1 Everyday GIT With 20 Commands Or So
2 ===================================
4 <<Basic Repository>> commands are needed by people who have a
5 repository --- that is everybody, because every working tree of
8 In addition, <<Individual Developer (Standalone)>> commands are
9 essential for anybody who makes a commit, even for somebody who
12 If you work with other people, you will need commands listed in
13 the <<Individual Developer (Participant)>> section as well.
15 People who play the <<Integrator>> role need to learn some more
16 commands in addition to the above.
18 <<Repository Administration>> commands are for system
19 administrators who are responsible for the care and feeding
23 Basic Repository[[Basic Repository]]
24 ------------------------------------
26 Everybody uses these commands to maintain git repositories.
28 * gitlink:git-init-db[1] or gitlink:git-clone[1] to create a
31 * gitlink:git-fsck-objects[1] to check the repository for errors.
33 * gitlink:git-prune[1] to remove unused objects in the repository.
35 * gitlink:git-repack[1] to pack loose objects for efficiency.
40 Check health and remove cruft.::
43 $ git fsck-objects <1>
45 $ git count-objects <2>
50 <1> running without `\--full` is usually cheap and assures the
51 repository health reasonably well.
52 <2> check how many loose objects there are and how much
53 disk space is wasted by not repacking.
54 <3> without `-a` repacks incrementally. repacking every 4-5MB
55 of loose objects accumulation may be a good rule of thumb.
56 <4> after repack, prune removes the duplicate loose objects.
58 Repack a small project into single pack.::
61 $ git repack -a -d <1>
65 <1> pack all the objects reachable from the refs into one pack,
66 then remove the other packs.
69 Individual Developer (Standalone)[[Individual Developer (Standalone)]]
70 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
72 A standalone individual developer does not exchange patches with
73 other people, and works alone in a single repository, using the
76 * gitlink:git-show-branch[1] to see where you are.
78 * gitlink:git-log[1] to see what happened.
80 * gitlink:git-checkout[1] and gitlink:git-branch[1] to switch
83 * gitlink:git-add[1] to manage the index file.
85 * gitlink:git-diff[1] and gitlink:git-status[1] to see what
86 you are in the middle of doing.
88 * gitlink:git-commit[1] to advance the current branch.
90 * gitlink:git-reset[1] and gitlink:git-checkout[1] (with
91 pathname parameters) to undo changes.
93 * gitlink:git-merge[1] to merge between local branches.
95 * gitlink:git-rebase[1] to maintain topic branches.
97 * gitlink:git-tag[1] to mark known point.
102 Use a tarball as a starting point for a new repository.::
105 $ tar zxf frotz.tar.gz
109 $ git commit -m 'import of frotz source tree.'
113 <1> add everything under the current directory.
114 <2> make a lightweight, unannotated tag.
116 Create a topic branch and develop.::
119 $ git checkout -b alsa-audio <1>
121 $ git checkout -- curses/ux_audio_oss.c <2>
122 $ git add curses/ux_audio_alsa.c <3>
125 $ git commit -a -s <5>
127 $ git reset --soft HEAD^ <6>
129 $ git diff ORIG_HEAD <7>
130 $ git commit -a -c ORIG_HEAD <8>
131 $ git checkout master <9>
132 $ git merge alsa-audio <10>
133 $ git log --since='3 days ago' <11>
134 $ git log v2.43.. curses/ <12>
137 <1> create a new topic branch.
138 <2> revert your botched changes in `curses/ux_audio_oss.c`.
139 <3> you need to tell git if you added a new file; removal and
140 modification will be caught if you do `git commit -a` later.
141 <4> to see what changes you are committing.
142 <5> commit everything as you have tested, with your sign-off.
143 <6> take the last commit back, keeping what is in the working tree.
144 <7> look at the changes since the premature commit we took back.
145 <8> redo the commit undone in the previous step, using the message
146 you originally wrote.
147 <9> switch to the master branch.
148 <10> merge a topic branch into your master branch. You can also use
149 `git pull . alsa-audio`, i.e. pull from the local repository.
150 <11> review commit logs; other forms to limit output can be
151 combined and include `\--max-count=10` (show 10 commits),
152 `\--until=2005-12-10`, etc.
153 <12> view only the changes that touch what's in `curses/`
154 directory, since `v2.43` tag.
157 Individual Developer (Participant)[[Individual Developer (Participant)]]
158 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
160 A developer working as a participant in a group project needs to
161 learn how to communicate with others, and uses these commands in
162 addition to the ones needed by a standalone developer.
164 * gitlink:git-clone[1] from the upstream to prime your local
167 * gitlink:git-pull[1] and gitlink:git-fetch[1] from "origin"
168 to keep up-to-date with the upstream.
