diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
deleted file mode 100644
index c813fe11..00000000
--- a/VERSION
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-1.2.5
diff --git a/lib/git/base.rb b/lib/git/base.rb
index 5ad8906a..9129514e 100644
--- a/lib/git/base.rb
+++ b/lib/git/base.rb
@@ -181,8 +181,11 @@ def branches
     end
     
     # returns a Git::Branch object for branch_name
-    def branch(branch_name = 'master')
-      Git::Branch.new(self, branch_name)
+    # -- addition of options noticeably to implement
+    #    --t switch on 'git branch' command
+    def branch(branch_name = 'master', options={})
+    #
+      Git::Branch.new(self, branch_name, options[:track])
     end
     
     # returns +true+ if the branch exists locally
@@ -460,8 +463,11 @@ def revparse(objectish)
       self.lib.revparse(objectish)
     end
     
-    def ls_tree(objectish)
-      self.lib.ls_tree(objectish)
+    # -- addition of options noticeably to implement
+    #    a recursive ls_tree
+    def ls_tree(objectish, options={})
+    #
+      self.lib.ls_tree(objectish, options)
     end
     
     def cat_file(objectish)
diff --git a/lib/git/branch.rb b/lib/git/branch.rb
index 15101b33..01765e43 100644
--- a/lib/git/branch.rb
+++ b/lib/git/branch.rb
@@ -3,20 +3,25 @@ class Branch < Path
     
     attr_accessor :full, :remote, :name
     
-    def initialize(base, name)
+    # -- addition of track parameter for --t switch
+    def initialize(base, name, track=nil)
+    #
       @remote = nil
       @full = name
       @base = base
       @gcommit = nil
       @stashes = nil
       
-      parts = name.split('/')
-      if parts[1]
-        @remote = Git::Remote.new(@base, parts[0])
-        @name = parts[1]
-      else
-        @name = parts[0]
+      # -- addition of track attribute to implement
+      #    --t switch
+      @track = track
+      name, remote = name.split(' ').first.split('/').reverse
+      if remote
+        @remote = Git::Remote.new(@base, remote)
+        name = "#{remote}/#{name}"
       end
+      @name = name
+      #
     end
     
     def gcommit
@@ -93,7 +98,9 @@ def to_s
     private 
 
       def check_if_create
-        @base.lib.branch_new(@name) rescue nil
+        # -- addition of track attribute
+        @base.lib.branch_new(@name, @track) rescue nil
+        #
       end
       
       def determine_current
diff --git a/lib/git/lib.rb b/lib/git/lib.rb
index 52fb2e6c..b1dda932 100644
--- a/lib/git/lib.rb
+++ b/lib/git/lib.rb
@@ -50,10 +50,14 @@ def clone(repository, name, opts = {})
       arr_opts << "-o" << opts[:remote] if opts[:remote]
       arr_opts << "--depth" << opts[:depth].to_i if opts[:depth] && opts[:depth].to_i > 0
 
+      # -- allow processing of switches added as array elements
+      Array(opts[:switches]).each { |switch| arr_opts << switch }
+      #
+
       arr_opts << '--'
       arr_opts << repository
       arr_opts << clone_dir
-      
+
       command('clone', arr_opts)
       
       opts[:bare] ? {:repository => clone_dir} : {:working_directory => clone_dir}
@@ -72,7 +76,12 @@ def log_commits(opts = {})
       arr_opts << "--author=#{opts[:author]}" if opts[:author].is_a? String
       arr_opts << "#{opts[:between][0].to_s}..#{opts[:between][1].to_s}" if (opts[:between] && opts[:between].size == 2)
       arr_opts << opts[:object] if opts[:object].is_a? String
-      arr_opts << '--' << opts[:path_limiter] if opts[:path_limiter].is_a? String
+      
+      # -- always add '--' at the end of command line to allow git to
+      #    understand commands like 'git log `branch`'
+      arr_opts << '--'
+      arr_opts << opts[:path_limiter] if opts[:path_limiter].is_a? String
+      #
 
       command_lines('log', arr_opts, true).map { |l| l.split.first }
     end
@@ -87,7 +96,11 @@ def full_log_commits(opts = {})
       arr_opts << "--author=#{opts[:author]}" if opts[:author].is_a? String
       arr_opts << "#{opts[:between][0].to_s}..#{opts[:between][1].to_s}" if (opts[:between] && opts[:between].size == 2)
       arr_opts << opts[:object] if opts[:object].is_a? String
-      arr_opts << '--' << opts[:path_limiter] if opts[:path_limiter].is_a? String
+      
+      #
+      arr_opts << '--'
+      arr_opts << opts[:path_limiter] if opts[:path_limiter].is_a? String
+      #
       
       full_log = command_lines('log', arr_opts, true)
       process_commit_data(full_log)
@@ -167,10 +180,17 @@ def object_contents(sha, &block)
       command('cat-file', ['-p', sha], &block)
     end
 
