Git

Commands

git update-index

--skip-worktree

Useful when you instruct git not to touch a specific file ever because developers should change it. For example, if the main repository upstream hosts some production-ready configuration files and you don’t want to accidentally commit changes to those files, --skip-worktree is exactly what you want.

--assume-unchanged

Assumes that a developer shouldn’t change a file. This flag is meant for improving performance for non-changing folders like SDKs.

Common Errors

Git push fails with 'missing tree'

Not sure what causes this, but one of two things will usually clear it up. Fetch first and then run git push --no-thin or git gc --aggressive --prune=now.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to split up a large (feature) branch?

• Pull and make sure the feature branch is up-to-date with main.

• Checkout a new branch from the main branch.

• Merge the feature branch into the working tree.

• Unstage or discard unwanted changes and commit staged changes.

Git Maintenance

Squash all Commits

git checkout --orphan tempBranch
git add -A # Add all files and commit them
git commit -m "Squash everything into one commit"
git branch -D main # Deletes the original main branch
git branch -m main # Rename the current branch to main
git push -f origin main # Force push main branch to remote
git gc --aggressive --prune=all # Remove the old files

Shrinking the .git Folder

Use -f to "drop all old deltas".

git repack -a -d --depth=250 --window=250 #-f

Source

Backup Repository

The bundle itself functions as a repo; you can restore by cloning the bundle or adding it as a remote.

git bundle create backup.bundle --all