170 * gitlink:git-push[1] to shared repository, if you adopt CVS
171 style shared repository workflow.
173 * gitlink:git-format-patch[1] to prepare e-mail submission, if
174 you adopt Linux kernel-style public forum workflow.
179 Clone the upstream and work on it. Feed changes to upstream.::
182 $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/.../torvalds/linux-2.6 my2.6
184 $ edit/compile/test; git commit -a -s <1>
185 $ git format-patch origin <2>
187 $ git log -p ORIG_HEAD.. arch/i386 include/asm-i386 <4>
188 $ git pull git://git.kernel.org/pub/.../jgarzik/libata-dev.git ALL <5>
189 $ git reset --hard ORIG_HEAD <6>
191 $ git fetch --tags <8>
194 <1> repeat as needed.
195 <2> extract patches from your branch for e-mail submission.
196 <3> `git pull` fetches from `origin` by default and merges into the
198 <4> immediately after pulling, look at the changes done upstream
199 since last time we checked, only in the
200 area we are interested in.
201 <5> fetch from a specific branch from a specific repository and merge.
203 <7> garbage collect leftover objects from reverted pull.
204 <8> from time to time, obtain official tags from the `origin`
205 and store them under `.git/refs/tags/`.
208 Push into another repository.::
211 satellite$ git clone mothership:frotz frotz <1>
213 satellite$ git repo-config --get-regexp '^(remote|branch)\.' <2>
214 remote.origin.url mothership:frotz
215 remote.origin.fetch refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*
216 branch.master.remote origin
217 branch.master.merge refs/heads/master
218 satellite$ git repo-config remote.origin.push \
219 master:refs/remotes/satellite/master <3>
220 satellite$ edit/compile/test/commit
221 satellite$ git push origin <4>
224 mothership$ git checkout master
225 mothership$ git merge satellite/master <5>
228 <1> mothership machine has a frotz repository under your home
229 directory; clone from it to start a repository on the satellite
231 <2> clone sets these configuration variables by default.
232 It arranges `git pull` to fetch and store the branches of mothership
233 machine to local `remotes/origin/*` tracking branches.
234 <3> arrange `git push` to push local `master` branch to
235 `remotes/satellite/master` branch of the mothership machine.
236 <4> push will stash our work away on `remotes/satellite/master`
237 tracking branch on the mothership machine. You could use this as
239 <5> on mothership machine, merge the work done on the satellite
240 machine into the master branch.
242 Branch off of a specific tag.::
245 $ git checkout -b private2.6.14 v2.6.14 <1>
246 $ edit/compile/test; git commit -a
247 $ git checkout master
248 $ git format-patch -k -m --stdout v2.6.14..private2.6.14 |
252 <1> create a private branch based on a well known (but somewhat behind)
254 <2> forward port all changes in `private2.6.14` branch to `master` branch
255 without a formal "merging".
258 Integrator[[Integrator]]
259 ------------------------
261 A fairly central person acting as the integrator in a group
262 project receives changes made by others, reviews and integrates
263 them and publishes the result for others to use, using these
264 commands in addition to the ones needed by participants.
266 * gitlink:git-am[1] to apply patches e-mailed in from your
269 * gitlink:git-pull[1] to merge from your trusted lieutenants.
271 * gitlink:git-format-patch[1] to prepare and send suggested
272 alternative to contributors.
274 * gitlink:git-revert[1] to undo botched commits.
276 * gitlink:git-push[1] to publish the bleeding edge.
282 My typical GIT day.::
286 $ git show-branch <2>
288 & s 2 3 4 5 ./+to-apply
289 & s 7 8 ./+hold-linus
291 $ git checkout -b topic/one master
292 $ git am -3 -i -s -u ./+to-apply <4>
294 $ git checkout -b hold/linus && git am -3 -i -s -u ./+hold-linus <5>
295 $ git checkout topic/one && git rebase master <6>
296 $ git checkout pu && git reset --hard next <7>
297 $ git merge topic/one topic/two && git merge hold/linus <8>
299 $ git cherry-pick master~4 <9>
301 $ git tag -s -m 'GIT 0.99.9x' v0.99.9x <10>
302 $ git fetch ko && git show-branch master maint 'tags/ko-*' <11>
304 $ git push ko v0.99.9x <13>
307 <1> see what I was in the middle of doing, if any.
308 <2> see what topic branches I have and think about how ready
310 <3> read mails, save ones that are applicable, and save others
311 that are not quite ready.
312 <4> apply them, interactively, with my sign-offs.
313 <5> create topic branch as needed and apply, again with my
315 <6> rebase internal topic branch that has not been merged to the
316 master, nor exposed as a part of a stable branch.
