6 git-worktree - Manage multiple working trees
12 'git worktree add' [-f] [--detach] [--checkout] [--lock] [-b <new-branch>] <path> [<commit-ish>]
13 'git worktree list' [--porcelain]
14 'git worktree lock' [--reason <string>] <worktree>
15 'git worktree move' <worktree> <new-path>
16 'git worktree prune' [-n] [-v] [--expire <expire>]
17 'git worktree remove' [--force] <worktree>
18 'git worktree unlock' <worktree>
23 Manage multiple working trees attached to the same repository.
25 A git repository can support multiple working trees, allowing you to check
26 out more than one branch at a time. With `git worktree add` a new working
27 tree is associated with the repository. This new working tree is called a
28 "linked working tree" as opposed to the "main working tree" prepared by "git
29 init" or "git clone". A repository has one main working tree (if it's not a
30 bare repository) and zero or more linked working trees.
32 When you are done with a linked working tree you can simply delete it.
33 The working tree's administrative files in the repository (see
34 "DETAILS" below) will eventually be removed automatically (see
35 `gc.worktreePruneExpire` in linkgit:git-config[1]), or you can run
36 `git worktree prune` in the main or any linked working tree to
37 clean up any stale administrative files.
39 If a linked working tree is stored on a portable device or network share
40 which is not always mounted, you can prevent its administrative files from
41 being pruned by issuing the `git worktree lock` command, optionally
42 specifying `--reason` to explain why the working tree is locked.
46 add <path> [<commit-ish>]::
48 Create `<path>` and checkout `<commit-ish>` into it. The new working directory
49 is linked to the current repository, sharing everything except working
50 directory specific files such as HEAD, index, etc. `-` may also be
51 specified as `<commit-ish>`; it is synonymous with `@{-1}`.
53 If <commit-ish> is a branch name (call it `<branch>`) and is not found,
54 and neither `-b` nor `-B` nor `--detach` are used, but there does
55 exist a tracking branch in exactly one remote (call it `<remote>`)
56 with a matching name, treat as equivalent to:
59 $ git worktree add --track -b <branch> <path> <remote>/<branch>
62 If `<commit-ish>` is omitted and neither `-b` nor `-B` nor `--detach` used,
63 then, as a convenience, a worktree with a branch named after
64 `$(basename <path>)` (call it `<branch>`) is created. If `<branch>`
65 doesn't exist, a new branch based on HEAD is automatically created as
66 if `-b <branch>` was given. If `<branch>` exists in the repository,
67 it will be checked out in the new worktree, if it's not checked out
68 anywhere else, otherwise the command will refuse to create the
73 List details of each worktree. The main worktree is listed first, followed by
74 each of the linked worktrees. The output details include if the worktree is
75 bare, the revision currently checked out, and the branch currently checked out
76 (or 'detached HEAD' if none).
80 If a working tree is on a portable device or network share which
81 is not always mounted, lock it to prevent its administrative
82 files from being pruned automatically. This also prevents it from
83 being moved or deleted. Optionally, specify a reason for the lock
88 Move a working tree to a new location. Note that the main working tree
89 or linked working trees containing submodules cannot be moved.
93 Prune working tree information in $GIT_DIR/worktrees.
97 Remove a working tree. Only clean working trees (no untracked files
98 and no modification in tracked files) can be removed. Unclean working
99 trees or ones with submodules can be removed with `--force`. The main
100 working tree cannot be removed.
104 Unlock a working tree, allowing it to be pruned, moved or deleted.
111 By default, `add` refuses to create a new working tree when
112 `<commit-ish>` is a branch name and is already checked out by
113 another working tree and `remove` refuses to remove an unclean
114 working tree. This option overrides that safeguard.
118 With `add`, create a new branch named `<new-branch>` starting at
119 `<commit-ish>`, and check out `<new-branch>` into the new working tree.
120 If `<commit-ish>` is omitted, it defaults to HEAD.
121 By default, `-b` refuses to create a new branch if it already
122 exists. `-B` overrides this safeguard, resetting `<new-branch>` to
126 With `add`, detach HEAD in the new working tree. See "DETACHED HEAD"
127 in linkgit:git-checkout[1].
130 By default, `add` checks out `<commit-ish>`, however, `--no-checkout` can
131 be used to suppress checkout in order to make customizations,
132 such as configuring sparse-checkout. See "Sparse checkout"
133 in linkgit:git-read-tree[1].
135 --[no-]guess-remote::
136 With `worktree add <path>`, without `<commit-ish>`, instead
137 of creating a new branch from HEAD, if there exists a tracking
138 branch in exactly one remote matching the basename of `<path>`,
139 base the new branch on the remote-tracking branch, and mark
140 the remote-tracking branch as "upstream" from the new branch.
142 This can also be set up as the default behaviour by using the
143 `worktree.guessRemote` config option.
146 When creating a new branch, if `<commit-ish>` is a branch,
147 mark it as "upstream" from the new branch. This is the
148 default if `<commit-ish>` is a remote-tracking branch. See
149 "--track" in linkgit:git-branch[1] for details.
