Git basics

Repo & config

Goal	Command
New repo	git init
Clone	git clone <url>
Clone shallow	git clone --depth 1 <url>
Identity	git config --global user.name "...", git config --global user.email "..."
Show setting	git config --get user.email

Status & diff

Goal	Command
Overview	git status
Short	git status -sb
Unstaged changes	git diff
Staged vs last commit	git diff --staged (same as --cached)
File history	git log --follow -p -- <path>
One commit	git show <commit>

Stage & commit

Goal	Command
Stage paths	git add <path>
Stage all (tracked + new)	git add -A
Stage interactively	git add -p
Commit	git commit -m "message"
Stage tracked + commit	git commit -am "message"
Amend last commit (keep msg)	git commit --amend --no-edit
Amend with new message	git commit --amend -m "message"
Change last commit’s dates	GIT_AUTHOR_DATE="2024-01-15T10:00:00" GIT_COMMITTER_DATE="2024-01-15T10:00:00" git commit --amend --no-edit — or author only: git commit --amend --no-edit --date="2024-01-15T10:00:00" (committer stays current time)
Change an older commit’s date	git rebase -i <commit>^ → edit / e on that line → set GIT_AUTHOR_DATE / GIT_COMMITTER_DATE as above → git commit --amend --no-edit → git rebase --continue

Log & inspect

Goal	Command
Log compact	git log --oneline --graph --decorate -20
Log with stats	git log --stat
Who changed a line	git blame <path>
Branches containing commit	git branch -a --contains <commit>

Branch, switch & checkout

Goal	Command
List local	git branch
List all	git branch -a
Create (stay on current)	git branch <name>
Switch branch	git switch <name> or git checkout <name>
Create branch + switch to it	git switch -c <name> or git checkout -b <name>
Detached HEAD at a commit	git checkout <commit> or git switch --detach <commit>
Checkout tracks remote branch	git checkout <name> (if origin/<name> exists and name is unique) — or git switch -c <name> --track origin/<name>
Delete merged	git branch -d <name>
Delete force	git branch -D <name>
Rename current	git branch -m <new-name>

git checkout can also take paths after --: it does not switch branches then; it copies those files into your working tree from somewhere else—usually the index (git checkout -- <path>) or a specific revision (git checkout HEAD -- <path>, git checkout <branch> -- <path>). That is how people used to discard edits or pull one file from another branch. Prefer git restore for that today (git restore <path>, git restore --source=HEAD <path>). For moving HEAD to a branch, git switch (Git 2.23+) is the dedicated command. Older docs and scripts still use checkout for everything.

Remote & sync

Goal	Command
List remotes	git remote -v
Add remote	git remote add origin <url>
Fetch	git fetch
Fetch prune deleted branches	git fetch --prune
Pull	git pull
Pull rebase	git pull --rebase
Push branch	git push -u origin <branch>
Push current	git push
Force push (overwrite remote)	git push --force / git push -f — rewrites remote history; avoid on shared branches unless your team expects it
Safer force push	git push --force-with-lease — refuses if the remote tip changed since your last fetch (still history rewrite; use with care)
Delete remote branch	git push origin --delete <branch>

Merge & rebase

Goal	Command
Merge branch into current	git merge <branch>
Abort merge	git merge --abort
Rebase onto	git rebase <upstream-branch>
Interactive rebase last N commits	git rebase -i HEAD~N
Interactive rebase from a specific commit (and after)	git rebase -i <commit>^ — same as git rebase -i <commit>~1 on linear history: both mean “rebase onto the parent of <commit>”, so the todo lists <commit> and all commits after it; use git rebase -i --root if <commit> is the first commit
Reword that commit’s message	In the todo file: reword / r instead of pick on that line → save → edit message in the next editor step
Edit that commit’s snapshot	In the todo file: edit / e instead of pick on that line → save → change files → git add … → git commit --amend → git rebase --continue
Abort rebase	git rebase --abort
Continue after conflict or amend	git rebase --continue
Cherry-pick	git cherry-pick <commit>

Undo & clean up

Goal	Command
Unstage file	git restore --staged <path>
Discard working-tree file	git restore <path>
Soft reset (keep changes staged)	git reset --soft HEAD~1
Mixed reset (default, unstage)	git reset HEAD~1
Hard reset (destructive)	git reset --hard <commit>
Revert a commit (new commit)	git revert <commit>
Remove untracked files/dirs	git clean -fd (dry-run: git clean -fdn)

Stash

Goal	Command
Stash	git stash push -m "note"
List	git stash list
Apply latest	git stash apply
Apply + drop	git stash pop
Drop latest	git stash drop

Tags

Goal	Command
List	git tag
Annotated tag	git tag -a v1.0 -m "release"
Push tags	git push --tags

Misc

Goal	Command
Recover moved HEAD / lost commits	git reflog
Ignore patterns file	.gitignore in repo root

See also docker.