# git-merge-base(1) Manual Page

## NAME

git-merge-base - Find as good common ancestors as possible for a merge

## SYNOPSIS

git-merge-base [--all] <commit> <commit>

## DESCRIPTION

"git-merge-base" finds as good a common ancestor as possible between the two commits. That is, given two commits A and B git-merge-base A B will output a commit which is reachable from both A and B through the parent relationship.

Given a selection of equally good common ancestors it should not be relied on to decide in any particular way.

The "git-merge-base" algorithm is still in flux - use the source…

## OPTIONS

--all

  Output all common ancestors for the two commits instead of just one.

## Author

Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org>

## Documentation

Documentation by David Greaves, Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.

## GIT

Part of the git(1) suite