git-worktree(1)

NAME

   git-worktree - Manage multiple working trees

SYNOPSIS

   git worktree add [-f] [--detach] [--checkout] [-b <new-branch>] <path> [<branch>]
   git worktree list [--porcelain]
   git worktree lock [--reason <string>] <worktree>
   git worktree prune [-n] [-v] [--expire <expire>]
   git worktree unlock <worktree>

DESCRIPTION

   Manage multiple working trees attached to the same repository.

   A git repository can support multiple working trees, allowing you to
   check out more than one branch at a time. With git worktree add a new
   working tree is associated with the repository. This new working tree
   is called a "linked working tree" as opposed to the "main working tree"
   prepared by "git init" or "git clone". A repository has one main
   working tree (if it's not a bare repository) and zero or more linked
   working trees.

   When you are done with a linked working tree you can simply delete it.
   The working tree's administrative files in the repository (see
   "DETAILS" below) will eventually be removed automatically (see
   gc.worktreePruneExpire in git-config(1)), or you can run git worktree
   prune in the main or any linked working tree to clean up any stale
   administrative files.

   If you move a linked working tree, you need to manually update the
   administrative files so that they do not get pruned automatically. See
   section "DETAILS" for more information.

   If a linked working tree is stored on a portable device or network
   share which is not always mounted, you can prevent its administrative
   files from being pruned by issuing the git worktree lock command,
   optionally specifying --reason to explain why the working tree is
   locked.

COMMANDS

   add <path> [<branch>]
       Create <path> and checkout <branch> into it. The new working
       directory is linked to the current repository, sharing everything
       except working directory specific files such as HEAD, index, etc.
       - may also be specified as <branch>; it is synonymous with @{-1}.

       If <branch> is omitted and neither -b nor -B nor --detached used,
       then, as a convenience, a new branch based at HEAD is created
       automatically, as if -b $(basename <path>) was specified.

   list
       List details of each worktree. The main worktree is listed first,
       followed by each of the linked worktrees. The output details
       include if the worktree is bare, the revision currently checked
       out, and the branch currently checked out (or detached HEAD if
       none).

   lock
       If a working tree is on a portable device or network share which is
       not always mounted, lock it to prevent its administrative files
       from being pruned automatically. This also prevents it from being
       moved or deleted. Optionally, specify a reason for the lock with
       --reason.

   prune
       Prune working tree information in $GIT_DIR/worktrees.

   unlock
       Unlock a working tree, allowing it to be pruned, moved or deleted.

OPTIONS

   -f, --force
       By default, add refuses to create a new working tree when <branch>
       is already checked out by another working tree. This option
       overrides that safeguard.

   -b <new-branch>, -B <new-branch>
       With add, create a new branch named <new-branch> starting at
       <branch>, and check out <new-branch> into the new working tree. If
       <branch> is omitted, it defaults to HEAD. By default, -b refuses to
       create a new branch if it already exists.  -B overrides this
       safeguard, resetting <new-branch> to <branch>.

   --detach
       With add, detach HEAD in the new working tree. See "DETACHED HEAD"
       in git-checkout(1).

   --[no-]checkout
       By default, add checks out <branch>, however, --no-checkout can be
       used to suppress checkout in order to make customizations, such as
       configuring sparse-checkout. See "Sparse checkout" in git-read-
       tree(1).

   -n, --dry-run
       With prune, do not remove anything; just report what it would
       remove.

   --porcelain
       With list, output in an easy-to-parse format for scripts. This
       format will remain stable across Git versions and regardless of
       user configuration. See below for details.

   -v, --verbose
       With prune, report all removals.

   --expire <time>
       With prune, only expire unused working trees older than <time>.

   --reason <string>
       With lock, an explanation why the working tree is locked.

   <worktree>
       Working trees can be identified by path, either relative or
       absolute.

       If the last path components in the working tree's path is unique
       among working trees, it can be used to identify worktrees. For
       example if you only have to working trees at "/abc/def/ghi" and
       "/abc/def/ggg", then "ghi" or "def/ghi" is enough to point to the
       former working tree.

