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+git-symbolic-ref(1)
+===================
+
+NAME
+----
+git-symbolic-ref - read and modify symbolic refs
+
+SYNOPSIS
+--------
+'git-symbolic-ref' <name> [<ref>]
+
+DESCRIPTION
+-----------
+Given one argument, reads which branch head the given symbolic
+ref refers to and outputs its path, relative to the `.git/`
+directory.  Typically you would give `HEAD` as the <name>
+argument to see on which branch your working tree is on.
+
+Give two arguments, create or update a symbolic ref <name> to
+point at the given branch <ref>.
+
+Traditionally, `.git/HEAD` is a symlink pointing at
+`refs/heads/master`.  When we want to switch to another branch,
+we did `ln -sf refs/heads/newbranch .git/HEAD`, and when we want
+to find out which branch we are on, we did `readlink .git/HEAD`.
+This was fine, and internally that is what still happens by
+default, but on platforms that do not have working symlinks,
+or that do not have the `readlink(1)` command, this was a bit
+cumbersome.  On some platforms, `ln -sf` does not even work as
+advertised (horrors).
+
+A symbolic ref can be a regular file that stores a string that
+begins with `ref: refs/`.  For example, your `.git/HEAD` *can*
+be a regular file whose contents is `ref: refs/heads/master`.
+This can be used on a filesystem that does not support symbolic
+links.  Instead of doing `readlink .git/HEAD`, `git-symbolic-ref
+HEAD` can be used to find out which branch we are on.  To point
+the HEAD to `newbranch`, instead of `ln -sf refs/heads/newbranch
+.git/HEAD`, `git-symbolic-ref HEAD refs/heads/newbranch` can be
+used.
+
+Currently, .git/HEAD uses a regular file symbolic ref on Cygwin,
+and everywhere else it is implemented as a symlink.  This can be
+changed at compilation time.
+
+Author
+------
+Written by Junio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net>
+
+GIT
+---
+Part of the gitlink:git[7] suite