nix-config/help/git.md

Git

Common commands

• Start a new git repository: git init OR gi
• Add files to commit: git add <files> OR ga <files>
• Commit those files to the repository: git commit -m <message> OR gc <message>
• Undo the last commit: gr
• Undo the last commit and delete changes: grr
• Update your local repository with a remote repository: git pull -u <remote> <branch>
  • The most common use is git pull -u origin master, although this also works for upstream remotes
• Show the status of the local repository: git status OR gs OR git s
• Push changes from your local repository to a remote repository: git push <remote> <branch> OR git push OR gp
  • The most common use is git push origin master, which is usually the default for git push
• Show the difference between the staging area and the working tree: git diff OR gd
• Show a log of all the commits: git log (full log) OR git lg (commits only, easier to read)
• Edit the last commit message: git commit --amend

Note that the -u flag means set-(u)pstream-to. It records the location so you don't have to set which remote to push or pull from every time.

Also note that git clone makes a remote name of origin by default. This is why git push -u origin master is usually used.

Working with Branches

• Show all the branches: git branch -a
• Checkout a different branch: git checkout <branch>
  • Useful for 1) checking out the master or development branch, 2) checking out an upstream branch, and 3) checking out a feature branch
• Create a new branch: git checkout -b <branch>
• Delete a branch when you're done with it: git branch -d <branch>

Less common commands

• Removes files to commit: git rm <files>
• Delete all local changes in the repository: git clean -f
• Show all the diffs and changes from the last N commits: git log -p -<N>
• Show the differences between your repository and a remote one: git log -p master..<REMOTE>/master
• View all remotes for the current repository: git remote -v (e.g. GitHub mirror, friend's fork, upstream, etc.)
• Show the entire contents of a commit, including diffs: git show <commit>
• Search for a string in the files of a git repository: git grep <pattern>