git

Git Command Cheat Sheet

Category	Command	Purpose	Example
Repository Setup	sudo git init --bare /opt/games.git	To create the bare repository
	git init	Initialize a new Git repository	git init
	git clone <repository_url>	Clone an entire repository	git clone https://github.com/user/repo.git
	git clone --branch <branch> --single-branch <repository_url>	Clone only a specific branch	git clone --branch develop --single-branch https://github.com/user/repo.git
Configuration	git config --global user.name "Your Name"	Set global username	git config --global user.name "John Doe"
	git config --global user.email "[email protected]"	Set global email	git config --global user.email "[email protected]"
	git config --global --list	View global Git configuration	git config --global --list
	git config --list --show-origin	Show configuration and source file	git config --list --show-origin
	git config user.name "Project User"	Set repository-specific username	git config user.name "Project User"
	git config user.email "[email protected]"	Set repository-specific email	git config user.email "[email protected]"
Repository Status	git status	Show working tree and staging status	git status
Staging	git add <file>	Stage a specific file	git add app.py
	git add .	Stage all changes	git add .
Unstaging	git reset HEAD <file>	Unstage a specific file	git reset HEAD app.py
	git restore --staged <file>	Unstage a specific file (recommended)	git restore --staged app.py
	git reset HEAD	Unstage all files	git reset HEAD
	git restore --staged .	Unstage all files	git restore --staged .
Commit	git commit -m "message"	Commit staged changes	git commit -m "Initial commit"
	git commit --amend	Modify the latest commit	git commit --amend
	git commit --amend --no-edit	Amend commit without changing message	git commit --amend --no-edit
	git commit --amend -C HEAD	Reuse previous commit message	git commit --amend -C HEAD
Uncommit / Reset	git reset --soft HEAD~1	Remove latest commit and move changes to staging area	git reset --soft HEAD~1
	git reset --mixed HEAD~1	Remove latest commit and move changes to working directory (unstaged)	git reset --mixed HEAD~1
	git reset --hard HEAD~1	Remove latest commit and discard all changes. Refer section [To update the remote repository to match your local hard reset] if needed	git reset --hard HEAD~1
	git rebase -i HEAD~2	Delete or edit older commits interactively	git rebase -i HEAD~2
	git update-ref -d HEAD	Delete the only commit in repository	git update-ref -d HEAD
	git commit --allow-empty -m "Reset history"	Create a new empty commit	git commit --allow-empty -m "Reset history"
To update the remote repository to match your local hard reset	git push origin <branch-name> --force-with-lease	Push with Force-With-Lease. --force-with-lease. This stops the push if someone else has pushed new commits to the remote branch in the meantime, preventing you from accidentally destroying their work.	git push origin <branch-name> --force-with-lease
	git push origin <branch-name> -f	Push with Standard Force	git push origin <branch-name> -f
History	git log	View commit history	git log
	git log --grep="text"	Search commit messages	git log --grep="fix"
	git log --author="Author"	Search commits by author	git log --author="Alice"
	git log -- <file>	Show history of a specific file	git log -- README.md
	git log --graph --oneline --decorate --all	Show commit graph	git log --graph --oneline --decorate --all
	git show <commit>	Show commit details	git show a1b2c3d
	git show --name-only <commit>	Show files modified in a commit	git show --name-only a1b2c3d
	git diff <commit1> <commit2>	Compare two commits	git diff HEAD^ HEAD
	git show :<file>	View staged version of a file	git show :README.md
	git show <commit-hash>:<path/to/file.ext>	To see a file's content in a specific commit without switching branches
	git show branch-name:<path to file>	View a file from a different branch
Clean Working Tree	git clean -n	Preview files that will be removed	git clean -n
	git clean -f	Remove untracked files	git clean -f
	git clean -fd	Remove untracked files and directories	git clean -fd
	git clean -X	Remove ignored files only	git clean -X
	git clean -Xd	Remove ignored files and directories	git clean -Xd
	git clean -x	Remove all untracked files (including ignored)	git clean -x
	git clean -xd	Remove all untracked files/directories	git clean -xd
	git check-ignore -v <file>	Verify why a file is ignored	git check-ignore -v app.log
Branch Management	git switch --orphan new-branch	Create an orphan branch
	git branch <branch>	Create a branch	git branch feature
	git checkout -b <branch>	Create and switch to a branch	git checkout -b feature
	git switch <branch>	Switch branches	git switch develop
	git checkout <branch>	Switch branches (older command)	git checkout develop
	git branch -a	List all branches	git branch -a
	git branch -v	Shows local branches with the latest commit (SHA + commit message).
	git branch -vv	Shows everything from -v plus the upstream tracking branch and ahead/behind status.
	git branch -m <old> <new>	Rename a branch	git branch -m dev develop
	git branch -d <branch>	Delete local branch	git branch -d feature
	git push origin --delete <branch>	Delete remote branch	git push origin --delete feature
Merge & Rebase	git merge <branch>	Merge another branch	git merge develop
	git rebase <branch>	Reapply commits on another branch	git rebase main
	git rebase --onto <newbase> <upstream> <branch>	Advanced rebase	git rebase --onto dev B main
Stash
Saving Changes	git stash	Stashes modified and staged tracked files.
	git stash push -m "message"	Recommended. Stashes changes with a description.
	git stash -u	Stashes tracked and untracked files.
	git stash -a	Stashes all files, including ignored ones.
	git stash -p	Interactively choose code hunks to stash.
Viewing Stashes	git stash list	Lists all saved stashes with indexes.
	git stash show	Summarizes changes in the latest stash.
	git stash show stash@{N}	Summarizes changes for specific stash index N.
	git show stash@{N}:<filepath>	Show contents of specific file present in specific stash
	git stash show -p	Shows full diff of latest stash.
Applying Changes	git stash pop	Applies latest stash and deletes it.
	git stash pop stash@{N}	Applies specific stash N and deletes it.
	git stash apply	Applies latest stash but keeps it.
	git stash apply stash@{N}	Applies specific stash N but keeps it.
	git stash apply --index	Reinstates original staged/unstaged file statuses.
Deleting Stashes	git stash drop	Deletes the most recent stash.
	git stash drop stash@{N}	Deletes specific stash index N.
	git stash clear	Deletes all stashes. Cannot be undone.
Advanced Workflows	git stash branch <name>	Creates branch and pops latest stash.
	git checkout stash@{N} -- <file>	Restores a single file from a stash.
Remote Repository	git remote add <name> <url>	Add a remote	git remote add origin <url>
	git remote -v	List remotes	git remote -v
	git remote set-url <name> <url>	Change remote URL	git remote set-url origin <url>
	git remote remove <name>	Remove remote	git remote remove origin
Fetch / Pull	git fetch	Download remote changes	git fetch
	git pull	Fetch and merge	git pull
	git pull --rebase	Fetch and rebase	git pull --rebase
Push	git push	push the current selected branch
	git push origin <branch>	Push branch	git push origin main
	git push --all origin	Push all branches	git push --all origin
	git push origin --tags	Push all tags	git push origin --tags
	git push -u origin <branch>	Push and set upstream	git push -u origin main
	git push --force	Force push	git push --force
	git push --dry-run	Preview push	git push --dry-run
Cherry Pick	git cherry-pick <commit>	Apply a specific commit	git cherry-pick a1b2c3d
	git cherry-pick -n <commit>	Cherry-pick without committing	git cherry-pick -n a1b2c3d
Tags	git tag	List tags	git tag
	git tag -a <tag> -m "message"	Create annotated tag	git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Release"
	git show <tag>	View tag details	git show v1.0.0
	git tag -d <tag>	Delete local tag	git tag -d v1.0.0
	git push origin <tag>	Push a tag	git push origin v1.0.0
	git push origin --tags	Push all tags	git push origin --tags
	git fetch --tags	Fetch tags	git fetch --tags
	git switch -c <branch> <tag>	Create branch from tag	git switch -c release/v1.0 v1.0.0
Repository Inspection	git ls-tree <ref> --name-only	View contents of a branch or tree	git ls-tree origin/dev --name-only
Tracked Files	git rm --cached <file>	Remove a tracked file without deleting it locally	git rm --cached app.log
Gerrit	git push origin HEAD:refs/for/master	Push changes for Gerrit code review	git push origin HEAD:refs/for/master

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Notes:

1) A bare repository is a shared storage folder that acts exactly like your own private GitHub, allowing multiple people to clone and push code

---

Sceanrios

1) Create a post-update hook in the bare repository to automatically create a release tag when changes are pushed to the master branch

# Go to the bare repository
cd /path/to/repo.git

# Verify it is a bare repository (should return 'true')
git rev-parse --is-bare-repository

# Create/Edit the post-update hook
cd hooks
vi post-update

Add the following content in post-update file

#!/bin/sh

TAG="release-$(date +%F)"

# Create the tag only if it doesn't already exist
if git show-ref --verify --quiet refs/heads/master &&
   ! git show-ref --verify --quiet "refs/tags/$TAG"; then
    git tag "$TAG" refs/heads/master
fi

# Make the hook executable
chmod +x post-update

# From your local repository, push changes to master
git push origin master

# Verify the tag on the remote (bare repository)
cd /path/to/repo.git
git tag

# Fetch the newly created tag to your local repository
git fetch --tags

# Verify the tag locally
git tag