Users who want UTF-16 files in the working tree set the .gitattributes like this: test.txt working-tree-encoding=UTF-16 The unicode standard itself defines 3 allowed ways how to encode UTF-16. The following 3 versions convert all back to 'g' 'i' 't' in UTF-8: a) UTF-16, without BOM, big endian: $ printf "\000g\000i\000t" | iconv -f UTF-16 -t UTF-8 | od -c 0000000 g i t b) UTF-16, with BOM, little endian: $ printf "\377\376g\000i\000t\000" | iconv -f UTF-16 -t UTF-8 | od -c 0000000 g i t c) UTF-16, with BOM, big endian: $ printf "\376\377\000g\000i\000t" | iconv -f UTF-16 -t UTF-8 | od -c 0000000 g i t Git uses libiconv to convert from UTF-8 in the index into ITF-16 in the working tree. After a checkout, the resulting file has a BOM and is encoded in "UTF-16", in the version (c) above. This is what iconv generates, more details follow below. iconv (and libiconv) can generate UTF-16, UTF-16LE or UTF-16BE: d) UTF-16 $ printf 'git' | iconv -f UTF-8 -t UTF-16 | od -c 0000000 376 377 \0 g \0 i \0 t e) UTF-16LE $ printf 'git' | iconv -f UTF-8 -t UTF-16LE | od -c 0000000 g \0 i \0 t \0 f) UTF-16BE $ printf 'git' | iconv -f UTF-8 -t UTF-16BE | od -c 0000000 \0 g \0 i \0 t There is no way to generate version (b) from above in a Git working tree, but that is what some applications need. (All fully unicode aware applications should be able to read all 3 variants, but in practise we are not there yet). When producing UTF-16 as an output, iconv generates the big endian version with a BOM. (big endian is probably chosen for historical reasons). iconv can produce UTF-16 files with little endianess by using "UTF-16LE" as encoding, and that file does not have a BOM. Not all users (especially under Windows) are happy with this. Some tools are not fully unicode aware and can only handle version (b). Today there is no way to produce version (b) with iconv (or libiconv). Looking into the history of iconv, it seems as if version (c) will be used in all future iconv versions (for compatibility reasons). Solve this dilemma and introduce a Git-specific "UTF-16LE-BOM". libiconv can not handle the encoding, so Git pick it up, handles the BOM and uses libiconv to convert the rest of the stream. (UTF-16BE-BOM is added for consistency) Rported-by: Adrián Gimeno Balaguer <adrigibal@gmail.com> Signed-off-by: Torsten Bögershausen <tboegi@web.de> Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Git - fast, scalable, distributed revision control system
Git is a fast, scalable, distributed revision control system with an unusually rich command set that provides both high-level operations and full access to internals.
Git is an Open Source project covered by the GNU General Public License version 2 (some parts of it are under different licenses, compatible with the GPLv2). It was originally written by Linus Torvalds with help of a group of hackers around the net.
Please read the file INSTALL for installation instructions.
Many Git online resources are accessible from https://git-scm.com/ including full documentation and Git related tools.
See Documentation/gittutorial.txt to get started, then see
Documentation/giteveryday.txt for a useful minimum set of commands, and
Documentation/git-.txt for documentation of each command.
If git has been correctly installed, then the tutorial can also be
read with man gittutorial or git help tutorial, and the
documentation of each command with man git-<commandname> or git help <commandname>.
CVS users may also want to read Documentation/gitcvs-migration.txt
(man gitcvs-migration or git help cvs-migration if git is
installed).
The user discussion and development of Git take place on the Git mailing list -- everyone is welcome to post bug reports, feature requests, comments and patches to git@vger.kernel.org (read Documentation/SubmittingPatches for instructions on patch submission). To subscribe to the list, send an email with just "subscribe git" in the body to majordomo@vger.kernel.org. The mailing list archives are available at https://public-inbox.org/git/, http://marc.info/?l=git and other archival sites.
Issues which are security relevant should be disclosed privately to the Git Security mailing list git-security@googlegroups.com.
The maintainer frequently sends the "What's cooking" reports that list the current status of various development topics to the mailing list. The discussion following them give a good reference for project status, development direction and remaining tasks.
The name "git" was given by Linus Torvalds when he wrote the very first version. He described the tool as "the stupid content tracker" and the name as (depending on your mood):
- random three-letter combination that is pronounceable, and not actually used by any common UNIX command. The fact that it is a mispronunciation of "get" may or may not be relevant.
- stupid. contemptible and despicable. simple. Take your pick from the dictionary of slang.
- "global information tracker": you're in a good mood, and it actually works for you. Angels sing, and a light suddenly fills the room.
- "goddamn idiotic truckload of sh*t": when it breaks