Liangxu Linux

Dec 27, 2023 · Fundamentals

Uncovering Git’s Hidden Mechanics: Index, Stash, Refs, and Merge Secrets

This article explains four often‑misunderstood Git internals—how the index, staging area, and --cached option are the same, how stash creates hidden commits, the variety of reference types beyond branches and tags, and why merge commits are not actually empty—using concrete commands and examples.