317 <7> restart `pu` every time from the next.
318 <8> and bundle topic branches still cooking.
319 <9> backport a critical fix.
320 <10> create a signed tag.
321 <11> make sure I did not accidentally rewind master beyond what I
322 already pushed out. `ko` shorthand points at the repository I have
323 at kernel.org, and looks like this:
326 $ cat .git/remotes/ko
327 URL: kernel.org:/pub/scm/git/git.git
328 Pull: master:refs/tags/ko-master
329 Pull: next:refs/tags/ko-next
330 Pull: maint:refs/tags/ko-maint
337 In the output from `git show-branch`, `master` should have
338 everything `ko-master` has, and `next` should have
339 everything `ko-next` has.
341 <12> push out the bleeding edge.
342 <13> push the tag out, too.
345 Repository Administration[[Repository Administration]]
346 ------------------------------------------------------
348 A repository administrator uses the following tools to set up
349 and maintain access to the repository by developers.
351 * gitlink:git-daemon[1] to allow anonymous download from
354 * gitlink:git-shell[1] can be used as a 'restricted login shell'
355 for shared central repository users.
357 link:howto/update-hook-example.txt[update hook howto] has a good
358 example of managing a shared central repository.
363 We assume the following in /etc/services::
366 $ grep 9418 /etc/services
367 git 9418/tcp # Git Version Control System
370 Run git-daemon to serve /pub/scm from inetd.::
373 $ grep git /etc/inetd.conf
374 git stream tcp nowait nobody \
375 /usr/bin/git-daemon git-daemon --inetd --export-all /pub/scm
378 The actual configuration line should be on one line.
380 Run git-daemon to serve /pub/scm from xinetd.::
383 $ cat /etc/xinetd.d/git-daemon
385 # description: The git server offers access to git repositories
394 server = /usr/bin/git-daemon
395 server_args = --inetd --export-all --base-path=/pub/scm
396 log_on_failure += USERID
400 Check your xinetd(8) documentation and setup, this is from a Fedora system.
401 Others might be different.
403 Give push/pull only access to developers.::
406 $ grep git /etc/passwd <1>
407 alice:x:1000:1000::/home/alice:/usr/bin/git-shell
408 bob:x:1001:1001::/home/bob:/usr/bin/git-shell
409 cindy:x:1002:1002::/home/cindy:/usr/bin/git-shell
410 david:x:1003:1003::/home/david:/usr/bin/git-shell
411 $ grep git /etc/shells <2>
415 <1> log-in shell is set to /usr/bin/git-shell, which does not
416 allow anything but `git push` and `git pull`. The users should
417 get an ssh access to the machine.
418 <2> in many distributions /etc/shells needs to list what is used
421 CVS-style shared repository.::
424 $ grep git /etc/group <1>
425 git:x:9418:alice,bob,cindy,david
428 lrwxrwxrwx 1 david git 17 Dec 4 22:40 HEAD -> refs/heads/master
429 drwxrwsr-x 2 david git 4096 Dec 4 22:40 branches
430 -rw-rw-r-- 1 david git 84 Dec 4 22:40 config
431 -rw-rw-r-- 1 david git 58 Dec 4 22:40 description
432 drwxrwsr-x 2 david git 4096 Dec 4 22:40 hooks
433 -rw-rw-r-- 1 david git 37504 Dec 4 22:40 index
434 drwxrwsr-x 2 david git 4096 Dec 4 22:40 info
435 drwxrwsr-x 4 david git 4096 Dec 4 22:40 objects
436 drwxrwsr-x 4 david git 4096 Nov 7 14:58 refs
437 drwxrwsr-x 2 david git 4096 Dec 4 22:40 remotes
438 $ ls -l hooks/update <3>
439 -r-xr-xr-x 1 david git 3536 Dec 4 22:40 update
440 $ cat info/allowed-users <4>
441 refs/heads/master alice\|cindy
442 refs/heads/doc-update bob
443 refs/tags/v[0-9]* david
446 <1> place the developers into the same git group.
447 <2> and make the shared repository writable by the group.
448 <3> use update-hook example by Carl from Documentation/howto/
449 for branch policy control.
450 <4> alice and cindy can push into master, only bob can push into doc-update.
451 david is the release manager and is the only person who can
452 create and push version tags.
454 HTTP server to support dumb protocol transfer.::
457 dev$ git update-server-info <1>
458 dev$ ftp user@isp.example.com <2>
459 ftp> cp -r .git /home/user/myproject.git
462 <1> make sure your info/refs and objects/info/packs are up-to-date
463 <2> upload to public HTTP server hosted by your ISP.