Raw
1 git-commit(1)
2 =============
3
4 NAME
5 ----
6 git-commit - Record changes to the repository
7
8 SYNOPSIS
9 --------
10 [synopsis]
11 git commit [-a | --interactive | --patch] [-s] [-v] [-u[<mode>]] [--amend]
12 [--dry-run] [(-c | -C | --squash) <commit> | --fixup [(amend|reword):]<commit>]
13 [-F <file> | -m <msg>] [--reset-author] [--allow-empty]
14 [--allow-empty-message] [--no-verify] [-e] [--author=<author>]
15 [--date=<date>] [--cleanup=<mode>] [--[no-]status]
16 [-i | -o] [--pathspec-from-file=<file> [--pathspec-file-nul]]
17 [(--trailer <token>[(=|:)<value>])...] [-S[<keyid>]]
18 [--] [<pathspec>...]
19
20 DESCRIPTION
21 -----------
22 Create a new commit containing the current contents of the index and
23 the given log message describing the changes. The new commit is a
24 direct child of HEAD, usually the tip of the current branch, and the
25 branch is updated to point to it (unless no branch is associated with
26 the working tree, in which case `HEAD` is "detached" as described in
27 linkgit:git-checkout[1]).
28
29 The content to be committed can be specified in several ways:
30
31 1. by using linkgit:git-add[1] to incrementally "add" changes to the
32 index before using the `commit` command (Note: even modified files
33 must be "added");
34
35 2. by using linkgit:git-rm[1] to remove files from the working tree
36 and the index, again before using the `commit` command;
37
38 3. by listing files as arguments to the `commit` command
39 (without `--interactive` or `--patch` switch), in which
40 case the commit will ignore changes staged in the index, and instead
41 record the current content of the listed files (which must already
42 be known to Git);
43
44 4. by using the `-a` switch with the `commit` command to automatically
45 "add" changes from all known files (i.e. all files that are already
46 listed in the index) and to automatically "rm" files in the index
47 that have been removed from the working tree, and then perform the
48 actual commit;
49
50 5. by using the `--interactive` or `--patch` switches with the `commit` command
51 to decide one by one which files or hunks should be part of the commit
52 in addition to contents in the index,
53 before finalizing the operation. See the ``Interactive Mode'' section of
54 linkgit:git-add[1] to learn how to operate these modes.
55
56 The `--dry-run` option can be used to obtain a
57 summary of what is included by any of the above for the next
58 commit by giving the same set of parameters (options and paths).
59
60 If you make a commit and then find a mistake immediately after
61 that, you can recover from it with `git reset`.
62
63 :git-commit: 1
64
65 OPTIONS
66 -------
67 `-a`::
68 `--all`::
69 Automatically stage files that have
70 been modified and deleted, but new files you have not
71 told Git about are not affected.
72
73 `-p`::
74 `--patch`::
75 Use the interactive patch selection interface to choose
76 which changes to commit. See linkgit:git-add[1] for
77 details.
78
79 include::diff-context-options.adoc[]
80
81 `-C <commit>`::
82 `--reuse-message=<commit>`::
83 Take an existing _<commit>_ object, and reuse the log message
84 and the authorship information (including the timestamp)
85 when creating the commit.
86
87 `-c <commit>`::
88 `--reedit-message=<commit>`::
89 Like `-C`, but with `-c` the editor is invoked, so that
90 the user can further edit the commit message.
91
92 `--fixup=[(amend|reword):]<commit>`::
93 Create a new commit which "fixes up" _<commit>_ when applied with
94 `git rebase --autosquash`. Plain `--fixup=<commit>` creates a
95 "fixup!" commit which changes the content of _<commit>_ but leaves
96 its log message untouched. `--fixup=amend:<commit>` is similar but
97 creates an "amend!" commit which also replaces the log message of
98 _<commit>_ with the log message of the "amend!" commit.
99 `--fixup=reword:<commit>` creates an "amend!" commit which
100 replaces the log message of _<commit>_ with its own log message
101 but makes no changes to the content of _<commit>_.
102 +
103 The commit created by plain `--fixup=<commit>` has a title
104 composed of "fixup!" followed by the title of _<commit>_,
105 and is recognized specially by `git rebase --autosquash`. The `-m`
106 option may be used to supplement the log message of the created
107 commit, but the additional commentary will be thrown away once the
108 "fixup!" commit is squashed into _<commit>_ by
109 `git rebase --autosquash`.
