= Git =

'''Git''' is a version control system designed to be used in a distributed ecosystem and primarily interfaced in a terminal (i.e. `git(1)`).

Compare to [[Cvs|CVS]].

<<TableOfContents>>

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== Installation ==

All [[Linux]] distributions offer a `git` package. Most [[BSD]] distributions do as well.

On [[Windows]], see the [[https://gitforwindows.org/|Git for Windows]] project.

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== Usage ==

To begin tracking a directory, run `git init`. This creates a `.git` folder to maintain the internal state of the version control system.

Use `git status` to show the current state in a human-readable format.



=== Branches ===

For more information about using branches, see [[Git/Branches|here]].



=== Submodules ===

To clone a repository that uses submodules, try:

{{{
git clone --recurse-submodules git@github.com:example/example.git
}}}

Alternatively, submodules can be pulled in a separate step.

{{{
git clone git@github.com:example/example.git
cd example
git submodule update --init --recursive
}}}

To add a submodule, try:

{{{
git submodule add git@github.com:example/subexample
}}}

To delete a submodule, try:

{{{
git submodule deinit subexample
}}}



=== Patches ===

To create a patch, try:

{{{
git format-patch -1 HEAD
}}}

Generally, the `HEAD` can be omitted.

This creates a patch file that can be applied like:

{{{
git apply 0001-Commit-Message-Here.patch
}}}

To create a patchset of the last 3 commits, try:

{{{
git format-patch -2
}}}

This will create a series of patches that are named sequentially like `0001-Commit-1.patch`, `0002-Commit-2.patch`, and so on.

Note that applying a patch with `git apply` simply changes local files. It does ''not'' create a local commit. Compare to `git am`, which is meant for applying patches as commits, including metadata embedded into the patchset (i.e., creator, date, etc.).

To create a squashed patch, try:

{{{
# Assumes that local work is in a development branch

# Create a temporary branch to house a squashed commit from the development branch
git checkout -b temporary-branch
git merge --squash development-branch
git commit -a -m "Squashed Commit Message"

# Create a patch against the main branch (usually either `master` or `main`)
git format-patch main

# Finally return to main branch delete the temporary branch
git checkout main
git branch -d temporary-branch
}}}

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== Troubleshooting ==



=== Fatal error when cloning a remote repository ===

If git fails to clone a remote repository, possibly with one of the following error messages:

{{{
fatal: fetch-pack: invalid index-pack output
...
fatal: early EOF
fatal: index-pack failed
}}}

Then try a '''shallow clone''' first:

{{{
git clone --depth 1 https://example.com/repo.git
git fetch --unshallow
git pull --all
}}}

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== See also ==

[[https://man.archlinux.org/man/git.1|git(1)]]

[[Git/GitShell|git-shell]]

[[CGit|CGit]]



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