Update documentation related to sparsity and the skip-worktree bit

Make several small updates, to address a few documentation issues
I spotted:
  * sparse-checkout focused on "patterns" even though the inputs (and
    outputs in the case of `list`) are directories in cone-mode
  * The description section of the sparse-checkout documentation
    was a bit sparse (no pun intended), and focused more on internal
    mechanics rather than end user usage.  This made sense in the
    early days when the command was even more experimental, but let's
    adjust a bit to try to make it more approachable to end users who
    may want to consider using it.  Keep the scary backward
    compatibility warning, though; we're still hard at work trying to
    fix up commands to behave reasonably in sparse checkouts.
  * both read-tree and update-index tried to describe how to use the
    skip-worktree bit, but both predated the sparse-checkout command.
    The sparse-checkout command is a far easier mechanism to use and
    for users trying to reduce the size of their working tree, we
    should recommend users to look at it instead.
  * The update-index documentation pointed out that assume-unchanged
    and skip-worktree sounded similar but had different purposes.
    However, it made no attempt to explain the differences, only to
    point out that they were different.  Explain the differences.
  * The update-index documentation focused much more on (internal?)
    implementation details than on end-user usage.  Try to explain
    its purpose better for users of update-index, rather than
    fellow developers trying to work with the SKIP_WORKTREE bit.
  * Clarify that when core.sparseCheckout=true, we treat a file's
    presence in the working tree as being an override to the
    SKIP_WORKTREE bit (i.e. in sparse checkouts when the file is
    present we ignore the SKIP_WORKTREE bit).

Note that this commit, like many touching documentation, is best viewed
with the `--color-words` option to diff/log.

