grove

KO | EN

gitlite — search

#typescript #ai-agents #ai #dsh-plugin #deepseek-harness #open-source #claude-code #codex #cli #developer-tools #react #windows

★ 51 Open GitHub ↗

A fast, intuitive CLI that makes Git worktrees as simple as switching branches.

// repository documentation

Was this content helpful?

★ 0 (0 ratings)

# 🌳 Grove

[![GitHub release](https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/sQVe/grove?style=flat-square)](https://github.com/sQVe/grove/releases/latest)
[![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue.svg?style=flat-square)](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sQVe/grove/main/LICENSE)

_A fast, intuitive CLI that makes Git worktrees as simple as switching branches._

**Without Grove:**

```bash
git clone --bare git@github.com:org/repo.git .bare
echo "gitdir: ./.bare" > .git
git worktree add main
cd main
cp ../other-worktree/.env . # Don't forget this
npm install                 # Or this
# Later: cd ../feat-auth to switch
```

**With Grove:**

```bash
grove clone git@github.com:org/repo
grove add feat/auth --switch # .env copied, hooks run automatically
grove switch main            # Just like git checkout, but each branch keeps its own directory
```

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/27f3c1f4-ff58-471e-87a3-8fd0c32ad474

> [!NOTE]
> Grove is under active development. Core functionality is stable, but APIs may change between major versions.

---

<details>
<summary>New to worktrees?</summary>

Git worktrees let you work on multiple branches simultaneously in separate directories. No stashing. No "wrong branch" mistakes. Your work stays exactly where you left it.

The catch: `git worktree` is clunky. Grove makes it feel like `git checkout` — but each branch gets its own persistent directory.

</details>

## 📋 Requirements

- **Git 2.48+** — Grove uses `--relative-paths` for portable worktrees

## 📦 Installation

### Quick install (Linux/macOS)

```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sQVe/grove/main/install.sh | sh
```

### Go install

```bash
go install github.com/sqve/grove/cmd/grove@latest
```

### From source

```bash
git clone https://github.com/sQVe/grove && cd grove
go build -o grove ./cmd/grove
sudo mv grove /usr/local/bin/
```

### Package managers

Download `.deb` or `.rpm` packages from [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/sQVe/grove/releases/latest).

### Optional: GitHub CLI

Grove works without additional dependencies, but installing the [GitHub CLI](https://cli.github.com/) (`gh`) enables enhanced features:

- **PR worktrees**: Create worktrees from pull requests with `grove add --pr 123` or `grove clone https://github.com/owner/repo/pull/123`
- **Squash-merge detection**: `grove prune` accurately detects branches merged via GitHub's squash-and-merge, even with multiple commits. Without `gh`, only single-commit squash merges are detected via git.

See [GitHub CLI installation](https://github.com/cli/cli#installation) for setup instructions.

## 🔧 Setup

### Shell Integration (Required)

Without this, `grove switch` only prints a path — you'd have to `cd` manually. Add to your shell config:

```bash
# bash (~/.bashrc) or zsh (~/.zshrc)
eval "$(grove switch shell-init)"

# fish (~/.config/fish/config.fish)
grove switch shell-init | source

# powershell ($PROFILE)
grove switch shell-init | Invoke-Expression
```

### Shell Completion

Tab completion for commands, flags, and worktree names.

```bash
# bash
eval "$(grove completion bash)"

# zsh
eval "$(grove completion zsh)"

# fish
grove completion fish | source

# powershell
grove completion powershell | Invoke-Expression
```

## 🚀 Quick Start

```bash
# Clone a repository
grove clone https://github.com/owner/repo
cd repo

# Start a feature
grove add feat/auth --switch

# Check your worktrees
grove list

# Switch back to main
grove switch main

# Clean up when done
grove remove feat/auth --branch
```

## 📗 Commands

<details>
<summary><code>grove clone &lt;url&gt; [directory]</code></summary>

Clone a repository into a Grove workspace.

**Flags:**

- `--branches <list>` — Comma-separated branches to create worktrees for
- `--shallow` — Shallow clone (depth=1)
- `-v, --verbose` — Show git output

**Examples:**

```bash
grove clone https://github.com/owner/repo
grove clone https://github.com/owner/repo my-project
grove clone https://github.com/owner/repo --branches main,develop
grove clone https://github.com/owner/repo/pull/123 # Clone and checkout PR
```

</details>

<details>
<summary><code>grove init new [directory]</code> / <code>grove init convert</code></summary>

Initialize a Grove workspace.

**Subcommands:**

- `new [directory]` — Create new workspace
- `convert` — Convert existing repository

**Flags (convert):**

- `--branches <list>` — Additional branches to create worktrees for
- `-v, --verbose` — Show git output

**Examples:**

```bash
grove init new my-project
grove init convert
grove init convert --branches develop,staging
```

</details>

<details>
<summary><code>grove add [branch|PR-URL|ref]</code></summary>

Add a worktree for a branch, pull request, or ref.

