314         directory is used.
 315
 316 'GIT_ALTERNATE_OBJECT_DIRECTORIES'::
 317         Due to the immutable nature of git objects, old objects can be
 318         archived into shared, read-only directories. This variable
 319         specifies a ":" separated list of git object directories which
 320         can be used to search for git objects. New objects will not be
 321         written to these directories.
 322
 323 'GIT_DIR'::
 324         If the 'GIT_DIR' environment variable is set then it
 325         specifies a path to use instead of the default `.git`
 326         for the base of the repository.
 327
 328 git Commits
 329 ~~~~~~~~~~~
 330 'GIT_AUTHOR_NAME'::
 331 'GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL'::
 332 'GIT_AUTHOR_DATE'::
 333 'GIT_COMMITTER_NAME'::
 334 'GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL'::
 335         see gitlink:git-commit-tree[1]
 336
 337 git Diffs
 338 ~~~~~~~~~
 339 'GIT_DIFF_OPTS'::
 340         Only valid setting is "--unified=??" or "-u??" to set the
 341         number of context lines shown when a unified diff is created.
 342         This takes precedence over any "-U" or "--unified" option
 343         value passed on the git diff command line.
 344
 345 'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF'::
 346         When the environment variable 'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF' is set, the
 347         program named by it is called, instead of the diff invocation
 348         described above.  For a path that is added, removed, or modified,
 349         'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF' is called with 7 parameters:
 350
 351         path old-file old-hex old-mode new-file new-hex new-mode
 352 +
 353 where:
 354
 355         <old|new>-file:: are files GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF can use to read the
 356                          contents of <old|new>,
 357         <old|new>-hex:: are the 40-hexdigit SHA1 hashes,
 358         <old|new>-mode:: are the octal representation of the file modes.
 359
 360 +
 361 The file parameters can point at the user's working file
 362 (e.g. `new-file` in "git-diff-files"), `/dev/null` (e.g. `old-file`
 363 when a new file is added), or a temporary file (e.g. `old-file` in the
 364 index).  'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF' should not worry about unlinking the
 365 temporary file --- it is removed when 'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF' exits.
 366 +
 367 For a path that is unmerged, 'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF' is called with 1
 368 parameter, <path>.
 369
 370 other
 371 ~~~~~
 372 'GIT_PAGER'::
 373         This environment variable overrides `$PAGER`.
 374
 375 'GIT_TRACE'::
 376         If this variable is set to "1", "2" or "true" (comparison
 377         is case insensitive), git will print `trace:` messages on
 378         stderr telling about alias expansion, built-in command
 379         execution and external command execution.
 380         If this variable is set to an integer value greater than 1
 381         and lower than 10 (strictly) then git will interpret this
 382         value as an open file descriptor and will try to write the
 383         trace messages into this file descriptor.
 384         Alternatively, if this variable is set to an absolute path
 385         (starting with a '/' character), git will interpret this
 386         as a file path and will try to write the trace messages
 387         into it.
 388
 389 Discussion[[Discussion]]
 390 ------------------------
 391 include::core-intro.txt[]
 392
 393 Authors
 394 -------
 395 * git's founding father is Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org>.
 396 * The current git nurse is Junio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net>.
 397 * The git potty was written by Andres Ericsson <ae@op5.se>.
 398 * General upbringing is handled by the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
 399
 400 Documentation
 401 --------------
 402 The documentation for git suite was started by David Greaves
 403 <david@dgreaves.com>, and later enhanced greatly by the
 404 contributors on the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
 405
 406 GIT
 407 ---
 408 Part of the gitlink:git[7] suite
 409