DETAILS

   Each linked working tree has a private sub-directory in the
   repository's $GIT_DIR/worktrees directory. The private sub-directory's
   name is usually the base name of the linked working tree's path,
   possibly appended with a number to make it unique. For example, when
   $GIT_DIR=/path/main/.git the command git worktree add
   /path/other/test-next next creates the linked working tree in
   /path/other/test-next and also creates a $GIT_DIR/worktrees/test-next
   directory (or $GIT_DIR/worktrees/test-next1 if test-next is already
   taken).

   Within a linked working tree, $GIT_DIR is set to point to this private
   directory (e.g. /path/main/.git/worktrees/test-next in the example) and
   $GIT_COMMON_DIR is set to point back to the main working tree's
   $GIT_DIR (e.g. /path/main/.git). These settings are made in a .git file
   located at the top directory of the linked working tree.

   Path resolution via git rev-parse --git-path uses either $GIT_DIR or
   $GIT_COMMON_DIR depending on the path. For example, in the linked
   working tree git rev-parse --git-path HEAD returns
   /path/main/.git/worktrees/test-next/HEAD (not
   /path/other/test-next/.git/HEAD or /path/main/.git/HEAD) while git
   rev-parse --git-path refs/heads/master uses $GIT_COMMON_DIR and returns
   /path/main/.git/refs/heads/master, since refs are shared across all
   working trees.

   See gitrepository-layout(5) for more information. The rule of thumb is
   do not make any assumption about whether a path belongs to $GIT_DIR or
   $GIT_COMMON_DIR when you need to directly access something inside
   $GIT_DIR. Use git rev-parse --git-path to get the final path.

   If you move a linked working tree, you need to update the gitdir file
   in the entry's directory. For example, if a linked working tree is
   moved to /newpath/test-next and its .git file points to
   /path/main/.git/worktrees/test-next, then update
   /path/main/.git/worktrees/test-next/gitdir to reference
   /newpath/test-next instead.

   To prevent a $GIT_DIR/worktrees entry from being pruned (which can be
   useful in some situations, such as when the entry's working tree is
   stored on a portable device), use the git worktree lock command, which
   adds a file named locked to the entry's directory. The file contains
   the reason in plain text. For example, if a linked working tree's .git
   file points to /path/main/.git/worktrees/test-next then a file named
   /path/main/.git/worktrees/test-next/locked will prevent the test-next
   entry from being pruned. See gitrepository-layout(5) for details.

LIST OUTPUT FORMAT

   The worktree list command has two output formats. The default format
   shows the details on a single line with columns. For example:

       S git worktree list
       /path/to/bare-source            (bare)
       /path/to/linked-worktree        abcd1234 [master]
       /path/to/other-linked-worktree  1234abc  (detached HEAD)

   Porcelain Format
   The porcelain format has a line per attribute. Attributes are listed
   with a label and value separated by a single space. Boolean attributes
   (like bare and detached) are listed as a label only, and are only
   present if and only if the value is true. An empty line indicates the
   end of a worktree. For example:

       S git worktree list --porcelain
       worktree /path/to/bare-source
       bare

       worktree /path/to/linked-worktree
       HEAD abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234abcd1234
       branch refs/heads/master

       worktree /path/to/other-linked-worktree
       HEAD 1234abc1234abc1234abc1234abc1234abc1234a
       detached

EXAMPLES

   You are in the middle of a refactoring session and your boss comes in
   and demands that you fix something immediately. You might typically use
   git-stash(1) to store your changes away temporarily, however, your
   working tree is in such a state of disarray (with new, moved, and
   removed files, and other bits and pieces strewn around) that you don't
   want to risk disturbing any of it. Instead, you create a temporary
   linked working tree to make the emergency fix, remove it when done, and
   then resume your earlier refactoring session.

       $ git worktree add -b emergency-fix ../temp master
       $ pushd ../temp
       # ... hack hack hack ...
       $ git commit -a -m 'emergency fix for boss'
       $ popd
       $ rm -rf ../temp
       $ git worktree prune

BUGS

   Multiple checkout in general is still experimental, and the support for
   submodules is incomplete. It is NOT recommended to make multiple
   checkouts of a superproject.

   git-worktree could provide more automation for tasks currently
   performed manually, such as:

   *   remove to remove a linked working tree and its administrative files
       (and warn if the working tree is dirty)

   *   mv to move or rename a working tree and update its administrative
       files

GIT

   Part of the git(1) suite

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Free and Open Source Software