From: Michael Witten Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:19:39 GMT Subject: [PATCH] Docs: git checkout --orphan: `root commit' and `branch head' Message-ID: In-Reply-To: <1317073309.5579.9.camel@centaur.lab.cmartin.tk> See: Re: Can a git changeset be created with no parent Carlos Martín Nieto Message-ID: <1317073309.5579.9.camel@centaur.lab.cmartin.tk> http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git/182170 and: git help glossary Signed-off-by: Michael Witten --- Documentation/git-checkout.txt | 13 +++++-------- 1 files changed, 5 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-) diff --git a/Documentation/git-checkout.txt b/Documentation/git-checkout.txt index c0a96e6..c963a0f 100644 --- a/Documentation/git-checkout.txt +++ b/Documentation/git-checkout.txt @@ -125,19 +125,16 @@ explicitly give a name with '-b' in such a case. below for details. --orphan:: - Create a new 'orphan' branch, named , started from - and switch to it. The first commit made on this - new branch will have no parents and it will be the root of a new - history totally disconnected from all the other branches and - commits. + Tell git to make the next commit you make a root commit referenced by + the branch head . + The index and the working tree are adjusted as if you had previously run "git checkout ". This allows you to start a new history -that records a set of paths similar to by easily running +that records a set of paths similar to by just running "git commit -a" to make the root commit. + -This can be useful when you want to publish the tree from a commit -without exposing its full history. You might want to do this to publish +This can be useful when you want to publish a tree without exposing its +full history; for instance, you might want to do this to publish an open source branch of a project whose current tree is "clean", but whose full history contains proprietary or otherwise encumbered bits of code. -- 1.7.6.409.ge7a85