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git-symbolic-ref(1)
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===================
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NAME
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----
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git-symbolic-ref - read and modify symbolic refs
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SYNOPSIS
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--------
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'git-symbolic-ref' [-q] <name> [<ref>]
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DESCRIPTION
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-----------
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Given one argument, reads which branch head the given symbolic
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ref refers to and outputs its path, relative to the `.git/`
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directory. Typically you would give `HEAD` as the <name>
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argument to see on which branch your working tree is on.
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Give two arguments, create or update a symbolic ref <name> to
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point at the given branch <ref>.
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A symbolic ref is a regular file that stores a string that
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begins with `ref: refs/`. For example, your `.git/HEAD` is
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a regular file whose contents is `ref: refs/heads/master`.
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OPTIONS
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-------
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-q::
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Do not issue an error message if the <name> is not a
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symbolic ref but a detached HEAD; instead exit with
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non-zero status silently.
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NOTES
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-----
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In the past, `.git/HEAD` was a symbolic link pointing at
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`refs/heads/master`. When we wanted to switch to another branch,
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we did `ln -sf refs/heads/newbranch .git/HEAD`, and when we wanted
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to find out which branch we are on, we did `readlink .git/HEAD`.
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This was fine, and internally that is what still happens by
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default, but on platforms that do not have working symlinks,
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or that do not have the `readlink(1)` command, this was a bit
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cumbersome. On some platforms, `ln -sf` does not even work as
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advertised (horrors). Therefore symbolic links are now deprecated
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and symbolic refs are used by default.
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Author
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------
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Written by Junio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net>
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GIT
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---
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Part of the gitlink:git[7] suite
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