-    def ls_tree(sha)
+    def ls_tree(sha, options={})
+      # -- implement recursive ls-tree
+      command_args = []
+      command_args << '-r' if options[:recursive]
+      command_args << sha
+      #
       data = {'blob' => {}, 'tree' => {}}
       
-      command_lines('ls-tree', sha).each do |line|
+      #
+      command_lines('ls-tree', command_args).each do |line|
+      #
         (info, filenm) = line.split("\t")
         (mode, type, sha) = info.split
         data[type][filenm] = {:mode => mode, :sha => sha}
@@ -287,6 +307,7 @@ def diff_index(treeish)
       command_lines('diff-index', treeish).each do |line|
         (info, file) = line.split("\t")
         (mode_src, mode_dest, sha_src, sha_dest, type) = info.split
+        type = 'A' if type == 'M' && sha_dest !~ /^0+$/
         hsh[file] = {:path => file, :mode_repo => mode_src.to_s[1, 7], :mode_index => mode_dest, 
                       :sha_repo => sha_src, :sha_index => sha_dest, :type => type}
       end
@@ -474,11 +495,15 @@ def stash_clear
     def stash_list
       command('stash list')
     end
-    
-    def branch_new(branch)
-      command('branch', branch)
+
+    # -- implement --t switch on git branch command
+    def branch_new(branch, track=nil)
+      options = [branch]
+      options << '--t' << track if track
+      command('branch', options)
     end
-    
+    #
+
     def branch_delete(branch)
       command('branch', ['-D', branch])
     end
@@ -486,8 +511,25 @@ def branch_delete(branch)
     def checkout(branch, opts = {})
       arr_opts = []
       arr_opts << '-f' if opts[:force]
-      arr_opts << '-b' << opts[:new_branch] if opts[:new_branch]
-      arr_opts << branch
+
+      # -- implementation of a working -b switch
+      #    for git checkout command
+      arr_opts << '-b' if opts[:new_branch]
+      # -- this push is legacy
+      #    i don't understand it and congratulate
+      #    myself not to try to and just leave it here
+      arr_opts << opts[:new_branch] if opts[:new_branch] && !opts[:new_branch].is_a?(TrueClass)
+      #
+
+      arr_opts << branch if branch
+
+      # -- we can 'git checkout `sha`' now
+      arr_opts << opts[:commit] if opts[:commit]
+      #
+      
+      # -- checkout paths
+      arr_opts.push '--', *opts[:files] if opts[:files]
+      #
       
       command('checkout', arr_opts)
     end
diff --git a/lib/git/log.rb b/lib/git/log.rb
index e0dba497..37af4712 100644
--- a/lib/git/log.rb
+++ b/lib/git/log.rb
@@ -90,6 +90,15 @@ def first
       @commits.first rescue nil
     end
     
+    # -- how come we have a first and not
+    #    a last ?
+    #    well, there you go now
+    def last
+      check_log
+      @commits.last rescue nil
+    end
+    #
+
     private 
     
       def dirty_log
diff --git a/lib/git/version.rb b/lib/git/version.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..368ab7ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/git/version.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+module Git
+  VERSION = "1.2.6"
+end
+
diff --git a/tests/all_tests.rb b/tests/all_tests.rb
index d671b240..2ca7f088 100644
--- a/tests/all_tests.rb
+++ b/tests/all_tests.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-Dir.chdir(File.dirname(__FILE__)) do
-  Dir.glob('**/test_*.rb') { |test_case| require test_case }
-  #Dir.glob('**/test_index.rb') { |test_case| require test_case }
+test_dir = File.dirname __FILE__
+
+Dir.chdir(test_dir) do
+  Dir.glob('**/test_*.rb') { |test_case| puts File.join(test_dir, test_case); require File.join(test_dir, test_case) }
 end