152 Keep the working tree locked after creation. This is the
153 equivalent of `git worktree lock` after `git worktree add`,
154 but without race condition.
158 With `prune`, do not remove anything; just report what it would
162 With `list`, output in an easy-to-parse format for scripts.
163 This format will remain stable across Git versions and regardless of user
164 configuration. See below for details.
168 With `prune`, report all removals.
171 With `prune`, only expire unused working trees older than <time>.
174 With `lock`, an explanation why the working tree is locked.
177 Working trees can be identified by path, either relative or
180 If the last path components in the working tree's path is unique among
181 working trees, it can be used to identify worktrees. For example if
182 you only have two working trees, at "/abc/def/ghi" and "/abc/def/ggg",
183 then "ghi" or "def/ghi" is enough to point to the former working tree.
187 Each linked working tree has a private sub-directory in the repository's
188 $GIT_DIR/worktrees directory. The private sub-directory's name is usually
189 the base name of the linked working tree's path, possibly appended with a
190 number to make it unique. For example, when `$GIT_DIR=/path/main/.git` the
191 command `git worktree add /path/other/test-next next` creates the linked
192 working tree in `/path/other/test-next` and also creates a
193 `$GIT_DIR/worktrees/test-next` directory (or `$GIT_DIR/worktrees/test-next1`
194 if `test-next` is already taken).
196 Within a linked working tree, $GIT_DIR is set to point to this private
197 directory (e.g. `/path/main/.git/worktrees/test-next` in the example) and
198 $GIT_COMMON_DIR is set to point back to the main working tree's $GIT_DIR
199 (e.g. `/path/main/.git`). These settings are made in a `.git` file located at
200 the top directory of the linked working tree.
202 Path resolution via `git rev-parse --git-path` uses either
203 $GIT_DIR or $GIT_COMMON_DIR depending on the path. For example, in the
204 linked working tree `git rev-parse --git-path HEAD` returns
205 `/path/main/.git/worktrees/test-next/HEAD` (not
206 `/path/other/test-next/.git/HEAD` or `/path/main/.git/HEAD`) while `git
207 rev-parse --git-path refs/heads/master` uses
208 $GIT_COMMON_DIR and returns `/path/main/.git/refs/heads/master`,
209 since refs are shared across all working trees.
211 See linkgit:gitrepository-layout[5] for more information. The rule of
212 thumb is do not make any assumption about whether a path belongs to
213 $GIT_DIR or $GIT_COMMON_DIR when you need to directly access something
214 inside $GIT_DIR. Use `git rev-parse --git-path` to get the final path.
216 If you manually move a linked working tree, you need to update the 'gitdir' file
217 in the entry's directory. For example, if a linked working tree is moved
218 to `/newpath/test-next` and its `.git` file points to
219 `/path/main/.git/worktrees/test-next`, then update
220 `/path/main/.git/worktrees/test-next/gitdir` to reference `/newpath/test-next`
223 To prevent a $GIT_DIR/worktrees entry from being pruned (which
224 can be useful in some situations, such as when the
225 entry's working tree is stored on a portable device), use the
226 `git worktree lock` command, which adds a file named
227 'locked' to the entry's directory. The file contains the reason in
228 plain text. For example, if a linked working tree's `.git` file points
229 to `/path/main/.git/worktrees/test-next` then a file named
230 `/path/main/.git/worktrees/test-next/locked` will prevent the
231 `test-next` entry from being pruned. See
232 linkgit:gitrepository-layout[5] for details.
236 The worktree list command has two output formats. The default format shows the
237 details on a single line with columns. For example:
241 /path/to/bare-source (bare)
242 /path/to/linked-worktree abcd1234 [master]
243 /path/to/other-linked-worktree 1234abc (detached HEAD)
248 The porcelain format has a line per attribute. Attributes are listed with a
249 label and value separated by a single space. Boolean attributes (like 'bare'
250 and 'detached') are listed as a label only, and are only present if and only
251 if the value is true. An empty line indicates the end of a worktree. For
255 S git worktree list --porcelain
256 worktree /path/to/bare-source
259 worktree /path/to/linked-worktree
260 HEAD abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234
261 branch refs/heads/master
263 worktree /path/to/other-linked-worktree
264 HEAD 1234abc1234abc1234abc1234abc1234abc1234a
271 You are in the middle of a refactoring session and your boss comes in and
272 demands that you fix something immediately. You might typically use
273 linkgit:git-stash[1] to store your changes away temporarily, however, your
274 working tree is in such a state of disarray (with new, moved, and removed
275 files, and other bits and pieces strewn around) that you don't want to risk
276 disturbing any of it. Instead, you create a temporary linked working tree to
277 make the emergency fix, remove it when done, and then resume your earlier
281 $ git worktree add -b emergency-fix ../temp master
283 # ... hack hack hack ...
284 $ git commit -a -m 'emergency fix for boss'
292 Multiple checkout in general is still experimental, and the support
293 for submodules is incomplete. It is NOT recommended to make multiple
294 checkouts of a superproject.
298 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite