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Git Commands: Install Git (Linux, Windows), Configure User & Email, Clone Repository, Manage Branches, Status, Add, Commit, Push & Pull, Merge Branches, Commit History & Reset Commit, Change Commit Message, Line Ending Conversion

1811 words·
Git Commands
Table of Contents

Install Git
#

Linux (Debian based)
# 

# Install Git
sudo apt install git -y

Windows (Winget)
# 

# Install Git (Run PowerShell as Administrator)
winget install Git.Git

# Check Git version (Close and open a new PowerShell)
git --version



Git Commandline
#

Overview
#

Note: The branch former called “main” is now called “master” branch.


Git Version & Help
# 

# Check Git Version
git --version

# List the available Git help topics
git help -a

# Quit help topics list
q

# List help for specific git command: For example "add"
git help add

Prerequisites: Configure User & Email
#

Set the username and email address that will be associated with any commits you create across all Git repositories on your computer:

# Define your name
git config --global user.name "Your Name"

# Define youremail
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"

Clone Repository
# 

# Clone Repository: Syntax
git clone rego-url
# Clone Repository: Example
git clone git@gitlab.jklug.work:root/my-git-project.git

# CD into Repository: Syntax
cd repository-name
# CD into Repository: Example
cd my-git-project

Branches
#

List Branches: Local & Remote
# 

# List available branches and current branch: Local
git branch

# Shell output:
* main

# List available branches: Remote
git branch -r

# Shell output:
  origin/HEAD -> origin/main
  origin/main

# List available branches: Local & remote
git branch -a

# Shell output:
* main
  remotes/origin/HEAD -> origin/main
  remotes/origin/main

Create Local Branch
# 

# Create a new "dev" branch
git switch --create dev

# Shell output:
Switched to a new branch 'dev'

# Verify current branch
git branch

# Shell output:
* dev
  main

Switch Branch
# 

# Manually switch to dev branch
git switch main

# Shell output:
Switched to branch 'main'
Your branch is up to date with 'origin/main'.

Note: The git checkout is an older command and has multiple purposes, which can make it less intuitive.


Push Local Branch to Remote Repository
#

For example bush the local “dev” branch:

# Switch to local dev branch
git switch dev

# Push local branch and establish tracking relationship between local branch and it's remote counterpart
git push -u origin dev

# Shell output:
To gitlab.jklug.work:root/my-git-project.git
 * [new branch]      dev -> dev
branch 'dev' set up to track 'origin/dev'.

Checkout specific Remote Branch
# 

# Fetch remote branches
git fetch origin

# List all branches
git branch -a
# Shell output:
* main
  remotes/origin/HEAD -> origin/main
  remotes/origin/dev
  remotes/origin/main

# To create a local branch tracking the remote dev
git checkout -b dev origin/dev

# Verify current branch
git branch

# Shell output:
* dev
  main

Checkout a new Remote Branch
#

  • Create a new branch in the remote repository via the GitLab GUI, for example “production”.

  • To see the newly created branch in the GUI, refresh the page.

# Fetch all branches from remote repository
git fetch

# Shell output:
From gitlab.jklug.work:root/my-git-project
 * [new branch]      production -> origin/production

# Verify the available branches
git branch

# Shell output:
* dev
  main
  production

# Switch to production branch
git switch production



Status, Add, Commit, Push & Pull
#

Status
#

Add a new file to the local branch, for example production-file2

# List untracked files: Lists files in the working directory that are not tracked by Git
git status

# Shell output:
Untracked files:
  (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
        production-file2

Stage Files & Changes: Add
# 

# Stage specific file: For example "production-file2"
git add production-file2

# Stage all changes: New files, modifications, and deletions in the current directory and its subdirectories
git add .

# Stages changes to files that are already being tracked by Git
git add -u

Commit Changes
# 

# Commit Changes
git commit -m "Added file"

# Shell output:
git commit -m "Added file"

Push Changes
#

Default Remote Repository:

# Push commits from the current local branch to its configured upstream branch.
git push

Define Remote Repository:

  • Pushes commits from the current local branch to a specific remote branch on the origin remote repository, regardless of the current tracking configuration.

  • First-time push without upstream configuration: This sets up the production branch on the remote repository and syncs the local branch to it

# Push the commits from local branch to the remote repository: Define remote repository
git push origin remote-branchname

Pull Changes
# 

# Pull latest changes from the remote repository
git pull
  • pull: Fetches the latest changes from the remote branch, merges those changes into your current branch

Merge Branches
#

For example merge the “dev” branch into “production”:

# Switch to the "production" branch (The branch where the changes should be merged)
git switch production

# Merge the "dev" branch into "production"
git merge dev -m "Add some feature"

# Push commits from the current local branch to its configured upstream branch.
git push

Commit History: Log
# 

# List commit history: Specific branch
git log branchname

# List commit history: All branches
git log --all

Shorter Log Output:

# List commit history: Specific branch
git log dev --oneline

# Shell output:
8e4c33b (origin/dev, dev) added files
034eb07 added dev file
9aedf5f (origin/main, origin/HEAD, main) Initial commit

Reset to Specific Commit
#

Identify the Commit Hash
# 

# List commit history: Specific branch
git log dev --oneline

# Shell output:
8e4c33b (origin/dev, dev) added files
034eb07 added dev file
9aedf5f (origin/main, origin/HEAD, main) Initial commit

