Terminal: Do you have recommendation of a tool where is possible see the git branches (history)?

FOSS Applications/Projects
1

Hello Friends

About Git working in a Terminal

  • Do you have recommendation of a tool where is possible see the git branches (history)?

Again, It in the terminal being TUI (Terminal User Interface) or not

Thanks in advance

2

I have not used it but saw something called “tig”.

On Ubuntu:
sudo apt install tig

Not sure if that’s what you are looking for or not.

3

I found something call Lazygit.

4

Tig is really great.

5

not sure about git branch’s history - but - I use ZSH shell an oh-my-ZSH - many of the oh-my-ZSH themes show a whole bunch of git information in the prompt if you’re in a folder that’s managed by git (i.e. probably looks for a .git folder)…

Some themes give a whole heap of info - others - like the one I use gnzh - show the barest - e.g. if I cd to a dir that’s part (or was once) a git repo you get ‹main*› added to your shell prompt :

Screenshot 2026-06-02 at 2.20.21 pm
Screenshot 2026-06-02 at 2.20.21 pm818Ă—300 57.2 KB

Then I cd to a folder that was from a “git clone”
Screenshot 2026-06-02 at 2.40.58 pm
Screenshot 2026-06-02 at 2.40.58 pm854Ă—278 58.4 KB

There are other oh-my-zsh themes that show a lot more info about the git repo you’re navigating…

I can’t remember what ZSH looks like without oh-my-zsh…

I think fish shell also (or can) have similar features…

I don’t use fish shell (I think @Rosika uses it - some distros default to fish shell). But I use zsh and oh-my-zsh :

There’s a library of themes and “screenshots” - and some of them show a lot more info about the git information in your $PWD (current working directory)…

6

git log --oneline --graph

7

OK, nobody really needs tig. But there is more comfort with it, as it can show the diffs while browsing the log.

8

Every time you choose one of these addon extras, you introduce another layer of bugs and complexity.

9

What still would be nice to have is a terminal tool for rebasing.

10

What does rebasing mean?

11

Rewriting the history with git rebase -i or moving/attaching a branch elsewhere.

12

Huge thanks to all for the replies

Tim

I have not used it but saw something called “tig”.

Thanks for that suggestion. I arrived to the Tig: text-mode interface for Git page

Now, because at the Tig Screenshots page is available the The revision graph Figure which opens the The revision graph Figure (at flickr): I selected your post as solution

Howard

I found something call Lazygit.

Excellent suggestion too (sadly I can’t mark it as solution too). I arrived to the lazygit page

Dan

but - I use ZSH shell an oh-my-ZSH

The Oh My ZSH “shell” is in my TODO list yet. I watched some videos on YouTube and is very useful

Neville

git log --oneline --graph

I have the following alias :beer_mug:

  • adog = log --all --decorate --oneline --graph

So I use the git adog command

The comparison is quicker

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

But is curious, the outputs are the same. I am assuming there is a special case to see their difference

Thanks to all!!!

13

Well, --all means all branches. If you have only one branch (master/main or whatever), the output will not differ. And in this case, --graph is superfluous.

14

Well, --all means all branches. If you have only one branch (master/main or whatever), the output will not differ.

Oh correct, good point!