Git tutorial

Git Cheat Sheet: Git commands explained simply

57 entries to learn Git or look up a command: what it does, a use case, its command-line variants, frequently asked questions and the steps to follow in Merathon. Warnings point out the actions that lose data or rewrite history.

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The most common questions

• Undo the last commit without losing your changes
• Undo a commit already pushed
• Change the last commit's message
• Discard a file's changes
• Delete a local and remote branch
• Rename a branch
• Resolve a merge conflict
• Combine several commits into one
• Force a push without overwriting others' work
• Set up an SSH key for GitHub or GitLab

Getting started

• Create a repositorygit initTurns a folder into a git repository: the history is stored in its .git subfolder.
• Clone a repositorygit clone <url>Downloads a remote repository with its whole history and links it to its "origin" remote.
• Open an existing repositorycd <folder>A repository already on disk opens as is, in the current tab or a new tab.

Changes

• See the state of the working copygit statusLists modified, added, deleted or untracked files, and those already staged for the next commit.
• See a file's differencesgit diff · git diff --stagedShows line by line what changed, compared to the index (unstaged) or the last commit (staged).
• Stage filesgit add <file> · git add -APlaces changes in the index: only what is staged will be part of the next commit.
• Stage part of a filegit add -pStages only certain hunks or lines of a file, the rest staying unstaged.
• Unstagegit restore --staged <file>Removes changes from the index without losing them: they become "unstaged" again.
• Discard changesgit restore <file>Puts a file back in the state of the index: unstaged changes are discarded.
• Ignore filesecho <pattern> >> .gitignoreFiles matching a .gitignore pattern no longer appear as untracked.
• Commitgit commit -m <message>Records the content of the index as a new commit on the current branch.
• Amend the last commitgit commit --amendReplaces the last commit with a new one: corrected message, files added or removed.

Branches

• Create a branchgit switch -c <branch>Creates a new line of development from a commit, without touching other branches.
• Switch branchesgit switch <branch>Puts the working copy in the state of another branch, which becomes the current branch.
• Rename a branchgit branch -m <old> <new>Changes the name of a local branch without changing its commits.
• Delete a branchgit branch -D <branch> · git push origin --delete <branch>Removes a local or remote branch; commits already merged elsewhere stay in the history.
• Link a branch to a remote branchgit branch --set-upstream-to=origin/<branch>Sets the tracked remote branch: it is the one targeted by pull and push, and by the ahead / behind counter.
• Go to an old commitgit switch --detach <commit>Puts the working copy in the state of a specific commit, without a branch ("detached HEAD").

Synchronize

• Add a remotegit remote add <name> <url>Declares a remote repository to exchange commits with.
• Have one identity per foldergit config --global includeIf."gitdir:~/dev/pro/".path ~/.gitconfig-proAn includeIf rule applies a configuration file to all the repositories in a folder: same commit email and same SSH key (core.sshCommand) without setting anything repository by repository. For Merathon as for git on the command line, a repository's own setting takes precedence over the rule.
• Set up an SSH keyssh-keygen -t ed25519An SSH key replaces the token for repositories whose remote uses SSH (git@host:…). The private key stays on your machine; only the public key is registered on GitHub or GitLab. On first connection, the server fingerprint is checked then stored in ~/.ssh/known_hosts.
• Get new commits without integrating themgit fetchDownloads the commits and branches of the remote without changing your branch or your files.
• Integrate new commits from the remotegit pull · git pull --rebaseGets the remote commits and integrates them into the current branch, by merge or by rebase.
• Publish your commitsgit push · git push -u origin <branch>Sends the commits of the current branch to the remote; on the first push, the branch is created there.
• Force a pushgit push --forceReplaces the remote branch with your local version, even if their histories have diverged.