110 +
111 The commit created by `--fixup=amend:<commit>` is similar but its
112 title is instead prefixed with "amend!". The log message of
113 _<commit>_ is copied into the log message of the "amend!" commit and
114 opened in an editor so it can be refined. When `git rebase
115 --autosquash` squashes the "amend!" commit into _<commit>_, the
116 log message of _<commit>_ is replaced by the refined log message
117 from the "amend!" commit. It is an error for the "amend!" commit's
118 log message to be empty unless `--allow-empty-message` is
119 specified.
120 +
121 `--fixup=reword:<commit>` is shorthand for `--fixup=amend:<commit>
122 --only`. It creates an "amend!" commit with only a log message
123 (ignoring any changes staged in the index). When squashed by `git
124 rebase --autosquash`, it replaces the log message of _<commit>_
125 without making any other changes.
126 +
127 Neither "fixup!" nor "amend!" commits change authorship of
128 _<commit>_ when applied by `git rebase --autosquash`.
129 See linkgit:git-rebase[1] for details.
130
131 `--squash=<commit>`::
132 Construct a commit message for use with `git rebase --autosquash`.
133 The commit message title is taken from the specified
134 commit with a prefix of "squash! ". Can be used with additional
135 commit message options (`-m`/`-c`/`-C`/`-F`). See
136 linkgit:git-rebase[1] for details.
137
138 `--reset-author`::
139 When used with `-C`/`-c`/`--amend` options, or when committing after a
140 conflicting cherry-pick, declare that the authorship of the
141 resulting commit now belongs to the committer. This also renews
142 the author timestamp.
143
144 `--short`::
145 When doing a dry-run, give the output in the short-format. See
146 linkgit:git-status[1] for details. Implies `--dry-run`.
147
148 `--branch`::
149 Show the branch and tracking info even in short-format. See
150 linkgit:git-status[1] for details.
151
152 `--porcelain`::
153 When doing a dry-run, give the output in a porcelain-ready
154 format. See linkgit:git-status[1] for details. Implies
155 `--dry-run`.
156
157 `--long`::
158 When doing a dry-run, give the output in the long-format. This
159 is the default output of linkgit:git-status[1]. Implies
160 `--dry-run`.
161
162 `-z`::
163 `--null`::
164 When showing `short` or `porcelain` linkgit:git-status[1] output, print the
165 filename verbatim and terminate the entries with _NUL_, instead of _LF_.
166 If no format is given, implies the `--porcelain` output format.
167 Without the `-z` option, filenames with "unusual" characters are
168 quoted as explained for the configuration variable `core.quotePath`
169 (see linkgit:git-config[1]).
170
171 `-F <file>`::
172 `--file=<file>`::
173 Take the commit message from _<file>_. Use '-' to
174 read the message from the standard input.
175
176 `--author=<author>`::
177 Override the commit author. Specify an explicit author using the
178 standard `A U Thor <author@example.com>` format. Otherwise _<author>_
179 is assumed to be a pattern and is used to search for an existing
180 commit by that author (i.e. `git rev-list --all -i --author=<author>`);
181 the commit author is then copied from the first such commit found.
182
183 `--date=<date>`::
184 Override the author date used in the commit.
185
186 `-m <msg>`::
187 `--message=<msg>`::
188 Use _<msg>_ as the commit message.
189 If multiple `-m` options are given, their values are
190 concatenated as separate paragraphs.
191 +
192 The `-m` option is mutually exclusive with `-c`, `-C`, and `-F`.
193
194 `-t <file>`::
195 `--template=<file>`::
196 When editing the commit message, start the editor with the
197 contents in _<file>_. The `commit.template` configuration
198 variable is often used to give this option implicitly to the
199 command. This mechanism can be used by projects that want to
200 guide participants with some hints on what to write in the message
201 in what order. If the user exits the editor without editing the
202 message, the commit is aborted. This has no effect when a message
203 is given by other means, e.g. with the `-m` or `-F` options.
204
205 include::signoff-option.adoc[]
206
207 `--trailer <token>[(=|:)<value>]`::
208 Specify a (_<token>_, _<value>_) pair that should be applied as a
209 trailer. (e.g. `git commit --trailer "Signed-off-by:C O Mitter \
210 <committer@example.com>" --trailer "Helped-by:C O Mitter \
211 <committer@example.com>"` will add the `Signed-off-by` trailer
212 and the `Helped-by` trailer to the commit message.)
213 The `trailer.*` configuration variables
214 (linkgit:git-interpret-trailers[1]) can be used to define if
215 a duplicated trailer is omitted, where in the run of trailers
216 each trailer would appear, and other details.
