git history

People type this expecting log. Here's why, and what to actually use.

🎯 What & why

This is not a real Git command. People type it expecting git log. We're including a module precisely so you understand the misconception and learn the right tool.

🧠 Mental model

Git's history is the commit DAG. To traverse it on the command line, the verb is log (and its powerful flags --graph, --oneline, -p, -S). For a graphical view, gitk ships with Git. There is no git history subcommand.

🛠️ Synopsis

$ git history
git: 'history' is not a git command. See 'git --help'.

🎚️ Switches & options

Flag	What it does
`(none)`	There's nothing to flag — the command doesn't exist.

💡 Use cases

None — but recognizing the typo earns you 30 seconds back.

🧪 Examples

What you probably meant.

$ git log --oneline --graph --decorate --all

If you wanted the GUI.

$ gitk --all

If you wanted commits touching a file.

$ git log --follow -- src/main.c

🎓 Recommendations

Alias git history='git log --oneline --graph --decorate --all' if the muscle memory is too strong to fix.
Read the log module — it's the actual command.

🪤 Common pitfalls

Stack Overflow answers will sometimes write git history colloquially. They mean git log.
Some Git GUIs label their log view 'History'. That's their UI, not a git command.

🔗 Related modules

📝 Quiz

Hit each option, then Check answers. Score is recorded; Next is always open.