---
stage: Create
group: Source Code
info: "To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/#assignments"
---

# Frequently used Git commands **(FREE ALL)**

The following commands are frequently used.

## Add another URL to a remote

Add another URL to a remote, so both remotes get updated on each push:

```shell
git remote set-url --add <remote_name> <remote_url>
```

## Refs and Log

### Use reflog to show the log of reference changes to HEAD

```shell
git reflog
```

### Check the Git history of a file

The basic command to check the Git history of a file:

```shell
git log <file>
```

If you get this error message:

```plaintext
fatal: ambiguous argument <file_name>: unknown revision or path not in the working tree.
Use '--' to separate paths from revisions, like this:
```

Use this to check the Git history of the file:

```shell
git log -- <file>
```

### Check the content of each change to a file

```shell
gitk <file>
```

### Check the content of each change to a file, follows it past file renames

```shell
gitk --follow <file>
```

## Debugging

### Use a custom SSH key for a Git command

```shell
GIT_SSH_COMMAND="ssh -i ~/.ssh/gitlabadmin" git <command>
```

### Debug cloning

With SSH:

```shell
GIT_SSH_COMMAND="ssh -vvv" git clone <git@url>
```

With HTTPS:

```shell
GIT_TRACE_PACKET=1 GIT_TRACE=2 GIT_CURL_VERBOSE=1 git clone <url>
```

### Debugging with Git embedded traces

Git includes a complete set of [traces for debugging Git commands](https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-Internals-Environment-Variables#_debugging), for example:

- `GIT_TRACE_PERFORMANCE=1`: enables tracing of performance data, showing how long each particular `git` invocation takes.
- `GIT_TRACE_SETUP=1`: enables tracing of what `git` is discovering about the repository and environment it's interacting with.
- `GIT_TRACE_PACKET=1`: enables packet-level tracing for network operations.

## Rebasing

### Rebase your branch onto the default

The `-i` flag stands for 'interactive'. Replace `<default-branch>` with the name
of your [default branch](../../user/project/repository/branches/default.md):

```shell
git rebase -i <default-branch>
```

### Continue the rebase if paused

```shell
git rebase --continue
```

### Use `git rerere`

To _reuse_ recorded solutions to the same problems when repeated:

```shell
git rerere
```

To enable `rerere` functionality:

```shell
git config --global rerere.enabled true
```

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