Git Command-Line Reference Guide
This guide covers essential Git commands for managing your projects.

Setting Up and Initializing
git init

What it does: Initializes a new local Git repository in the current directory. This creates the hidden .git folder.

git clone [url]

What it does: Creates a local copy of a remote repository. This is what you'll use to get a fresh copy of your Gitea repository.

Making and Saving Changes
git status

What it does: Shows the status of your working directory. It tells you which files are staged, unstaged, or untracked.

git add [file]

What it does: Stages a file, preparing it to be committed. Use git add . to stage all modified files in the current directory.

git commit -m "[message]"

What it does: Saves the staged changes to your local repository history. The -m flag allows you to write a brief, descriptive message for your commit.

git commit --amend

What it does: Amends the most recent commit. This is useful for fixing a typo in your commit message or adding a file you forgot to stage.

Working with the Remote Repository
git remote -v

What it does: Lists the remote repositories you've configured. This is useful for confirming that your local repository is connected to the correct Gitea URL.

git remote set-url origin [new-url]

What it does: Changes the URL for a remote repository. You would use this command to change the remote from GitHub to your Gitea instance.

git push

What it does: Pushes your committed local changes to the remote repository. Use git push -u origin main the first time you push to a new remote to set the upstream branch.

git pull

What it does: Fetches and downloads content from the remote repository and immediately integrates (merges) it into your local branch.

git fetch

What it does: Downloads new data from a remote repository but doesn't integrate it into your working files. This lets you review changes before merging.

Managing Branches
git branch

What it does: Lists all local branches in your repository.

git branch [branch-name]

What it does: Creates a new local branch.

git checkout [branch-name]

What it does: Switches to an existing branch. Use git checkout -b [new-branch] to create and switch to a new branch in one command.

git merge [branch-name]

What it does: Merges the specified branch's history into your current branch.

git branch -d [branch-name]

What it does: Deletes the local branch.