git-update-index (1)
NAME
git-update-index - Register file contents in the working tree to the indexSYNOPSIS
git update-index [--add] [--remove | --force-remove] [--replace] [--refresh] [-q] [--unmerged] [--ignore-missing] [(--cacheinfo <mode>,<object>,<file>)...] [--chmod=(+|-)x] [--[no-]assume-unchanged] [--[no-]skip-worktree] [--[no-]fsmonitor-valid] [--ignore-submodules] [--[no-]split-index] [--[no-|test-|force-]untracked-cache] [--[no-]fsmonitor] [--really-refresh] [--unresolve] [--again | -g] [--info-only] [--index-info] [-z] [--stdin] [--index-version <n>] [--verbose] [--] [<file>...]
DESCRIPTION
Modifies the index or directory cache. Each file mentioned is updated into the index and any unmerged or needs updating state is cleared.OPTIONS
--addIf a specified file isn’t in the index already then it’s added. Default behaviour is to ignore new files.
--remove
If a specified file is in the index but is missing then it’s removed. Default behavior is to ignore removed file.
--refresh
Looks at the current index and checks to see if merges or updates are needed by checking stat() information.
-q
Quiet. If --refresh finds that the index needs an update, the default behavior is to error out. This option makes git update-index continue anyway.
--ignore-submodules
Do not try to update submodules. This option is only respected when passed before --refresh.
--unmerged
If --refresh finds unmerged changes in the index, the default behavior is to error out. This option makes git update-index continue anyway.
--ignore-missing
Ignores missing files during a --refresh
--cacheinfo <mode>,<object>,<path>, --cacheinfo <mode> <object> <path>
Directly insert the specified info into the index. For backward compatibility, you can also give these three arguments as three separate parameters, but new users are encouraged to use a single-parameter form.
--index-info
Read index information from stdin.
--chmod=(+|-)x
Set the execute permissions on the updated files.
--[no-]assume-unchanged
When this flag is specified, the object names recorded for the paths are not updated. Instead, this option sets/unsets the "assume unchanged" bit for the paths. When the "assume unchanged" bit is on, the user promises not to change the file and allows Git to assume that the working tree file matches what is recorded in the index. If you want to change the working tree file, you need to unset the bit to tell Git. This is sometimes helpful when working with a big project on a filesystem that has very slow lstat(2) system call (e.g. cifs).
Git will fail (gracefully) in case it needs to modify this file in the index e.g. when merging in a commit; thus, in case the assumed-untracked file is changed upstream, you will need to handle the situation manually.
--really-refresh
Like --refresh, but checks stat information unconditionally, without regard to the "assume unchanged" setting.
--[no-]skip-worktree
When one of these flags is specified, the object name recorded for the paths are not updated. Instead, these options set and unset the "skip-worktree" bit for the paths. See section "Skip-worktree bit" below for more information.
--[no-]fsmonitor-valid
When one of these flags is specified, the object name recorded for the paths are not updated. Instead, these options set and unset the "fsmonitor valid" bit for the paths. See section "File System Monitor" below for more information.
-g, --again
Runs git update-index itself on the paths whose index entries are different from those from the HEAD commit.
--unresolve
Restores the unmerged or needs updating state of a file during a merge if it was cleared by accident.
--info-only
Do not create objects in the object database for all <file> arguments that follow this flag; just insert their object IDs into the index.
--force-remove
Remove the file from the index even when the working directory still has such a file. (Implies --remove.)
--replace
By default, when a file path exists in the index, git update-index refuses an attempt to add path/file. Similarly if a file path/file exists, a file path cannot be added. With --replace flag, existing entries that conflict with the entry being added are automatically removed with warning messages.
--stdin
Instead of taking list of paths from the command line, read list of paths from the standard input. Paths are separated by LF (i.e. one path per line) by default.
--verbose
Report what is being added and removed from index.
--index-version <n>
Write the resulting index out in the named on-disk format version. Supported versions are 2, 3 and 4. The current default version is 2 or 3, depending on whether extra features are used, such as git add -N.
Version 4 performs a simple pathname compression that reduces index size by 30%-50% on large repositories, which results in faster load time. Version 4 is relatively young (first released in 1.8.0 in October 2012). Other Git implementations such as JGit and libgit2 may not support it yet.
-z
Only meaningful with --stdin or --index-info; paths are separated with NUL character instead of LF.
--split-index, --no-split-index
Enable or disable split index mode. If split-index mode is already enabled and --split-index is given again, all changes in $GIT_DIR/index are pushed back to the shared index file.
These options take effect whatever the value of the core.splitIndex configuration variable (see git-config(1)). But a warning is emitted when the change goes against the configured value, as the configured value will take effect next time the index is read and this will remove the intended effect of the option.
