Git Commands

Link to Git Cheat Sheet

Terms

working directory : Where you are coding (can be same as git directory)
staging area : Where you commit changes from working directory to git directory (but not pushed in)
git directory : Where your local repository is hosted
local : Your git repository on your computer
remote : Git repository NOT on your computer, and you are pushing / pulling from
origin : Where the repository was ORGINALLY cloned (i.e. master version)
pull : Fetch from remote to local
push : Push from local to remote
commit hash : ID of commit
tree : contains a list/history of git changes
upstream : changes/commits that are in origin

Setting up

git version
- Checks your git version
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
- Your commit name
- Leave "<>" blank to check current name
git config --global user.email "youremail@gmail.com
- Your commit email
- Leave "<>" blank to check current email
git config --list
- Shows all config settings
git init
- Creates a git repository at current directory (creates .git directory)
- remove .git directory to remove git status
git add <filename>
- -A add all files in current directory
- Stages all files in current directory (adds to git repo)
git clone <URL>.git <cloning_directory>
- Leaving <cloning_directory> blank to clone at current directory
- URL should end with a .git to specify its a git repository
- Some git services like GitHub are automatically detected so doesn't need the .git
- --depth <no.> determines amount of commits to clone
- --recurse-submodules clones submodules
git remote -v
- Check if remote is the origin
git branch -a
- List all branches in the local and remote

Basic Commands

git help <command>
- Gets help for specific command
- Alt: git <command> --help
git status
- Shows status, includes:
- Untracked files (fresh repo), Uncommited/commited changes, Conflicts
- Use before pushing and pulling to check for possible conflicts!
git add <filename>
- -A add all files in current directory
- Stages files (adds to commit)
git commit -m "Commit Message"
- Commit changes
- Use without -m option to check full commit status in a code editor
- Use with --amend to amend last commit
git log
- Shows recent changes
- q to quit, Returnfor next line
git diff
- Shows any differences
- optional: <commit-hash> <commit-hash>; <branch-name> / head - latest -- --stat for a condensed summary (file changes)
- q to quit, Returnfor next line
git fetch
- Fetches (download) from remote to local
git pull (origin) (branch)
- Pulls from remote to local
- bracketed items are optional (remove brackets!):
- origin - specifies from origin directory
- branch - specifies branch name, current branch by default
git push (origin) (branch)
- Pushes from local to remote
- bracketed items are optional (remove brackets!):
- origin - specifies from origin directory
- branch - specifies branch name, current branch by default
- -u - set upstream (for pushing in a new branch from local to remote-origin)
git checkout <commit-hash>/<branch-name>
- Switch your current git repository to a specific commit OR branch
- git checkout main to switch back to latest
- git checkout head ADVANCED: Detaches current commit from working tree
- Leave option empty to get the current status
git branch <branch-name>
- Creates a new branch based on current commit
- Use checkout to specify specific commit / switch to new branch
- Leave option empty to get the current branch you are on
git stash
- Stash current changes
git stash show
- Show stashed changes
git stash pop
- Pop stash changes (unstash)
git mv <file_location> <new_location/new_name>
- Rename / move existing files to another name / location
- Useful for changing file name case (windows is non-case sensitive and won't detect file name case changes)
- git mv src/graphics.cpp src/GRAPHICS.cpp - renaming to uppercase
- git mv src/graphics.cpp src/graphics/graphics_auto.cpp - renaming and moving

Merging

Squash and merge (makes your commitS into one large commit)
- Merging from bugfix branch INTO master
  - git checkout master
  - git merge --squash bugfix
  - resolve conflicts....
  - git rebase
  - resolve conflicts....
  - git commit
Updating your own branch with stuff from master
- git checkout <your_branch>
- git rebase master
- resolve conflicts....
- git force -f
  - Why force?
    - Since rebase rewrites commit history, the previous version of the branch is no longer valid.
    - A force push replaces the old local branch history with the rebased one, removing the old, now obsolete commits.
Merge with rebase (retains all your commits and move them over)
- Rebasing bugfix INTO master
  - git checkout bugfix
  - git rebase master
  - resolve conflicts....
  - git checkout master
  - git merge bugfix
  - push!

Git Large File Storage (LFS)

When adding files larger than 100mb, versioning for it will no longer be available, forcing the repository to be completely usable, use git LFS to manage these large files

git lfs install : install LFS if you dont have it
git lfs track "filename" OR git lfs track "*.psd" <- tracks all files of specified type
git add .gitattributes - if git attributes doesn't exist! git attributes is used for tracking LFS files
git add -A
git commit -m "Commit message"

Advanced Commands

WARNING : Commands below will might result in an unstable repository or overwritten changes when used incorrectly! Use with care!