Signed-off-by: Elijah Newren <newren@gmail.com>
Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
3 files changed
tree: 0fb14d70bd11928a6c4a253a1def9f959548ebf3
  1. .github/
  2. block-sha1/
  3. builtin/
  4. ci/
  5. compat/
  6. contrib/
  7. Documentation/
  8. ewah/
  9. git-gui/
  10. gitk-git/
  11. gitweb/
  12. mergetools/
  13. negotiator/
  14. perl/
  15. po/
  16. ppc/
  17. refs/
  18. reftable/
  19. sha1dc/
  20. sha256/
  21. t/
  22. templates/
  23. trace2/
  24. xdiff/
  25. .cirrus.yml
  26. .clang-format
  27. .editorconfig
  28. .gitattributes
  29. .gitignore
  30. .gitmodules
  31. .mailmap
  32. .tsan-suppressions
  33. abspath.c
  34. aclocal.m4
  35. add-interactive.c
  36. add-interactive.h
  37. add-patch.c
  38. advice.c
  39. advice.h
  40. alias.c
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  42. alloc.c
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  44. apply.c
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  46. archive-tar.c
  47. archive-zip.c
  48. archive.c
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  50. attr.c
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  53. base85.c
  54. bisect.c
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  60. bloom.c
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  62. branch.c
  63. branch.h
  64. builtin.h
  65. bulk-checkin.c
  66. bulk-checkin.h
  67. bundle.c
  68. bundle.h
  69. cache-tree.c
  70. cache-tree.h
  71. cache.h
  72. cbtree.c
  73. cbtree.h
  74. chdir-notify.c
  75. chdir-notify.h
  76. check-builtins.sh
  77. checkout.c
  78. checkout.h
  79. chunk-format.c
  80. chunk-format.h
  81. CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
  82. color.c
  83. color.h
  84. column.c
  85. column.h
  86. combine-diff.c
  87. command-list.txt
  88. commit-graph.c
  89. commit-graph.h
  90. commit-reach.c
  91. commit-reach.h
  92. commit-slab-decl.h
  93. commit-slab-impl.h
  94. commit-slab.h
  95. commit.c
  96. commit.h
  97. common-main.c
  98. config.c
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  110. copy.c
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  124. detect-compiler
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  126. diff-lib.c
  127. diff-merges.c
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  129. diff-no-index.c
  130. diff.c
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  132. diffcore-break.c
  133. diffcore-delta.c
  134. diffcore-order.c
  135. diffcore-pickaxe.c
  136. diffcore-rename.c
  137. diffcore-rotate.c
  138. diffcore.h
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  143. editor.c
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  146. environment.c
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  148. exec-cmd.c
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  150. fetch-negotiator.c
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  152. fetch-pack.c
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  154. fmt-merge-msg.c
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  156. fsck.c
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  158. fsmonitor.c
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  160. fuzz-commit-graph.c
  161. fuzz-pack-headers.c
  162. fuzz-pack-idx.c
  163. generate-cmdlist.sh
  164. generate-configlist.sh
  165. generate-hooklist.sh
  166. gettext.c
  167. gettext.h
  168. git-add--interactive.perl
  169. git-archimport.perl
  170. git-bisect.sh
  171. git-compat-util.h
  172. git-curl-compat.h
  173. git-cvsexportcommit.perl
  174. git-cvsimport.perl
  175. git-cvsserver.perl
  176. git-difftool--helper.sh
  177. git-filter-branch.sh
  178. git-instaweb.sh
  179. git-merge-octopus.sh
  180. git-merge-one-file.sh
  181. git-merge-resolve.sh
  182. git-mergetool--lib.sh
  183. git-mergetool.sh
  184. git-p4.py
  185. git-quiltimport.sh
  186. git-request-pull.sh
  187. git-send-email.perl
  188. git-sh-i18n.sh
  189. git-sh-setup.sh
  190. git-submodule.sh
  191. git-svn.perl
  192. GIT-VERSION-GEN
  193. git-web--browse.sh
  194. git.c
  195. git.rc
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  198. graph.c
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  220. INSTALL
  221. iterator.h
  222. json-writer.c
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  224. khash.h
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  234. linear-assignment.c
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  236. list-objects-filter-options.c
  237. list-objects-filter-options.h
  238. list-objects-filter.c
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  240. list-objects.c
  241. list-objects.h
  242. list.h
  243. ll-merge.c
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  245. lockfile.c
  246. lockfile.h
  247. log-tree.c
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  249. ls-refs.c
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  255. Makefile
  256. match-trees.c
  257. mem-pool.c
  258. mem-pool.h
  259. merge-blobs.c
  260. merge-blobs.h
  261. merge-ort-wrappers.c
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  263. merge-ort.c
  264. merge-ort.h
  265. merge-recursive.c
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  267. merge.c
  268. mergesort.c
  269. mergesort.h
  270. midx.c
  271. midx.h
  272. name-hash.c
  273. notes-cache.c
  274. notes-cache.h
  275. notes-merge.c
  276. notes-merge.h
  277. notes-utils.c
  278. notes-utils.h
  279. notes.c
  280. notes.h
  281. object-file.c
  282. object-name.c
  283. object-store.h
  284. object.c
  285. object.h
  286. oid-array.c
  287. oid-array.h
  288. oidmap.c
  289. oidmap.h
  290. oidset.c
  291. oidset.h
  292. oidtree.c
  293. oidtree.h
  294. pack-bitmap-write.c
  295. pack-bitmap.c
  296. pack-bitmap.h
  297. pack-check.c
  298. pack-objects.c
  299. pack-objects.h
  300. pack-revindex.c
  301. pack-revindex.h
  302. pack-write.c
  303. pack.h
  304. packfile.c
  305. packfile.h
  306. pager.c
  307. parallel-checkout.c
  308. parallel-checkout.h
  309. parse-options-cb.c
  310. parse-options.c
  311. parse-options.h
  312. patch-delta.c
  313. patch-ids.c
  314. patch-ids.h
  315. path.c
  316. path.h
  317. pathspec.c
  318. pathspec.h
  319. pkt-line.c
  320. pkt-line.h
  321. preload-index.c
  322. pretty.c
  323. pretty.h
  324. prio-queue.c
  325. prio-queue.h
  326. progress.c
  327. progress.h
  328. promisor-remote.c
  329. promisor-remote.h
  330. prompt.c
  331. prompt.h
  332. protocol-caps.c
  333. protocol-caps.h
  334. protocol.c
  335. protocol.h
  336. prune-packed.c
  337. prune-packed.h
  338. quote.c
  339. quote.h
  340. range-diff.c
  341. range-diff.h
  342. reachable.c
  343. reachable.h
  344. read-cache.c
  345. README.md
  346. rebase-interactive.c
  347. rebase-interactive.h
  348. rebase.c
  349. rebase.h
  350. ref-filter.c
  351. ref-filter.h
  352. reflog-walk.c
  353. reflog-walk.h
  354. refs.c
  355. refs.h
  356. refspec.c
  357. refspec.h
  358. remote-curl.c
  359. remote.c
  360. remote.h
  361. replace-object.c
  362. replace-object.h
  363. repo-settings.c
  364. repository.c
  365. repository.h
  366. rerere.c
  367. rerere.h
  368. reset.c
  369. reset.h
  370. resolve-undo.c
  371. resolve-undo.h
  372. revision.c
  373. revision.h
  374. run-command.c
  375. run-command.h
  376. SECURITY.md
  377. send-pack.c
  378. send-pack.h
  379. sequencer.c
  380. sequencer.h
  381. serve.c
  382. serve.h
  383. server-info.c
  384. setup.c
  385. sh-i18n--envsubst.c
  386. sha1dc_git.c
  387. sha1dc_git.h
  388. shallow.c
  389. shallow.h
  390. shell.c
  391. shortlog.h
  392. sideband.c
  393. sideband.h
  394. sigchain.c
  395. sigchain.h
  396. simple-ipc.h
  397. sparse-index.c
  398. sparse-index.h
  399. split-index.c
  400. split-index.h
  401. stable-qsort.c
  402. strbuf.c
  403. strbuf.h
  404. streaming.c
  405. streaming.h
  406. string-list.c
  407. string-list.h
  408. strmap.c
  409. strmap.h
  410. strvec.c
  411. strvec.h
  412. sub-process.c
  413. sub-process.h
  414. submodule-config.c
  415. submodule-config.h
  416. submodule.c
  417. submodule.h
  418. symlinks.c
  419. tag.c
  420. tag.h
  421. tar.h
  422. tempfile.c
  423. tempfile.h
  424. thread-utils.c
  425. thread-utils.h
  426. tmp-objdir.c
  427. tmp-objdir.h
  428. trace.c
  429. trace.h
  430. trace2.c
  431. trace2.h
  432. trailer.c
  433. trailer.h
  434. transport-helper.c
  435. transport-internal.h
  436. transport.c
  437. transport.h
  438. tree-diff.c
  439. tree-walk.c
  440. tree-walk.h
  441. tree.c
  442. tree.h
  443. unicode-width.h
  444. unimplemented.sh
  445. unix-socket.c
  446. unix-socket.h
  447. unix-stream-server.c
  448. unix-stream-server.h
  449. unpack-trees.c
  450. unpack-trees.h
  451. upload-pack.c
  452. upload-pack.h
  453. url.c
  454. url.h
  455. urlmatch.c
  456. urlmatch.h
  457. usage.c
  458. userdiff.c
  459. userdiff.h
  460. utf8.c
  461. utf8.h
  462. varint.c
  463. varint.h
  464. version.c
  465. version.h
  466. versioncmp.c
  467. walker.c
  468. walker.h
  469. wildmatch.c
  470. wildmatch.h
  471. worktree.c
  472. worktree.h
  473. wrap-for-bin.sh
  474. wrapper.c
  475. write-or-die.c
  476. ws.c
  477. wt-status.c
  478. wt-status.h
  479. xdiff-interface.c
  480. xdiff-interface.h
  481. zlib.c
README.md