**Flags:**

- `-s, --switch` — Switch to worktree after creating
- `--base <branch>` — Create new branch from base instead of HEAD
- `--name <name>` — Custom directory name
- `-d, --detach` — Detached HEAD state
- `--pr <number>` — Create worktree for a pull request
- `--from <worktree>` — Source worktree for file preservation (name or branch)
- `--reset` — Reset diverged PR branch to match remote (use with `--pr`)

**Examples:**

```bash
grove add feat/auth
grove add feat/auth --switch
grove add --base main feat/auth
grove add --pr 123             # PR by number
grove add --pr 123 --reset     # PR, discarding local commits
grove add --detach v1.0.0      # Tag in detached HEAD
grove add --from dev feat/auth # Copy .env from dev worktree
```

</details>

<details>
<summary><code>grove switch &lt;worktree&gt;</code></summary>

Switch to a worktree by directory or branch name.

Requires shell integration (see Setup section).

**Examples:**

```bash
grove switch main
grove switch feat-auth
grove switch feat/auth
```

</details>

<details>
<summary><code>grove list</code></summary>

List all worktrees with status.

**Flags:**

- `--fast` — Skip remote sync checks
- `--filter <status>` — Filter by: `dirty`, `ahead`, `behind`, `gone`, `locked`
- `--json` — JSON output
- `-v, --verbose` — Show paths and upstreams

**Examples:**

```bash
grove list
grove list --fast
grove list --filter dirty
grove list --filter ahead,behind
grove list --json
```

</details>

<details>
<summary><code>grove status</code></summary>

Show current worktree status.

**Flags:**

- `-v, --verbose` — Show all diagnostic sections
- `--json` — JSON output

**Examples:**

```bash
grove status
grove status --verbose
```

</details>

<details>
<summary><code>grove remove &lt;worktree&gt;...</code></summary>

Remove one or more worktrees.

**Flags:**

- `-f, --force` — Remove even if dirty or locked
- `--branch` — Also delete the branch

**Examples:**

```bash
grove remove feat-auth
grove remove feat-auth --branch
grove remove --force wip
grove remove feat-auth bugfix-123 # Remove multiple
```

</details>

<details>
<summary><code>grove move &lt;worktree&gt; &lt;new-branch&gt;</code></summary>

Rename a branch and its worktree.

**Examples:**

```bash
grove move feat/old feat/new
```

</details>

<details>
<summary><code>grove lock &lt;worktree&gt;...</code></summary>

Lock one or more worktrees to prevent removal.

**Flags:**

- `--reason <text>` — Reason for locking

**Examples:**

```bash
grove lock main
grove lock release --reason "Production release"
grove lock feat-auth bugfix-123 # Lock multiple
```

</details>

<details>
<summary><code>grove unlock &lt;worktree&gt;...</code></summary>

Unlock one or more worktrees.

**Examples:**

```bash
grove unlock feat-auth
grove unlock feat-auth bugfix-123 # Unlock multiple
```

</details>

<details>
<summary><code>grove prune</code></summary>

Remove worktrees with deleted upstream branches. Dry-run by default.

When removing worktrees whose upstream was deleted on remote, local branches are also deleted.

**Flags:**

- `--commit` — Actually remove (default is dry-run)
- `-f, --force` — Remove even if dirty, locked, or unpushed
- `--stale <duration>` — Include inactive worktrees (e.g., `30d`, `2w`)
- `--merged` — Include branches merged into default branch
- `--detached` — Include detached worktrees

**Examples:**

```bash
grove prune          # Dry-run
grove prune --commit # Actually remove
grove prune --stale 30d --commit
grove prune --merged --commit
grove prune --detached --commit
```

</details>

<details>
<summary><code>grove exec [worktrees...] -- &lt;command&gt;</code></summary>

Execute a command in worktrees.

**Flags:**

- `-a, --all` — Execute in all worktrees
- `--fail-fast` — Stop on first failure

**Examples:**

```bash
grove exec --all -- npm install
grove exec main feat-auth -- git pull
grove exec --all --fail-fast -- go build
grove exec --all -- bash -c "npm install && npm test"
```

</details>

<details>
<summary><code>grove config &lt;subcommand&gt;</code></summary>

Manage configuration.

**Subcommands:**

- `list` — Show all settings
- `get <key>` — Get value
- `set <key> <value>` — Set value (requires `--shared` or `--global`)
- `unset <key>` — Remove setting (requires `--shared` or `--global`)
- `init` — Create `.grove.toml` template

**Flags:**

- `--shared` — Target `.grove.toml`
- `--global` — Target git config

**Examples:**

```bash
grove config list
grove config get preserve.patterns
grove config set --global plain true
grove config set --shared autolock.patterns "main,release/*"
grove config init
```

</details>

<details>
<summary><code>grove doctor</code></summary>

Diagnose workspace issues.

