plurigrid jj
Git-compatible next-generation VCS with first-class conflicts, anonymous branches, and operation log undo.
Trit: +1 (PLUS) — Generator role: creates new changes fluidly without staging friction
Overview
Jujutsu (jj) wraps or replaces Git with a superior mental model:
- No staging area — working copy is always a commit, auto-snapshotted
- First-class conflicts — conflicts are values in the tree, not blockers
- Operation log — every repo mutation is logged and undoable (
jj undo) - Revsets — algebraic revision language for selecting/filtering commits
- Colocated mode — works on existing
.gitrepos alongsidegitCLI
Installation
# macOS
brew install jujutsu
# Nix
nix profile install nixpkgs#jujutsu
# Cargo
cargo install --locked jj-cli
# flox
flox install jujutsu
Setup
jj config set --user user.name "Your Name"
jj config set --user user.email "you@example.com"
# Initialize in existing git repo (colocated)
jj git init --colocate
# Clone from remote
jj git clone <url>
Core Workflow
# Working copy is always @ (current change)
jj status # what's changed in @
jj diff # show diff of @
jj log # commit graph with change + commit IDs
# Describe current change
jj describe -m "Add feature" # alias: jj desc
# Finish current change, start new empty one
jj new # start fresh on top of @
jj new -m "next task" # with message
jj commit -m "msg" # describe @ then create new on top (like git commit)
# Navigate
jj prev # move to parent
jj next # move to child
jj edit <change-id> # switch to editing a specific change
Bookmarks (Branches)
# Create bookmark at current change
jj bookmark create <name>
jj bookmark set -r @ <name> # point bookmark to @
# List bookmarks
jj bookmark list
# Track remote bookmark
jj bookmark track main@origin
# Delete
jj bookmark delete <name>
Rewriting History
# Squash @ into parent
jj squash
# Squash into specific change
jj squash --into <change-id>
# Split current change into multiple
jj split
# Edit an earlier change (auto-rebases descendants)
jj edit <change-id>
# Rebase onto another change
jj rebase -d main
# Absorb — auto-distribute hunks to matching earlier commits
jj absorb
# Abandon (discard) a change
jj abandon <change-id>
Git Interop
# Fetch from remote
jj git fetch
# Push bookmark to remote
jj git push -b <bookmark> --allow-new
# Push change by ID (auto-creates bookmark)
jj git push --change <change-id>
# Import/export between jj and git views
jj git import
jj git export
Revsets
Algebraic expressions for selecting revisions:
@ # current working copy
@- # parent of @
main # bookmark named "main"
mine() # changes authored by you
bookmarks() # all bookmarked changes
trunk() # main trunk bookmark
# Composition
@:: # @ and all descendants
..@ # all ancestors of @
main..@ # changes between main and @
bookmarks() & ~remote_bookmarks() # local-only bookmarks
# Use in commands
jj log -r 'mine() & ~main'
jj rebase -d 'trunk()'
Conflicts
Jujutsu treats conflicts as first-class tree values:
# Conflicts don't block work — they're recorded in the commit
jj status # shows conflicted files
jj resolve <file> # open merge tool
jj resolve --list # list conflicted files
# Rebase through conflicts, resolve later
jj rebase -d main # may create conflict commit
jj edit <conflicted> # go fix it
# ... resolve files ...
jj squash # clean up
Operations & Undo
jj undo # undo last operation
jj op log # show all operations
jj op restore <op-id> # restore to specific operation
Workspaces
jj workspace add ../ws2 # create additional workspace
jj workspace list
jj workspace update-stale # sync after external changes
Useful Aliases
Add to ~/.config/jj/config.toml:
[aliases]
fetch = ["git", "fetch"]
push = ["git", "push", "--allow-new"]
tug = ["bookmark", "move", "--from", "heads(::@- & bookmarks())", "--to", "@-"]
mine = ["bookmark", "list", "-r", "mine()"]
GitHub Workflow
# Start feature from trunk
jj new main -m "Add widget"
# ... make changes ...
jj bookmark create -r @ feature-widget
jj git push -b feature-widget --allow-new
# → create PR on GitHub
# Address review feedback
jj edit <change-id> # go back to the change
# ... fix ...
jj new # back to tip
jj git push -b feature-widget
# Sync with upstream
jj git fetch
jj rebase -d main
GH CLI Integration
For non-colocated repos, set GIT_DIR:
export GIT_DIR=$PWD/.jj/repo/store/git
gh pr list # now works in jj repos
Or via .envrc with direnv:
export GIT_DIR=$PWD/.jj/repo/store/git
Triadic Composition
jj (+1) + pijul (-1) + gh (0) = 0 ✓
Generator Validator Coordinator
jj generates new changes fluidly, pijul validates patch-theoretic correctness, gh coordinates with GitHub remotes.