DANGER LEVEL

No danger (but access advanced data)
overwrites local changes (if no errors)
overwrites local & can affect remote changes
overwrites local & overwrites remote changes (poweruser!)

git rebase [1]
- Compare between local and remote and tries to fix tree
git rebase origin/<branch name> [2]
- i.e. git rebase origin/master rebases master branch to current branch, basically apply master branch changes into current branch
git reset [1]
- REMOVES unstaged / uncommitted changes
- Resets repository to last state
- --hard to force reset
- <commit-hash> to reset to specific commit
git clean -fxd [1]
- Force REMOVES all unstaged / uncommited changes
git push -f [3]
- Does a force push, this REWRITES the remote tree with your local tree!
git reset --soft HEAD~3 [2]
- Rewinds/undo the last 3 commits from current head, change 3 to any number
git add dir/dir2/ -f [2]
- Force adds/stages directory, OVERWRITES gitignore
- Replace with <filename> for file
git checkout --orphan [2]
- Makes a new orphan branch with NO commit history
git rebase -i --root [3]
- Allows manual rebasing in an interactive editor FROM starting of repo (root)
- Changes made here will MESS UP your local tree unless you know what you are doing
- git rebase to reset rebased changes
- git rebase -i <commit-hash> to specify starting commit
- --root specifies starting commit to be from first
git rebase -i HEAD~3 [3]
- Allows manual rebasing in an interactive editor FOR last 3 commits
- Change the respective command in your text editor, i.e. pick to drop; to affect the commit
git fsck --unreachable [0]
- show list of unreachable (dangling) commits
git gc --prune=now [3] - removes unused history!
- remove all unreachable (dangling) commits

Cross-GUI Interations

github .
- open github GUI at current location
- replace . with folder path for specified location
explorer .
- open file explorer at current location
- replace . with folder path for specified location
typing in file explorer address path
- cmd - open command prompt
- powershell - open powershell

Helpful Windows CMD Commands

cd ..
- Go to parent directory
cd <directory_name>
- Go to next specified directory
dir
- Display all files in current directory
- help dir for list of sorting options
- dir /os - file ordered by smallest size first
- dir /o-s - file ordered by largest size first
rmdir /s /q <directory_name>
- Force removes a directory and all its contents
- /s Removes all directories and files in specified directory
- /q Quiet mode: Do not ask if "Are you sure"
mkdir <folder_name>
- Creates a new folder in current directory
echo your_text_here > filename.extension
- Create file with echo
code filename.extension
- Create file with vscode
notepad filename.extension
- Create file with notepad
type filename.extension
- Show file contents
del <file_name>
- Delete singular file
- /f Force delete (read-only etc)
- /q Quiet mode: Do not ask if "Are you sure"
- help del for list of deleting options
set <variable_name>=<contents>
- Stores a variable, persistent in current cmd session
- <contents> can be a command with %command%
- i.e. set curpath=%cd% set variable curpath to current directory
echo %<variable_name>%
- Echo variable
- Surround with "<>" to create a string
%<variable_name>%
- Utilise variable, use cases: for specifying directories etc
<filename>.exe/.bat
- Execute said file, .bat is a bash script
- .sh (shell script) is linux equivalent
<any-cmd> > filename.extension
- Pipe results to specified file

Git Configurations

.gitignore

Excludes certain files from being pushed. Can be overriden with git add <> -f https://git-scm.com/docs/gitignore

prefix !
- Should be placed after all exclude criteria
- Applied to any parameters, include said
*.extension
- Exclude file extension
<folder_name>/
- Exclude everything in folder
- Use [Dd] for wildcard, specified allows D or d
- i.e. [Dd]ebug/

.gitattributes

Various git config attributes Involves language statistics watcher https://git-scm.com/docs/gitattributes

prefix *.extension
- Exclude file extension
- i.e. *.tex linguist-vendored
prefix <project-root>/<directory-1>/<directory-2>/**
- Exclude directory
- i.e. opengl-dev/lib/** linguist-vendored
prefix <filename.extension> -
- Exclude specific file
- i.e. jquery.js -linguist-vendored
option linguist-vendored
- Exclude as vendored code (from library)
option linguist-documentation
- Exclude as documentation
option linguist-generated
- Exclude as generated files
option linguist-language=<language>
- Reclassifies file to another language
- i.e. *.rb linguist-language=Java

.gitkeep

Placeholder file for empty directories

Signing commits on github

git config commit.gpgsign true
- Enable signed commits for current repository, switch to false to disable
git config --global commit.gpgsign true
- Enable signed commits globally, switch to false to disable

Setting up (Using GPG)

Install GPG command line tools https://www.gnupg.org/download/ For windows, get Gpg4win
Locate gpg.exe If following default installation path, should be under: C:\Program Files (x86)\GnuPG\bin cd to said directory
gpg.exe --full-generate-key
kind of key: Enter to accept default
key size: Enter to accept default
length of time: Enter to accept default (doesn't expire)
Verify selections above
Enter your user ID information. For a private email address, use github provided no-reply! Your no-reply github email is viewable under github website settings > Emails (https://github.com/settings/emails) It will look something like this ID+USERNAME@users.noreply.github.com or this USERNAME@users.noreply.github.com
Type a secure passphrase
Get list of keys with: gpg.exe --list-secret-keys --keyid-format=long
copy the ID, ID should be under sec right after first \ For example: sec 4096R/3AA5C34371567BD2 2016-03-10 [expires: 2017-03-10] 3AA5C34371567BD2 is the ID
gpg.exe --armor --export <INSERT_ID_HERE>
Copy the GPG key generated
Go to your github website settings > SSH and GPG keys (under Access section) (https://github.com/settings/keys)
Click New GPG key
Confirm and authenticate
git config --global gpg.program "C:\Program Files (x86)\GnuPG\bin\gpg.exe" replace path there to path to your gpg.exe if different
git config --global gpg.program gpg
git config --global user.signingkey <INSERT_ID_HERE>
Profit! Your key is stored and automatically applied as long as you are using the same device with Cpg4win installed.

Removing passphrase

gpg --passwd <INSERT_ID_HERE>
Enter your passphrase as normal
Keep the new passphrase empty and accept the warnings
Repeat step 3
Passphrase is now removed for this device