**Flags:**

- `--fix` — Auto-fix safe issues
- `--json` — JSON output
- `--perf` — Disk space analysis

**Detects:**

- Dependency versions (Git 2.48+, optional gh CLI)
- Broken `.git` pointers
- Stale worktree entries
- Unreachable remotes
- Invalid `.grove.toml` syntax
- Hook commands not found in PATH
- Stale lock files

**Examples:**

```bash
grove doctor
grove doctor --fix
grove doctor --perf
```

</details>

## ⚙ Configuration

Grove uses a two-layer configuration system:

- **`.grove.toml`** — Team settings (checked into repository)
- **Git config** (`~/.gitconfig`) — Personal settings

Run `grove config init` to create a `.grove.toml` template.

<details>
<summary>Default configuration</summary>

```toml
# Grove - Git worktree management
# https://github.com/sqve/grove

[preserve]
# Files to copy from the current worktree when creating a new one.
# Useful for environment files and local configuration that shouldn't be in git.
# Supports glob patterns. These patterns override git config grove.preserve.
patterns = [
  ".env",
  ".env.keys",
  ".env.local",
  ".env.*.local",
  ".envrc",
  ".grove.toml",
  "docker-compose.override.yml",
]

# Path segments to exclude from preservation.
# Files containing any of these path segments will be skipped.
exclude = [
  # Caches
  ".cache",
  "__pycache__",

# Build output
  "build",
  "coverage",
  "dist",
  "out",
  "target",

# Dependencies
  ".venv",
  "node_modules",
  "vendor",
  "venv",
]

[link]
# Directories to symlink from the source worktree when creating a new one.
# Useful for sharing tool state (e.g., .claude) across worktrees.
# Matched against directory names in the worktree root.
# Creates relative symlinks so the workspace remains portable.
patterns = []

[hooks]
# Shell commands to run after creating a worktree.
# Runs sequentially, stops on first failure.
# Examples: ["npm install"], ["go mod download", "make setup"]
add = []

[autolock]
# Branch patterns to automatically lock when creating worktrees.
# Locked worktrees are protected from accidental deletion.
# Supports exact matches and trailing /* wildcards (e.g., "release/*").
patterns = ["develop", "main", "master"]

# Use Nerd Font icons in output (when not in plain mode).
nerd_fonts = true

# Threshold for marking worktrees as stale (no commits within this period).
# Format: number followed by d (days), w (weeks), or m (months).
stale_threshold = "30d"

# Disable colors and symbols in output.
plain = false

# Enable debug logging.
debug = false
```

</details>

## Recipes

### Git hooks managers

[Husky](https://typicode.github.io/husky/) and [lefthook](https://github.com/evilmartians/lefthook) set `core.hooksPath` to a relative path (`.husky` or `.lefthook`). In a bare worktree setup, this config is shared across all worktrees via `.bare/config`. The relative path resolves correctly from any worktree because the directory exists in every checkout. Re-run the installer after worktree creation to ensure the path is set:

<details>
<summary>Husky</summary>

```toml
[hooks]
add = ["npm install", "npx husky"]
```

</details>

<details>
<summary>lefthook</summary>

```toml
[hooks]
add = ["lefthook install"]
```

</details>

[pre-commit](https://pre-commit.com/) writes hook scripts directly into the git hooks directory (`.bare/hooks/`), which is shared by all worktrees. Run `pre-commit install` once from any worktree — no Grove hook needed.

### Next.js shared build caches

Next.js build output (`.next`) and Turborepo cache (`.turbo`) can be shared across worktrees to avoid redundant rebuilds. Never symlink `node_modules/` — it contains absolute paths and branch-specific dependency versions.

```toml
[link]
patterns = [".next", ".turbo"]
```

### Rust shared target directory

Rust `target/` directories consume significant disk space. Sharing via symlink avoids duplicate compilation across worktrees.

```toml
[link]
patterns = ["target"]
```

Parallel `cargo build` across worktrees sharing the same target directory will serialize on file locks.

### AI coding tools

AI coding tools store local configuration in git-ignored files that are lost in new worktrees. Preserve them to carry project context and settings across worktrees.

```toml
[preserve]
patterns = [
  "CLAUDE.local.md",
  ".claude/settings.local.json",
  ".aider.conf.yml",
  ".copilot/config.json",
]
```

These patterns are additive — they extend the default preserve patterns, not replace them.

## 🤝 Contributing

Contributions welcome! See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for development setup and guidelines.

grove

Explore Similar Repositories

Was this content helpful?

Recent Feedback

Download README