217
218 `-n`::
219 `--verify`::
220 `--no-verify`::
221 Bypass the `pre-commit` and `commit-msg` hooks.
222 See also linkgit:githooks[5].
223
224 `--allow-empty`::
225 Usually recording a commit that has the exact same tree as its
226 sole parent commit is a mistake, and the command prevents you
227 from making such a commit. This option bypasses the safety, and
228 is primarily for use by foreign SCM interface scripts.
229
230 `--allow-empty-message`::
231 Create a commit with an empty commit message without using plumbing
232 commands like linkgit:git-commit-tree[1]. Like `--allow-empty`, this
233 command is primarily for use by foreign SCM interface scripts.
234
235 `--cleanup=<mode>`::
236 Determine how the supplied commit message should be
237 cleaned up before committing. The '<mode>' can be `strip`,
238 `whitespace`, `verbatim`, `scissors` or `default`.
239 +
240 --
241 `strip`::
242 Strip leading and trailing empty lines, trailing whitespace,
243 commentary and collapse consecutive empty lines.
244 `whitespace`::
245 Same as `strip` except #commentary is not removed.
246 `verbatim`::
247 Do not change the message at all.
248 `scissors`::
249 Same as `whitespace` except that everything from (and including)
250 the line found below is truncated, if the message is to be edited.
251 "`#`" can be customized with `core.commentChar`.
252
253 # ------------------------ >8 ------------------------
254
255 `default`::
256 Same as `strip` if the message is to be edited.
257 Otherwise `whitespace`.
258 --
259 +
260 The default can be changed by the `commit.cleanup` configuration
261 variable (see linkgit:git-config[1]).
262
263 `-e`::
264 `--edit`::
265 Let the user further edit the message taken from _<file>_
266 with `-F <file>`, command line with `-m <message>`, and
267 from _<commit>_ with `-C <commit>`.
268
269 `--no-edit`::
270 Use the selected commit message without launching an editor.
271 For example, `git commit --amend --no-edit` amends a commit
272 without changing its commit message.
273
274 `--amend`::
275 Replace the tip of the current branch by creating a new
276 commit. The recorded tree is prepared as usual (including
277 the effect of the `-i` and `-o` options and explicit
278 pathspec), and the message from the original commit is used
279 as the starting point, instead of an empty message, when no
280 other message is specified from the command line via options
281 such as `-m`, `-F`, `-c`, etc. The new commit has the same
282 parents and author as the current one (the `--reset-author`
283 option can countermand this).
284 +
285 --
286 It is a rough equivalent for:
287
288 ------
289 $ git reset --soft HEAD^
290 $ ... do something else to come up with the right tree ...
291 $ git commit -c ORIG_HEAD
292
293 ------
294 but can be used to amend a merge commit.
295 --
296 +
297 You should understand the implications of rewriting history if you
298 amend a commit that has already been published. (See the "RECOVERING
299 FROM UPSTREAM REBASE" section in linkgit:git-rebase[1].)
300
301 `--no-post-rewrite`::
302 Bypass the `post-rewrite` hook.
303
304 `-i`::
305 `--include`::
306 Before making a commit out of staged contents so far,
307 stage the contents of paths given on the command line
308 as well. This is usually not what you want unless you
309 are concluding a conflicted merge.
310
311 `-o`::
312 `--only`::
313 Make a commit by taking the updated working tree contents
314 of the paths specified on the
315 command line, disregarding any contents that have been
316 staged for other paths. This is the default mode of operation of
317 `git commit` if any paths are given on the command line,
318 in which case this option can be omitted.
319 If this option is specified together with `--amend`, then
320 no paths need to be specified, which can be used to amend
321 the last commit without committing changes that have
322 already been staged. If used together with `--allow-empty`
323 paths are also not required, and an empty commit will be created.
324
325 `--pathspec-from-file=<file>`::
326 Pass pathspec in _<file>_ instead of commandline args. If
327 _<file>_ is exactly `-` then standard input is used. Pathspec
328 elements are separated by _LF_ or _CR_/_LF_. Pathspec elements can be
329 quoted as explained for the configuration variable `core.quotePath`
330 (see linkgit:git-config[1]). See also `--pathspec-file-nul` and
331 global `--literal-pathspecs`.
332
333 `--pathspec-file-nul`::
334 Only meaningful with `--pathspec-from-file`. Pathspec elements are
335 separated with _NUL_ character and all other characters are taken
336 literally (including newlines and quotes).