Integrate

• Merge a branchgit merge <branch>Integrates the commits of another branch into the current branch, with a merge commit if needed.
• Rebase a branchgit rebase <branch>Replays the commits of the current branch on top of another, for a linear history.
• Resolve a conflictgit add <file> (after editing)When two branches change the same lines, git stops and asks you which version to keep.
• Abort a merge or a rebasegit merge --abort · git rebase --abortCancels the current operation and puts the branch back in its previous state.
• Take a commit from another branchgit cherry-pick <commit>Copies the changes of a specific commit onto the current branch.
• Undo a published commitgit revert <commit>Creates a new commit that undoes the changes of an old one, without rewriting history.
• Open a pull requestgh pr create · glab mr createProposes the commits of a branch for review on GitHub (pull request) or GitLab (merge request).
• Link an issue to a pull request#12 · Closes #12 (in the description)#12 in the description creates a link to the issue; "Closes #12" also closes it on merge, on GitHub and GitLab alike.

Rewrite history

• Interactive rebasegit rebase -i <commit>Reorganizes a series of commits: reorder, rename, squash, edit or delete.
• Group commitsgit rebase -i (squash)Merges several commits into one, in place of the oldest.
• Go back to an earlier commitgit reset --soft | --mixed | --hard <commit>Moves the current branch to another commit. Soft keeps everything staged, mixed keeps modified files, hard erases everything.

Set aside

• Set your changes asidegit stash push -u -m <message>Stores the current changes in a reserve and cleans up the working copy.
• Resume a stashgit stash pop · git stash applyReapplies changes set aside; "pop" also removes them from the reserve.
• Delete a stashgit stash dropRemoves a stash from the reserve without applying it.

Tags

• Create a taggit tag -a <name> -m <message>Places a fixed label on a commit, usually to mark a version.
• Publish a taggit push origin <tag>Tags do not go along with an ordinary push: they are pushed explicitly.
• Delete a taggit tag -d <tag> · git push origin --delete <tag>Removes a tag locally, and separately on the remote.

Explore

• Browse historygit log --graph --allShows the commits and how branches split and join.
• See the content of a commitgit show <commit>Shows the message, the author and the files changed by a commit.
• See the commands runEach action in the application is logged with the equivalent git command.
• Everything else, on the command linegit blame · git bisect · git reflog · git clean …Commands without a dedicated button stay available in the integrated terminal, opened in the repository.

Worktrees

• Understand worktreesgit worktree listA worktree is an additional working copy of the same repository, in another folder and on another branch. They all share commits, branches, tags, remotes and stashes: a commit made in one is immediately visible in the others, without push or fetch. Each one keeps its own files, index and current branch. The original folder is the main worktree; in the others, .git is a simple file pointing to the main repository, with no second history.
• Create a worktree on a new branchgit worktree add -b <branch> <folder>Creates the branch from the current commit, then checks it out in a new folder.
• Check out an existing branch in a worktreegit worktree add <folder> <branch>Checks out an already created local branch in a new folder, without changing branch where you are.
• Switch between worktreescd <folder>Each worktree is a separate folder: going there is enough, nothing is rewritten on disk, unlike a branch switch.
• Find a branch's worktreegit worktree listA branch can only be checked out in one worktree at a time: otherwise, a commit in one would move the branch under the other's files. Elsewhere, it can therefore be neither checked out, nor advanced, nor deleted.
• Delete a worktreegit worktree remove <folder>Deletes the folder and its reference in the repository. The branch and its commits remain: you can reopen it later, or delete it separately.
• Clean up a missing worktreegit worktree pruneIf the folder was deleted or moved outside git, the repository keeps its reference and its branch is still considered checked out. This reference must be removed.
• Move or lock a worktreegit worktree move <folder> <new-folder> ; git worktree lock <folder>move moves the folder while keeping the link with the repository. lock protects it from deletion and cleanup, for example if it is on an external drive; git worktree unlock removes the protection.

Submodules and LFS

• Initialize and update submodulesgit submodule update --initGets the nested repositories at the commit recorded by the parent repository.
• Track large files with Git LFSgit lfs track <pattern>Stores large files outside the history, which keeps only a pointer.
• Fetch LFS filesgit lfs pullDownloads the real content of the LFS files of the current revision.