-git(1)
+git(7)
======
-v0.1, May 2005
+May 2005
NAME
----
This is reference information for the core git commands.
-The link:README[] contains much useful definition and clarification
-info - read that first. And of the commands, I suggest reading
-'git-update-cache' and 'git-read-tree' first - I wish I had!
+The Discussion section below contains much useful definition and
+clarification info - read that first. And of the commands, I suggest
+reading link:git-update-cache.html[git-update-cache] and
+link:git-read-tree.html[git-read-tree] first - I wish I had!
David Greaves <david@dgreaves.com>
08/05/05
Commands Overview
-----------------
The git commands can helpfully be split into those that manipulate
-the repository, the cache and the working fileset and those that
-interrogate and compare them.
+the repository, the cache and the working fileset, those that
+interrogate and compare them, and those that moves objects and
+references between repositories.
There are also some ancilliary programs that can be viewed as useful
aids for using the core commands but which are unlikely to be used by
link:git-update-cache.html[git-update-cache]::
Modifies the index or directory cache
-link:git-write-blob.html[git-write-blob]::
- Creates a blob from a file
+link:git-hash-object.html[git-hash-object]::
+ Computes the object ID from a file.
link:git-write-tree.html[git-write-tree]::
Creates a tree from the current cache
link:git-cat-file.html[git-cat-file]::
Provide content or type information for repository objects
-link:git-check-files.html[git-check-files]::
- Verify a list of files are up-to-date
-
link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache]::
Compares content and mode of blobs between the cache and repository
link:git-unpack-file.html[git-unpack-file]::
Creates a temporary file with a blob's contents
+link:git-var.html[git-var]::
+ Displays a git logical variable
+
+link:git-verify-pack.html[git-verify-pack]::
+ Validates packed GIT archive files
+
The interrogate commands may create files - and you can force them to
touch the working file set - but in general they don't
+Synching repositories
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+link:git-clone-script.html[git-clone-script]::
+ Clones a repository into the current repository (user interface)
+
+link:git-clone-pack.html[git-clone-pack]::
+ Clones a repository into the current repository (engine
+ for ssh and local transport)
+
+link:git-fetch-script.html[git-fetch-script]::
+ Download from a remote repository via various protocols
+ (user interface).
+
+link:git-pull-script.html[git-pull-script]::
+ Fetch from and merge with a remote repository via
+ various protocols (user interface).
+
+link:git-http-pull.html[git-http-pull]::
+ Downloads a remote GIT repository via HTTP
+
+link:git-local-pull.html[git-local-pull]::
+ Duplicates another GIT repository on a local system
+
+link:git-ssh-pull.html[git-ssh-pull]::
+ Pulls from a remote repository over ssh connection
+
+link:git-send-pack.html[git-send-pack]::
+ Pushes to a remote repository, intelligently.
+
+link:git-receive-pack.html[git-receive-pack]::
+ Invoked by 'git-send-pack' to receive what is pushed to it.
+
+link:git-clone-pack.html[git-clone-pack]::
+ Clones from a remote repository.
+
+link:git-fetch-pack.html[git-fetch-pack]::
+ Updates from a remote repository.
+
+link:git-peek-remote.html[git-peek-remote]::
+ Lists references on a remote repository using upload-pack protocol.
+
+link:git-upload-pack.html[git-upload-pack]::
+ Invoked by 'git-clone-pack' and 'git-fetch-pack' to push
+ what are asked for.
+
+link:git-update-server-info.html[git-update-server-info]::
+ Updates auxiliary information on a dumb server to help
+ clients discover references and packs on it.
+
+
Ancilliary Commands
-------------------
Manipulators:
link:git-convert-cache.html[git-convert-cache]::
Converts old-style GIT repository
-link:git-http-pull.html[git-http-pull]::
- Downloads a remote GIT repository via HTTP
-
-link:git-local-pull.html[git-local-pull]::
- Duplicates another GIT repository on a local system
-
link:git-merge-one-file-script.html[git-merge-one-file-script]::
The standard helper program to use with "git-merge-cache"
-link:git-pull-script.html[git-pull-script]::
- Script used by Linus to pull and merge a remote repository
-
link:git-prune-script.html[git-prune-script]::
Prunes all unreachable objects from the object database
link:git-tag-script.html[git-tag-script]::
An example script to create a tag object signed with GPG
-link:git-rpull.html[git-rpull]::
- Pulls from a remote repository over ssh connection
Interogators:
-link:git-diff-tree-helper.html[git-diff-tree-helper]::
+link:git-diff-helper.html[git-diff-helper]::
Generates patch format output for git-diff-*
-link:git-rpush.html[git-rpush]::
- Helper "server-side" program used by git-rpull
+link:git-ssh-push.html[git-ssh-push]::
+ Helper "server-side" program used by git-ssh-pull
-Terminology
------------
-see README for description
-
-Identifier terminology
+Identifier Terminology
----------------------
<object>::
- Indicates any object sha1 identifier
+ Indicates the sha1 identifier for any type of object
<blob>::
Indicates a blob object sha1 identifier
Indicates a commit object sha1 identifier
<tree-ish>::
- Indicates a tree, commit or tag object sha1 identifier.
- A command that takes a <tree-ish> argument ultimately
- wants to operate on a <tree> object but automatically
- dereferences <commit> and <tag> that points at a
- <tree>.
+ Indicates a tree, commit or tag object sha1 identifier. A
+ command that takes a <tree-ish> argument ultimately wants to
+ operate on a <tree> object but automatically dereferences
+ <commit> and <tag> objects that point at a <tree>.
<type>::
Indicates that an object type is required.
Indicates a filename - always relative to the root of
the tree structure GIT_INDEX_FILE describes.
+Symbolic Identifiers
+--------------------
+Any git comand accepting any <object> can also use the following
+symbolic notation:
+
+HEAD::
+ indicates the head of the repository (ie the contents of
+ `$GIT_DIR/HEAD`)
+<tag>::
+ a valid tag 'name'+
+ (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/tags/<tag>`)
+<head>::
+ a valid head 'name'+
+ (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/heads/<head>`)
+<snap>::
+ a valid snapshot 'name'+
+ (ie the contents of `$GIT_DIR/refs/snap/<snap>`)
+
+
+File/Directory Structure
+------------------------
+The git-core manipulates the following areas in the directory:
+
+ .git/ The base (overridden with $GIT_DIR)
+ objects/ The object base (overridden with $GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY)
+ ??/ 'First 2 chars of object' directories.
+ pack/ Packed archives.
+
+ refs/ Directories containing symbolic names for objects
+ (each file contains the hex SHA1 + newline)
+ heads/ Commits which are heads of various sorts
+ tags/ Tags, by the tag name (or some local renaming of it)
+ */ Any other subdirectory of refs/ can be used to store
+ files similar to what are under refs/heads/.
+ HEAD Symlink to refs/heads/<current-branch-name>
+
+Higher level SCMs may provide and manage additional information in the
+GIT_DIR.
+
Terminology
-----------
-Each line contains terms used interchangeably
+Each line contains terms which you may see used interchangeably
object database, .git directory
directory cache, index
id, sha1, sha1-id, sha1 hash
type, tag
- blob, blob object
- tree, tree object
- commit, commit object
- parent
- root object
- changeset
Environment Variables
---------------------
Various git commands use the following environment variables:
-- 'GIT_AUTHOR_NAME'
-- 'GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL'
-- 'GIT_AUTHOR_DATE'
-- 'GIT_COMMITTER_NAME'
-- 'GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL'
-- 'GIT_DIFF_OPTS'
-- 'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF'
-- 'GIT_INDEX_FILE'
-- 'GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY'
-- 'GIT_ALTERNATE_OBJECT_DIRECTORIES'
-
+The git Repository
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+These environment variables apply to 'all' core git commands. Nb: it
+is worth noting that they may be used/overridden by SCMS sitting above
+git so take care if using Cogito etc
+
+'GIT_INDEX_FILE'::
+ This environment allows the specification of an alternate
+ cache/index file. If not specified, the default of
+ `$GIT_DIR/index` is used.
+
+'GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY'::
+ If the object storage directory is specified via this
+ environment variable then the sha1 directories are created
+ underneath - otherwise the default `$GIT_DIR/objects`
+ directory is used.
+
+'GIT_ALTERNATE_OBJECT_DIRECTORIES'::
+ Due to the immutable nature of git objects, old objects can be
+ archived into shared, read-only directories. This variable
+ specifies a ":" seperated list of git object directories which
+ can be used to search for git objects. New objects will not be
+ written to these directories.
+
+'GIT_DIR'::
+ If the 'GIT_DIR' environment variable is set then it specifies
+ a path to use instead of `./.git` for the base of the
+ repository.
+
+git Commits
+~~~~~~~~~~~
+'GIT_AUTHOR_NAME'::
+'GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL'::
+'GIT_AUTHOR_DATE'::
+'GIT_COMMITTER_NAME'::
+'GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL'::
+ see link:git-commit-tree.html[git-commit-tree]
+
+git Diffs
+~~~~~~~~~
+'GIT_DIFF_OPTS'::
+'GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF'::
+ see the "generating patches" section in :
+ link:git-diff-cache.html[git-diff-cache];
+ link:git-diff-files.html[git-diff-files];
+ link:git-diff-tree.html[git-diff-tree]
+
+Discussion
+----------
+include::../README[]
Author
------
-Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org>
+Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
Documentation
--------------
projects / git.git / blobdiff