--untracked-cache, --no-untracked-cache
Enable or disable untracked cache feature. Please use --test-untracked-cache before enabling it.
These options take effect whatever the value of the core.untrackedCache configuration variable (see git-config(1)). But a warning is emitted when the change goes against the configured value, as the configured value will take effect next time the index is read and this will remove the intended effect of the option.
--test-untracked-cache
Only perform tests on the working directory to make sure untracked cache can be used. You have to manually enable untracked cache using --untracked-cache or --force-untracked-cache or the core.untrackedCache configuration variable afterwards if you really want to use it. If a test fails the exit code is 1 and a message explains what is not working as needed, otherwise the exit code is 0 and OK is printed.
--force-untracked-cache
Same as --untracked-cache. Provided for backwards compatibility with older versions of Git where --untracked-cache used to imply --test-untracked-cache but this option would enable the extension unconditionally.
--fsmonitor, --no-fsmonitor
Enable or disable files system monitor feature. These options take effect whatever the value of the core.fsmonitor configuration variable (see git-config(1)). But a warning is emitted when the change goes against the configured value, as the configured value will take effect next time the index is read and this will remove the intended effect of the option.
--
Do not interpret any more arguments as options.
<file>
Files to act on. Note that files beginning with . are discarded. This includes ./file and dir/./file. If you don’t want this, then use cleaner names. The same applies to directories ending / and paths with //
USING --REFRESH
--refresh does not calculate a new sha1 file or bring the index up to date for mode/content changes. But what it does do is to "re-match" the stat information of a file with the index, so that you can refresh the index for a file that hasn’t been changed but where the stat entry is out of date.USING --CACHEINFO OR --INFO-ONLY
--cacheinfo is used to register a file that is not in the current working directory. This is useful for minimum-checkout merging.$ git update-index --add --cacheinfo <mode>,<sha1>,<path>
USING --INDEX-INFO
--index-info is a more powerful mechanism that lets you feed multiple entry definitions from the standard input, and designed specifically for scripts. It can take inputs of three formats: 1.mode SP type SP sha1 TAB path
This format is to stuff git ls-tree output into the index.
2.mode SP sha1 SP stage TAB path
This format is to put higher order stages into the index file and matches git ls-files --stage output.
3.mode SP sha1 TAB path
This format is no longer produced by any Git command, but is and will continue to be supported by update-index --index-info.
$ git ls-files -s 100644 8a1218a1024a212bb3db30becd860315f9f3ac52 0 frotz
$ git update-index --index-info 0 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 frotz 100644 8a1218a1024a212bb3db30becd860315f9f3ac52 1 frotz 100755 8a1218a1024a212bb3db30becd860315f9f3ac52 2 frotz
$ git ls-files -s 100644 8a1218a1024a212bb3db30becd860315f9f3ac52 1 frotz 100755 8a1218a1024a212bb3db30becd860315f9f3ac52 2 frotz
USING “ASSUME UNCHANGED” BIT
Many operations in Git depend on your filesystem to have an efficient lstat(2) implementation, so that st_mtime information for working tree files can be cheaply checked to see if the file contents have changed from the version recorded in the index file. Unfortunately, some filesystems have inefficient lstat(2). If your filesystem is one of them, you can set "assume unchanged" bit to paths you have not changed to cause Git not to do this check. Note that setting this bit on a path does not mean Git will check the contents of the file to see if it has changed — it makes Git to omit any checking and assume it has not changed. When you make changes to working tree files, you have to explicitly tell Git about it by dropping "assume unchanged" bit, either before or after you modify them.EXAMPLES
To update and refresh only the files already checked out:$ git checkout-index -n -f -a && git update-index --ignore-missing --refresh
$ git update-index --really-refresh (1) $ git update-index --no-assume-unchanged foo.c (2) $ git diff --name-only (3) $ edit foo.c $ git diff --name-only (4) M foo.c $ git update-index foo.c (5) $ git diff --name-only (6) $ edit foo.c $ git diff --name-only (7) $ git update-index --no-assume-unchanged foo.c (8) $ git diff --name-only (9) M foo.c
SKIP-WORKTREE BIT
Skip-worktree bit can be defined in one (long) sentence: When reading an entry, if it is marked as skip-worktree, then Git pretends its working directory version is up to date and read the index version instead.SPLIT INDEX
This mode is designed for repositories with very large indexes, and aims at reducing the time it takes to repeatedly write these indexes.UNTRACKED CACHE
This cache is meant to speed up commands that involve determining untracked files such as git status.$ git -c core.untrackedCache=false status