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| stage | group | info | type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Create | Source Code | To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments | howto, reference |
Edit files through the command line
When working with Git from the command line, you need to use more than just the Git commands. There are several basic commands that you should learn, in order to make full use of the command line.
Start working on your project
To work on a Git project locally (from your own computer), with the command line, first you need to clone (copy) it to your computer.
Working with files on the command line
This section has examples of some basic shell commands that you might find useful. For more information, search the web for bash commands.
Alternatively, you can edit files using your choice of editor (IDE), or the GitLab user interface (not locally).
Common commands
The list below is not exhaustive, but contains many of the most commonly used commands.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
cd NAME-OF-DIRECTORY |
Go into a directory to work in it |
cd .. |
Go back one directory |
ls |
List what’s in the current directory |
ls a* |
List what’s in the current directory that starts with a |
ls *.md |
List what’s in the current directory that ends with .md |
mkdir NAME-OF-YOUR-DIRECTORY |
Create a new directory |
cat README.md |
Display the contents of a text file you created previously |
pwd |
Show the current directory |
clear |
Clear the shell window |
Create a text file in the current directory
To create a text file from the command line, for example README.md, follow these
steps:
touch README.md
nano README.md
#### ADD YOUR INFORMATION
#### Press: control + X
#### Type: Y
#### Press: enter
Remove a file or directory
It's easy to delete (remove) a file or directory, but be careful:
WARNING: This will permanently delete a file.
rm NAME-OF-FILE
WARNING: This will permanently delete a directory and all of its contents.
rm -r NAME-OF-DIRECTORY
View and Execute commands from history
You can view the history of all the commands you executed from the command line, and then execute any of them again, if needed.
First, list the commands you executed previously:
history
Then, choose a command from the list and check the number next to the command (123,
for example) . Execute the same full command with:
!123
Carry out commands for which the account you are using lacks authority
Not all commands can be executed from a basic user account on a computer, you may
need administrator's rights to execute commands that affect the system, or try to access
protected data, for example. You can use sudo to execute these commands, but you
might be asked for an administrator password.
sudo RESTRICTED-COMMAND
WARNING:
Be careful of the commands you run with sudo. Certain commands may cause
damage to your data or system.
Sample Git taskflow
If you're completely new to Git, looking through some sample taskflows may help you understand the best practices for using these commands as you work.