Git cheat sheet

Each block is a group of related commands. Names like feature/x, a1b2c3d, and file.txt are placeholders.

Set up and start

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email [email protected]
git config --global init.defaultBranch main

git init                          # make the current folder a repository
git clone https://github.com/owner/repo.git

Everyday

git status                        # what changed?
git diff                          # unstaged changes
git diff --staged                 # staged changes
git add file.txt                  # stage a file
git add -p                        # stage piece by piece
git commit -m "Describe the change"
git commit --amend                # fix the last commit (before pushing)

Branches

git branch                        # list local branches
git branch -a                     # include remote branches
git switch feature/x              # go to a branch
git switch -c feature/x           # create and go
git switch -                      # back to the previous branch
git merge feature/x               # merge into the current branch
git rebase main                   # replay current branch onto main
git branch -d feature/x           # delete if merged
git branch -m new-name            # rename the current branch

Sync with a remote

git remote -v                     # which remotes, which URLs
git fetch                         # download, change nothing local
git pull                          # fetch + merge (or rebase)
git pull --rebase
git push
git push -u origin feature/x      # first push of a new branch
git push --force-with-lease       # after rewriting your own branch
git fetch --prune                 # forget deleted remote branches

Undo

git restore file.txt              # discard unstaged edits
git restore --staged file.txt     # unstage
git reset --soft HEAD~1           # undo last commit, keep changes staged
git reset HEAD~1                  # undo last commit, keep changes unstaged
git reset --hard HEAD~1           # undo last commit and discard changes
git revert a1b2c3d                # new commit that undoes an old one
git reflog                        # find "lost" commits

History

git log --oneline --graph --all
git log -p -- file.txt            # changes to one file
git log -S 'text'                 # commits that added or removed text
git show a1b2c3d
git blame file.txt
git diff main..feature/x

Stash

git stash push -m "message"
git stash push -u                 # include untracked files
git stash list
git stash pop
git stash drop stash@{0}

Tags

git tag v1.2.0
git tag -a v1.2.0 -m "Release 1.2.0"
git push origin v1.2.0

Find a bug

git bisect start HEAD v1.0
git bisect run ./test.sh
git bisect reset

Clean up

git branch --merged main          # branches already merged
git clean -nd                     # preview what would be deleted
git clean -fd                     # delete untracked files and folders

git clean -fd deletes files Git is not tracking and they do not go to the trash. Always run git clean -nd first.

Every command has a manual page: git help switch or git switch -h for a short summary.