// Git Toolbox

.git inspector

The .git folder is your repository's brain. Here is what each part is for, what you can touch, and what it tells about your repo.

Contents of .git

HEADDon't touch
Where you are: usually “ref: refs/heads/main”. A raw commit hash means detached HEAD.
DestructiveDon't touch
Look inside
Safe
$ cat .git/HEAD
configCarefully
This repository's settings: remotes, branch tracking, local options. Edit it with git config rather than by hand.
CautionCarefully
Look inside
Safe
$ git config --local --list
descriptionYou can touch it
Only used by GitWeb. You can ignore it.
SafeYou can touch it
indexDon't touch
The staging area: the exact snapshot of your next commit (binary file).
DestructiveDon't touch
Look inside
Safe
$ git ls-files --stage
objects/Don't touch
The database: every version of every file (blobs), folder (trees), commit and annotated tag, compressed and named by their hash.
DestructiveDon't touch
Look inside
Safe
$ git count-objects -vH
- pack/Don't touch
  Objects packed together (.pack + .idx), with deltas between versions. Created by clone, fetch and git gc.
  DestructiveDon't touch
  Look inside
  Safe
  $ git verify-pack -v .git/objects/pack/*.idx | sort -k3 -n | tail -5
- info/You can touch it
  Extra information for the object store (alternates, packs list).
  SafeYou can touch it
- a1//Don't touch
  Loose objects: 2 first characters of the hash as folder, the other 38 as file name.
  DestructiveDon't touch
  Look inside
  Safe
  $ git cat-file -p <hash>
refs/Carefully
Branches, tags and remote branches: small text files that contain a commit hash.
CautionCarefully
Look inside
Safe
$ git show-ref
- heads/Carefully
  Your local branches. refs/heads/main contains the hash of main's last commit.
  CautionCarefully
  Look inside
  Safe
  $ git branch -v
- tags/Carefully
  Your tags (v1.0.0…).
  CautionCarefully
  Look inside
  Safe
  $ git tag -n
- remotes/You can touch it
  The last known state of remote branches (origin/main…), updated by fetch.
  SafeYou can touch it
  Look inside
  Safe
  $ git branch -r
- stashCarefully
  Your stashes.
  CautionCarefully
  Look inside
  Safe
  $ git stash list
packed-refsCarefully
Many refs in one file, for speed. A branch can be here instead of refs/heads/.
CautionCarefully
Look inside
Safe
$ cat .git/packed-refs
logs/Carefully
The reflog: every position HEAD and each branch had. This is what saves you after a bad reset.
CautionCarefully
Look inside
Safe
$ git reflog
Learn more →
hooks/You can touch it
Scripts run by Git at key moments (pre-commit, pre-push…). Files ending in .sample are inactive examples.
SafeYou can touch it
Learn more →
info/You can touch it
info/exclude: a personal .gitignore that is never committed.
SafeYou can touch it
Look inside
Safe
$ cat .git/info/exclude
COMMIT_EDITMSGYou can touch it
The message of your last commit, as typed in the editor.
SafeYou can touch it
FETCH_HEADtemporaryYou can touch it
What the last fetch brought back.
SafeYou can touch it
Look inside
Safe
$ cat .git/FETCH_HEAD
ORIG_HEADtemporaryYou can touch it
Where HEAD was before the last dangerous operation (merge, rebase, reset).
SafeYou can touch it
Look inside
Safe
$ git log -1 ORIG_HEAD
MERGE_HEADtemporaryDon't touch
The commit being merged.
DestructiveDon't touch
Learn more →
MERGE_MSGtemporaryYou can touch it
The prepared message of the merge commit.
SafeYou can touch it
rebase-merge/temporaryDon't touch
State of an interactive or merge-based rebase.
DestructiveDon't touch
Learn more →
rebase-apply/temporaryDon't touch
State of a git am or an old-style rebase.
DestructiveDon't touch
CHERRY_PICK_HEADtemporaryDon't touch
The commit being cherry-picked.
DestructiveDon't touch
REVERT_HEADtemporaryDon't touch
The commit being reverted.
DestructiveDon't touch
BISECT_LOGtemporaryYou can touch it
Steps of a git bisect.
SafeYou can touch it
sequencer/temporaryDon't touch
State of a cherry-pick or revert of several commits.
DestructiveDon't touch
index.locktemporaryCarefully
Lock taken by a running Git command.
CautionCarefully
Learn more →
shallowtemporaryCarefully
Commits where the history stops (clone --depth).
CautionCarefully
modules/Carefully
The repositories of your submodules.
CautionCarefully
Look inside
Safe
$ git submodule status
worktrees/Carefully
Extra working folders created with git worktree add.
CautionCarefully
Look inside
Safe
$ git worktree list
lfs/Carefully
Git LFS: local copies of large files.
CautionCarefully
Look inside
Safe
$ git lfs ls-files
AUTO_MERGEtemporaryYou can touch it
Recent Git (2.42+): the tree Git merged automatically during the last merge, conflicts included. Handy to see what you changed while resolving.
SafeYou can touch it
Look inside
Safe
$ git diff AUTO_MERGE
gc.logtemporaryYou can touch it
Errors of the last automatic git gc.
SafeYou can touch it

The 4 kinds of objects

blob: the content of a file (not its name)
tree: a folder: names → blobs and other trees
commit: a tree + parent(s) + author + message
tag: an annotated tag: a name and a message on a commit

See any object: git cat-file -p 1a2b3c4

What's in yours?

Paste the listing of your .git folder: the inspector tells you what is going on (merge in progress, lock left behind…).

Safe

$ ls -la .git

Safe

$ Get-ChildItem -Force .git

2. Paste the result

Everything stays in your browser.