337
338 `-u[<mode>]`::
339 `--untracked-files[=<mode>]`::
340 Show untracked files.
341 +
342 --
343 The _<mode>_ parameter is optional (defaults to `all`), and is used to
344 specify the handling of untracked files; when `-u` is not used, the
345 default is `normal`, i.e. show untracked files and directories.
346
347 The possible options are:
348
349 `no`:: Show no untracked files
350 `normal`:: Shows untracked files and directories
351 `all`:: Also shows individual files in untracked directories.
352
353 All usual spellings for Boolean value `true` are taken as `normal`
354 and `false` as `no`.
355 The default can be changed using the `status.showUntrackedFiles`
356 configuration variable documented in linkgit:git-config[1].
357 --
358
359 `-v`::
360 `--verbose`::
361 Show unified diff between the `HEAD` commit and what
362 would be committed at the bottom of the commit message
363 template to help the user describe the commit by reminding
364 what changes the commit has.
365 Note that this diff output doesn't have its
366 lines prefixed with `#`. This diff will not be a part
367 of the commit message. See the `commit.verbose` configuration
368 variable in linkgit:git-config[1].
369 +
370 If specified twice, show in addition the unified diff between
371 what would be committed and the worktree files, i.e. the unstaged
372 changes to tracked files.
373
374 `-q`::
375 `--quiet`::
376 Suppress commit summary message.
377
378 `--dry-run`::
379 Do not create a commit, but show a list of paths that are
380 to be committed, paths with local changes that will be left
381 uncommitted and paths that are untracked.
382
383 `--status`::
384 Include the output of linkgit:git-status[1] in the commit
385 message template when using an editor to prepare the commit
386 message. Defaults to on, but can be used to override
387 configuration variable `commit.status`.
388
389 `--no-status`::
390 Do not include the output of linkgit:git-status[1] in the
391 commit message template when using an editor to prepare the
392 default commit message.
393
394 `-S[<key-id>]`::
395 `--gpg-sign[=<key-id>]`::
396 `--no-gpg-sign`::
397 GPG-sign commits. The _<key-id>_ is optional and
398 defaults to the committer identity; if specified, it must be
399 stuck to the option without a space. `--no-gpg-sign` is useful to
400 countermand both `commit.gpgSign` configuration variable, and
401 earlier `--gpg-sign`.
402
403 `--`::
404 Do not interpret any more arguments as options.
405
406 `<pathspec>...`::
407 When _<pathspec>_ is given on the command line, commit the contents of
408 the files that match the pathspec without recording the changes
409 already added to the index. The contents of these files are also
410 staged for the next commit on top of what have been staged before.
411 +
412 For more details, see the 'pathspec' entry in linkgit:gitglossary[7].
413
414 EXAMPLES
415 --------
416 When recording your own work, the contents of modified files in
417 your working tree are temporarily stored to a staging area
418 called the "index" with `git add`. A file can be
419 reverted back, only in the index but not in the working tree,
420 to that of the last commit with `git restore --staged <file>`,
421 which effectively reverts `git add` and prevents the changes to
422 this file from participating in the next commit. After building
423 the state to be committed incrementally with these commands,
424 `git commit` (without any pathname parameter) is used to record what
425 has been staged so far. This is the most basic form of the
426 command. An example:
427
428 ------------
429 $ edit hello.c
430 $ git rm goodbye.c
431 $ git add hello.c
432 $ git commit
433 ------------
434
435 Instead of staging files after each individual change, you can
436 tell `git commit` to notice the changes to the files whose
437 contents are tracked in
438 your working tree and do corresponding `git add` and `git rm`
439 for you. That is, this example does the same as the earlier
440 example if there is no other change in your working tree:
441
442 ------------
443 $ edit hello.c
444 $ rm goodbye.c
445 $ git commit -a
446 ------------
447
448 The command `git commit -a` first looks at your working tree,
449 notices that you have modified `hello.c` and removed `goodbye.c`,
450 and performs necessary `git add` and `git rm` for you.
451
452 After staging changes to many files, you can alter the order the
453 changes are recorded in, by giving pathnames to `git commit`.
454 When pathnames are given, the command makes a commit that
455 only records the changes made to the named paths:
456
457 ------------
458 $ edit hello.c hello.h
459 $ git add hello.c hello.h
460 $ edit Makefile
461 $ git commit Makefile
462 ------------
463
464 This makes a commit that records the modification to `Makefile`.
465 The changes staged for `hello.c` and `hello.h` are not included
466 in the resulting commit. However, their changes are not lost --
467 they are still staged and merely held back. After the above
468 sequence, if you do:
469
470 ------------
471 $ git commit
472 ------------
473
474 this second commit would record the changes to `hello.c` and
475 `hello.h` as expected.