Ensure the Correct Branch
# 

# Make sure you're on the branch you want to reset
git switch dev

Reset to the Specific Commit
# 

# Reset the current branch to the specified state
git reset --hard 034eb07

Verify the Reset
#

Check the commit history to confirm that the reset was successful:

  • The commits after 034eb07 should no longer appear
# List commit history: Specific branch
git log dev --oneline

# Shell output:
034eb07 (HEAD -> dev) added dev file
9aedf5f (origin/main, origin/HEAD, main) Initial commit

Push the Reset Branch to the Remote Repository
#

If the previously created commit was already pushed to the remote repository and the remote branch should be updates, the push needs the --force option:

# Commit to remote repository
git push --force origin dev



Change Commit Message
#

Change Latest Commit Message
#

Change the previously made commit message, for example:

# Example: Original commit message
git commit -m "some-message"

# Fix the commit message
git commit --amend -m "fixed some-message"

Verify the commit message:

# List commit history: Specific branch
git log dev --oneline

# Shell output:
8e15505 (HEAD -> dev) fixed some-message
034eb07 (origin/dev) added dev file
9aedf5f (origin/main, origin/HEAD, main) Initial commit

Change Previously Made Commit Message
#

Identify the Commit Hash:

# List commit history: Specific branch
git log dev --oneline

# Shell output:
8e15505 (HEAD -> dev) fixed some-message
034eb07 (origin/dev) added dev file
9aedf5f (origin/main, origin/HEAD, main) Initial commit

Start from the previously made commit:

# Change commit text
git rebase -i HEAD~2

# Shell output:
pick 034eb07 added dev file
pick 8e15505 fixed some-message

# Rebase 9aedf5f..8e15505 onto 9aedf5f (2 commands)
#
# Commands:
# p, pick <commit> = use commit
# r, reword <commit> = use commit, but edit the commit message
# e, edit <commit> = use commit, but stop for amending
# s, squash <commit> = use commit, but meld into previous commit
# f, fixup [-C | -c] <commit> = like "squash" but keep only the previous
#                    commit's log message, unless -C is used, in which case
#                    keep only this commit's message; -c is same as -C but
#                    opens the editor
# x, exec <command> = run command (the rest of the line) using shell
# b, break = stop here (continue rebase later with 'git rebase --continue')
# d, drop <commit> = remove commit
# l, label <label> = label current HEAD with a name
# t, reset <label> = reset HEAD to a label
# m, merge [-C <commit> | -c <commit>] <label> [# <oneline>]
#         create a merge commit using the original merge commit's
#         message (or the oneline, if no original merge commit was
#         specified); use -c <commit> to reword the commit message
# u, update-ref <ref> = track a placeholder for the <ref> to be updated
#                       to this position in the new commits. The <ref> is
#                       updated at the end of the rebase
#
# These lines can be re-ordered; they are executed from top to bottom.
#
# If you remove a line here THAT COMMIT WILL BE LOST.
#
# However, if you remove everything, the rebase will be aborted.
#

  • Change “pick” to “reword” but not the commit message

  • Press i for input (VIM editor)

# Change the previously commit message
reword 034eb07 added dev file
pick 8e15505 fixed some-message

  • Press Esc and :wq

  • Change the actual commit message (A new editor opens)

# Change the commit message: For example as follows
fixed added dev file and some other files

# Please enter the commit message for your changes. Lines starting
# with '#' will be ignored, and an empty message aborts the commit.
#
# Date:      Wed Nov 20 10:55:53 2024 +0100
#
# interactive rebase in progress; onto 9aedf5f
# Last command done (1 command done):
#    reword 77a6136 added dev file
# Next command to do (1 remaining command):
#    pick cea461a fixed some-message
# You are currently editing a commit while rebasing branch 'dev' on '9aedf5f'.
#
# Changes to be committed:
#       new file:   dev-file
#

  • Press Esc and :wq

  • Verify the commit message

# List commit history: Specific branch
git log dev --oneline

# Shell output:
3e927d5 (HEAD -> dev) fixed some-message
d50153e fixed added dev file and some other files
9aedf5f (origin/main, origin/HEAD, main) Initial commit



More
#

Open File in VSCode
# 

# Open file in Visual Studio Code (Save file / changes)
code .\filename

Check Branch Tracking Configuration
#

List wich local branch is tracking a remote branch

# List branch tracking
git branch -vv

# Shell output:
  dev        034eb07 [origin/dev] added dev file
  main       9aedf5f [origin/main] Initial commit
* production 4e35e51 [origin/production] Added file

Line Ending Conversion
# 

# List Git automatic line ending conversion status
git config --get core.autocrlf

# Set Git automatic line ending conversion: Off
git config --global core.autocrlf false

Init new local Project
# 

# Create new Project in GitLab Webinterface
https://gitlab.com/jueklug/my-repository

# Create Folder for Repository
mkdir my-repository

# CD into Folder
cd my-repository

# Initialize Git Repository
git init

# Connect your local repository to the remote repository (SSH)
git remote add origin git@gitlab.com:jueklug/my-repository.git

Optional: Add something to push

# Create file
touch readme.md

# Add specific Changes
git add readme.md

# Commit Changes
git commit -m "Added readme.md"

Push

# First time push
# Associate your local master branch with the master branch on the origin remote
git push -u origin master

# Push Commits to Remote Repository
git push origin master