Git phrasebook

Everything in ALLCAPS should be considered something you think about before typing.

Checking out a project

git clone PROJECT_URL
git branch -a # Take a look at all the remote branches you can pick from.

Creating a new local branch that tracks a remote branch

Assuming you want to pull from the remote called "origin":

git branch --track LOCALFUN origin/REMOTE_BRANCH_NAME
git checkout LOCALFUN
git pull # You should see, "Already up-to-date."
git push # You should see, "Everything up-to-date"

However, FIXME!

The push does nothing. :-(

Switching which branch you are on

git checkout <BRANCH_NAME>

NOTE: Do not use this to create branches!

Making a local branch available as a remote branch

To make the branch BRANCH_NAME appear as a remote branch called BRANCH_NAME:

git push origin BRANCH_NAME

If you want to change the branch name:

git push origin LOCAL_BRANCH_NAME:refs/heads/REMOTE_BRANCH_NAME

Undo local changes to a file

Have you changed FILE in a way that you never want to commit? Just check out the version in the current HEAD with:

git checkout FILE

Configuring git to push a particular local branch to a particular remote branch every time you call "git push"

Edit .git/config. Look for [remote "origin"].

Inside there, add:

push = refs/heads/LOCAL_BRANCH_NAME:refs/heads/REMOTE_BRANCH_NAME

Two important notes:

1. You may have as many push lines as you like. Every "git push" with no arguments will push all of them.
2. LOCAL_BRANCH_NAME and REMOTE_BRANCH_NAME are often the same, but naturally do not have to be.

Deleting a remote branch

git push origin :BRANCH_NAME_TO_DELETE

Adding a new version of a submodule to the git index

cd path/to/submodule
git checkout origin/WHICHEVER_BRANCH_YOU_WANT
cd .. # top level of project
git add path/to/submodule # NOTE: No trailing slash!

Undoing a git-add

git reset

will clear out your index, in case you git-add'd something that you didn't want to.

Pushing tags

git-push does not automatically push any tags you may have created. For this, use

git push --tags