very uncertain about this, but here goes!

gitconfig

@@ -1,32 +1,20 @@
 [user]
   name = user-name
   email = user-email
+[core]
+  excludesfile = userdirectory/.gitignore
+  editor = vim -c 'set ft=diff'
+  whitespace = fix
 [apply]
   whitespace = nowarn
-[alias]
-  ch = checkout
-  chb = checkout -b
-  co = commit
-  st = status
-  coa = commit -a
-  d = diff
-  pl = pull
-  pu = push
 [color]
   branch = auto
   diff = auto
   interactive = auto
   status = auto
   ui = auto
-[core]
-  excludesfile = userdirectory/.gitignore
-  editor = vim -c 'set ft=diff'
-  whitespace = fix
 [mirror]
   summary = true
-[merge]
-  summary = true
-  tool = opendiff
 [color "diff"]
   new = yellow
 [status]
@@ -35,7 +23,26 @@
   user = github-user
   token = github-token
 [push]
-  default = tracking
+  # simple = like upstream with an added safety to refuse to push if the
+  #          upstream branch’s name is different from the local one
+  # upstream = push the current branch back to the branch whose changes are
+  #            usually integrated into the current branch (which is called
+  #            `@{upstream}`)
+  default = simple
+[pull]
+  rebase = true
+[merge]
+  summary = true
+  tool = smerge
+[diff]
+  tool = smerge
+[mergetool "smerge"]
+  cmd = smerge mergetool "$BASE" "$LOCAL" "$REMOTE" "$MERGED" -o "$MERGED"
+  trustExitCode = true
+[difftool "smerge"]
+  cmd = smerge mergetool "$BASE" "$LOCAL" "$REMOTE"
+[mergetool]
+  keepBackup = false
 [credential]
   helper = osxkeychain
 [filter "ascr"]
@@ -48,5 +55,81 @@
   required = true
 [hub]
   protocol = ssh
+[alias]
+  t = status
+  a = add -p            # Adds changes chunk-by-chunk. Very handy.
+  aa = add -A           # Adds all changes.
+  co = checkout
+  cob = checkout -b     # Creates a new branch at the current location (e.g. `git cob new-branch`).
+  cop = checkout -p     # Resets changes chunk-by-chunk. Also very handy. (To instead reset file changes,
+                        # you can use `git co -- file1 folder2`, or `git co -- .` to reset them all.)
+  cm = commit -m        # Commit with message, e.g. `git cm "Whitespace fixes"`
+  ca = commit --amend   # Instead of making a new commit, updates the last commit.
+  cma = commit --all -m
+  rh = reset HEAD       # Resets changes you've staged with `git add`.
+                        # (This won't touch the files, and is very safe.)
+  p = push
+  l = pull
+  d = diff
+  f = fetch --prune     # Fetches remote branches, and removes deleted remote branches.
+
+  # Display with `git lg`, a prettier version of `git log` that shows branches.
+  # Highly recommended for knowing what's going on with the history.
+  lg = log --graph --all --pretty=format':%C(yellow)%h%Cred%d%Creset %s %C(white) %an, %ar%Creset'
+
+  # Branch management
+  pu = ! git push --set-upstream origin $(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)
+      # Pushes (and sets upstream) to a branch with the same name. Very handy for new branches.
+  db = branch -d  # Deletes a local branch. This will not let you delete a branch that isn't merged -
+                  # in that case you'll need `fdb` defined below.
+
+  # Scary branch management
+  fp = push --force  # 'Force push' overrides the remote branch. Take care with this one! Useful after rebasing.
+  fdb = branch -D    # Forcibly deletes a branch (e.g. `git fdb old-branch`). You can usually find it again
+                     # with `git reflog` if you notice quickly you made a mistake.
+  dbf = branch -D
+  mb = branch -f     # Forcibly moves a branch to the current location. Useful if you e.g. have origin/master
+                     # checked out, and want to move a branch there. Will lose the old branch!
+
+  # Merge things
+  mt = mergetool
+  dt = difftool
+  m = merge --no-ff     # Merges in another branch. Always creates a merge commit.
+  ff = merge --ff-only  # Fast-forwards to another branch. Will not merge or rebase.
+                        # (e.g. `git ff origin/master` will move your branch forward to match origin/master.)
+  ffm = merge --ff-only origin/master  # Specialized to origin/master.
+
+  # Rebase things
+  rb = rebase --preserve-merges  # The default way to move your commits on top of another branch.
+  rbm = rebase --preserve-merges origin/master  # Specialized to moving your changes on top of origin/master.
+  rbi = rebase -i  # An interactive rebase which lets you choose which commits to apply, and in which order. Very powerful.
+  rbmi = rebase -i origin/master  # Specialized to moving on top of origin/master.
+  rbim = rebase -i origin/master
+  cont = rebase --continue
+  abort = rebase --abort
+
+  # Working tree management
+  pop = stash pop
+
+  # Pretty unsafe
+  rhard = reset HEAD --hard     # Nukes all changes and resets everything to the current commit.
+  rhard1 = reset HEAD~1 --hard  # Nukes everything and moves to the previous commit.
+  rhard2 = reset HEAD~2 --hard  # Nukes everything and moves to the previous previous commit.
+  fcl = clean --force      # Deletes all untracked files (that aren't gitignored). Useful when you have junk lying around.
+  fcld = clean --force -d  # Deletes all untracked files and directories (that aren't gitignored). Irrecoverably.
+  ignore-unsafe = update-index --assume-unchanged  # Stops tracking changes to a file. Use with care.
+
+  # Submodules
+  su = submodule update --init --recursive  # Updates submodules, should you forced into that little corner of hell.
+  ll = ! git pull && git submodule update --recursive  # Pulls and updates submodules. (Does not initiliaze new ones.)
+
+  # Misc things
+  po = push origin  # To delete a branch, `git push origin :branch`, i.e. `git po :branch`.
+  com = checkout master
+  coom = checkout origin/master
+  cg = config --global  # Easily access global git configuration =)
+  cge = config --global --edit
+  mom = ! git checkout origin/master && git branch -f master && git checkout master
+      # "Move to origin/master" - moves the master branch there and checks it out.
 
 # vi:filetype=conf