Cheatsheet¶

git config --global user.name "Amina Yusuf"     # identity for commits
git config --global user.email "amina@example.com"
git config --global init.defaultBranch main     # default branch name
git config --global pull.rebase true            # pull rebases instead of merging
git config --list --show-origin                 # every setting and which file set it
git config --global alias.lg "log --oneline --graph --all"   # a shortcut

git init                       # start a repo in the current directory
git clone <url>                # clone a remote
git clone --depth 1 <url>      # shallow: only the latest commit
git clone --filter=blob:none <url>       # partial: blobs on demand
git clone --recurse-submodules <url>     # populate submodules too

git status                     # what is staged, modified, untracked
git status -sb                 # short form with branch and ahead/behind
git add <path>                 # stage a file
git add -p                     # stage selected hunks interactively
git commit -m "message"        # commit the staged changes
git commit --amend             # replace the last commit (unpushed only)
git restore --staged <path>    # unstage, keep the working-tree change

git log --oneline --graph --all    # compact history with branches
git log -p -- <path>               # history of one file with diffs
git show <sha>                     # a commit's message and diff
git diff                           # working tree vs index
git diff --staged                  # index vs HEAD
git diff A..B                      # commits reachable from B but not A
git blame <path>                   # who last changed each line

git branch                     # list local branches
git switch <branch>            # change branch
git switch -c <new>            # create and switch
git branch -d <branch>         # delete a merged branch (-D to force)
git branch -m <old> <new>      # rename
git switch --detach <sha>      # check out a commit without a branch

git merge <branch>             # three-way merge into the current branch
git merge --no-ff <branch>     # force a merge commit
git merge --abort              # back out of a conflicted merge
git rebase <base>              # replay current branch onto base
git rebase -i <base>           # squash, reorder, reword, drop
git rebase --continue          # after resolving a conflict
git cherry-pick <sha>          # apply one commit here

git restore <path>             # discard a working-tree change
git reset --soft HEAD~1        # undo commit, keep changes staged
git reset --mixed HEAD~1       # undo commit, keep changes unstaged (default)
git reset --hard HEAD~1        # undo commit and discard changes
git revert <sha>               # a new commit that inverts a pushed one
git reflog                     # every move of HEAD, to recover lost commits
git clean -fd                  # delete untracked files and directories

git remote -v                  # list remotes and URLs
git remote add origin <url>    # add a remote
git fetch origin               # download refs and objects, change nothing
git pull                       # fetch plus merge (or rebase, if configured)
git pull --rebase              # fetch then replay your commits on top
git push -u origin <branch>    # push and set upstream
git push --force-with-lease    # overwrite your own branch safely

git tag                        # list tags
git tag -a v1.2.0 -m "Release" # annotated tag
git push origin v1.2.0         # push one tag (--tags for all)
git describe --tags            # nearest tag plus distance
git stash                      # shelve working-tree changes
git stash pop                  # reapply and drop the latest stash
git stash list                 # see shelved changes

git rebase -i <base>           # reshape local commits before sharing
git filter-repo --path <file> --invert-paths    # purge a file from all history
git filter-repo --replace-text rules.txt        # scrub a string from history
git gc --prune=now             # repack and drop unreachable objects
git fsck                       # verify object integrity

git bisect start <bad> <good>  # binary-search for a regression
git bisect run ./test.sh       # automate the search
git worktree add ../hotfix -b hotfix    # a second checkout on a new branch
git submodule update --init --recursive # populate submodules after clone
git sparse-checkout set <dir>  # materialize only chosen paths
git log --show-signature -1    # verify a commit's signature