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Administration
Plumbing Commands
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SYNOPSIS
git worktree add [-f] [--detach] [-b <new-branch>] <path> [<branch>] git worktree prune [-n] [-v] [--expire <expire>]
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 to another file system, or
within a file system that does not support hard links, you need to run
at least one git command inside the linked working tree
(e.g. git status) in order to update its administrative files in the
repository so that they do not get automatically pruned.
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 creating a file named locked alongside the other administrative files, optionally containing a plain text reason that pruning should be suppressed. See section "DETAILS" for more information.
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.If
<branch>is omitted and neither-bnor-Bnor--detachedused, then, as a convenience, a new branch based at HEAD is created automatically, as if-b $(basename <path>)was specified. - prune
-
Prune working tree information in $GIT_DIR/worktrees.
OPTIONS
- -f
- --force
-
By default,
addrefuses 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,-brefuses to create a new branch if it already exists.-Boverrides this safeguard, resetting<new-branch>to<branch>. - --detach
-
With
add, detach HEAD in the new working tree. See "DETACHED HEAD" in git-checkout[1]. - -n
- --dry-run
-
With
prune, do not remove anything; just report what it would remove. - -v
- --verbose
-
With
prune, report all removals. - --expire <time>
-
With
prune, only expire unused working trees older than <time>.
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.
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), add 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.
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:
-
removeto remove a linked working tree and its administrative files (and warn if the working tree is dirty) -
mvto move or rename a working tree and update its administrative files -
listto list linked working trees -
lockto prevent automatic pruning of administrative files (for instance, for a working tree on a portable device)
GIT
Part of the git[1] suite