Build status

Git - fast, scalable, distributed revision control system

Git is a fast, scalable, distributed revision control system with an unusually rich command set that provides both high-level operations and full access to internals.

Git is an Open Source project covered by the GNU General Public License version 2 (some parts of it are under different licenses, compatible with the GPLv2). It was originally written by Linus Torvalds with help of a group of hackers around the net.

Please read the file INSTALL for installation instructions.

Many Git online resources are accessible from https://git-scm.com/ including full documentation and Git related tools.

See Documentation/gittutorial.txt to get started, then see Documentation/giteveryday.txt for a useful minimum set of commands, and Documentation/git-<commandname>.txt for documentation of each command. If git has been correctly installed, then the tutorial can also be read with man gittutorial or git help tutorial, and the documentation of each command with man git-<commandname> or git help <commandname>.

CVS users may also want to read Documentation/gitcvs-migration.txt (man gitcvs-migration or git help cvs-migration if git is installed).

The user discussion and development of Git take place on the Git mailing list -- everyone is welcome to post bug reports, feature requests, comments and patches to git@vger.kernel.org (read Documentation/SubmittingPatches for instructions on patch submission). To subscribe to the list, send an email with just “subscribe git” in the body to majordomo@vger.kernel.org. The mailing list archives are available at https://lore.kernel.org/git/, http://marc.info/?l=git and other archival sites.

Issues which are security relevant should be disclosed privately to the Git Security mailing list git-security@googlegroups.com.

The maintainer frequently sends the “What's cooking” reports that list the current status of various development topics to the mailing list. The discussion following them give a good reference for project status, development direction and remaining tasks.

The name “git” was given by Linus Torvalds when he wrote the very first version. He described the tool as “the stupid content tracker” and the name as (depending on your mood):

  • random three-letter combination that is pronounceable, and not actually used by any common UNIX command. The fact that it is a mispronunciation of “get” may or may not be relevant.
  • stupid. contemptible and despicable. simple. Take your pick from the dictionary of slang.
  • “global information tracker”: you're in a good mood, and it actually works for you. Angels sing, and a light suddenly fills the room.
  • “goddamn idiotic truckload of sh*t”: when it breaks