476
477 After a merge (initiated by `git merge` or `git pull`) stops
478 because of conflicts, cleanly merged
479 paths are already staged to be committed for you, and paths that
480 conflicted are left in unmerged state. You would have to first
481 check which paths are conflicting with `git status`
482 and after fixing them manually in your working tree, you would
483 stage the result as usual with `git add`:
484
485 ------------
486 $ git status | grep unmerged
487 unmerged: hello.c
488 $ edit hello.c
489 $ git add hello.c
490 ------------
491
492 After resolving conflicts and staging the result, `git ls-files -u`
493 would stop mentioning the conflicted path. When you are done,
494 run `git commit` to finally record the merge:
495
496 ------------
497 $ git commit
498 ------------
499
500 As with the case to record your own changes, you can use `-a`
501 option to save typing. One difference is that during a merge
502 resolution, you cannot use `git commit` with pathnames to
503 alter the order the changes are committed, because the merge
504 should be recorded as a single commit. In fact, the command
505 refuses to run when given pathnames (but see `-i` option).
506
507 COMMIT INFORMATION
508 ------------------
509
510 Author and committer information is taken from the following environment
511 variables, if set:
512
513 * `GIT_AUTHOR_NAME`
514 * `GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL`
515 * `GIT_AUTHOR_DATE`
516 * `GIT_COMMITTER_NAME`
517 * `GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL`
518 * `GIT_COMMITTER_DATE`
519
520 (nb "<", ">" and "\n"s are stripped)
521
522 The author and committer names are by convention some form of a personal name
523 (that is, the name by which other humans refer to you), although Git does not
524 enforce or require any particular form. Arbitrary Unicode may be used, subject
525 to the constraints listed above. This name has no effect on authentication; for
526 that, see the `credential.username` variable in linkgit:git-config[1].
527
528 In case (some of) these environment variables are not set, the information
529 is taken from the configuration items `user.name` and `user.email`, or, if not
530 present, the environment variable `EMAIL`, or, if that is not set,
531 system user name and the hostname used for outgoing mail (taken
532 from `/etc/mailname` and falling back to the fully qualified hostname when
533 that file does not exist).
534
535 The `author.name` and `committer.name` and their corresponding email options
536 override `user.name` and `user.email` if set and are overridden themselves by
537 the environment variables.
538
539 The typical usage is to set just the `user.name` and `user.email` variables;
540 the other options are provided for more complex use cases.
541
542 :git-commit: 1
543 include::date-formats.adoc[]
544
545 DISCUSSION
546 ----------
547
548 Though not required, it's a good idea to begin the commit message
549 with a single short (no more than 50 characters) line summarizing the
550 change, followed by a blank line and then a more thorough description.
551 The text up to the first blank line in a commit message is treated
552 as the commit title, and that title is used throughout Git.
553 For example, linkgit:git-format-patch[1] turns a commit into email, and it uses
554 the title on the Subject line and the rest of the commit in the body.
555
556 include::i18n.adoc[]
557
558 ENVIRONMENT AND CONFIGURATION VARIABLES
559 ---------------------------------------
560 The editor used to edit the commit log message will be chosen from the
561 `GIT_EDITOR` environment variable, the `core.editor` configuration variable, the
562 `VISUAL` environment variable, or the `EDITOR` environment variable (in that
563 order). See linkgit:git-var[1] for details.
564
565 include::includes/cmd-config-section-rest.adoc[]
566
567 include::config/commit.adoc[]
568
569 HOOKS
570 -----
571 This command can run `commit-msg`, `prepare-commit-msg`, `pre-commit`,
572 `post-commit` and `post-rewrite` hooks. See linkgit:githooks[5] for more
573 information.
574
575 FILES
576 -----
577
578 `$GIT_DIR/COMMIT_EDITMSG`::
579 This file contains the commit message of a commit in progress.
580 If `git commit` exits due to an error before creating a commit,
581 any commit message that has been provided by the user (e.g., in
582 an editor session) will be available in this file, but will be
583 overwritten by the next invocation of `git commit`.
584
585 SEE ALSO
586 --------
587 linkgit:git-add[1],
588 linkgit:git-rm[1],
589 linkgit:git-mv[1],
590 linkgit:git-merge[1],
591 linkgit:git-commit-tree[1]
592
593 GIT
594 ---
595 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite