Useful Git Commands

Escape Commit Message/Screen

For those new to command line, getting the commit message screen (when you forget to add -m "Message") is confusing because pressing escape (or CTRL + C) does not exit the screen. Instead, keep pressing escape (if you've started attempting to type something) and type the following command:

:q!

And press enter, and you'll return to where you were.

Upload all files in a local directory to a new Git repository

If you have a project on your computer and you just created an empty Git repository in GitHub, use these commands to upload everything to Git.

cd <directory>
git init
git remote add origin https://github.com/you/repo
git add .
git commit -am "Message"
git push origin master

Download all files from Git repository to a local directory

The opposite of the above option - for example, if your repository exists in GitHub, and you're working on it in a different local computer. Run this command outside of where you want the new directory to appear (not within the directory you want it to appear).

git clone https://github.com/you/repo

Remove One File from Git Cache

Remove one cached file.

git rm -r —-cached <filename.file>

Override Entire Local Directory

If you have some merge conflicts, or accidentally started to make a change to your local directory before pulling the changes from the master, here's how you can revert your local directory to what's on GitHub.

git fetch --all
git reset --hard origin/master

Ignore a Directory

If you've been tracking a directory and later decide to ignore the whole directory, simply adding it to .gitignore isn't enough. First you must add the directory to .gitignore, then run this command:

git rm -r --cached <directory>

Then push the changes.

Add .gitignore to Existing Repository

Similar to above, but if you've added a .gitignore with a lot of changes.

git rm -r --cached .
git add .
git commit -am "Message"

Create a Project Page with GitHub Pages

If you have repo set up, but you want http://you.github.io/repo to be a page about your project, here's the easiest way I've found to do it.

Commit and push all local changes to your existing repo.

Create your project page in a directory, like project or dist, that includes an index.html. I'll use dist for an example.

git add dist
git commit -am "Create GitHub Page"
git subtree push -prefix dist origin gh-pages

Now http://you.github.io/repo will be the website you've created for your project.

If the gh-pages branch already existed, because you tried to do it the way the documentation shows (through the front end) and realized there was no way to add folders (that I know of), you can run this command.

git push origin `git subtree split —prefix dist master`:gh-pages --force

Force a Push or Pull

When you really want your local repository to override the remote.

git push -f origin master
git pull -f origin master

Override Local Changes

git fetch --all
git reset --hard origin/master

Merging Changes from Remote Pull Request with Conflicts

Make a new branch with their changes.

git checkout -b <their-branch> master
git pull <their.git> master

Play with the files and commit them.

git add <files>
git commit -m “Message"
git push origin master

Merge back into your branch.

git checkout master
git merge --no-ff <their-branch) (:wq!)
git push origin master

Remove Branch

git push origin :master

Replace Master with Contents of Another Branch

git checkout <branch>
git merge -s ours master
git checkout master
git merge <branch>

Remove All Local Branches Except Master

git branch | grep -v "master" | xargs git branch -D

More than one branch may be added to the grep. To remove all local branches except "master" and "develop":

git branch | grep -v "master\|develop" | xargs git branch -D