Remote - GradedJestRisk/git-training GitHub Wiki

A remote is a link (pointer) to another repository:

  • can be on the same machine
  • can be on another machine, accessed through network, eg. through GitHub account
An upstream branch is the remote branch linked with local branch.

WARNING: upstream is ambiguous because it also refers to revisions => commit's parents, or branch ancestor.

Table of Contents

Syntax

Overview:

  • list:
    • general git remote -v
    • detail: git remote show <REMOTE_NAME>
  • add: git remote add origin <URL>
  • change URL: git remote set-url origin <URL>

Register remote

Cloning a repository automatically:

  • create the remote;
  • set the upstream for all existing branches.
This is stored in .git/config file 
[remote "origin"]
        url = https://github.com/GradedJestRisk/git-training.wiki.git
        fetch = +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*
[branch "master"]
        remote = origin
        merge = refs/heads/master

git remote -v will show the remote's URL: 

origin	https://github.com/GradedJestRisk/git-training.wiki.git (fetch)
origin	https://github.com/GradedJestRisk/git-training.wiki.git (push)

git remote show <REMOTE_NAME> will show the remote's branches: 

* remote origin (..)
  HEAD branch: master
  Remote branch:
    master tracked
  Local branch configured for 'git pull':
    master merges with remote master
  Local ref configured for 'git push':
    master pushes to master (up to date)

Reading remote's branches

git fetch retrieve all changes on remote branches (including branhce creation). Fetch can fetch a specific branch on the remote and retrieve it on another branch locally:

  • git fetch <REMOTE_NAME> <REMOTE_BRANCH_NAME>:refs/remotes/origin/<REMOTE_BRANCH_NAME_ON_LOCAL
  • eg: git fetch origin master:refs/remotes/origin/mymaster

Writing remote's branches

When you create a branch locally, it doesn't exists yet in the remote. If you want to push it, you need to specify in which remote branch to push it.

git branch --set-upstream-to=<remote>/<branch> <branch> eg. git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/feature feature

Updating remote

git push updates remote refs using local refs.

Syntax is git push git <REMOTE_NAME> <BRANCH_NAME>

So, updating master branch on origin remote is git push origin master .

If you're already on master branch, and the remote is set for push, this can be shortened to git push.

If you want to push on another branch, use colon pattern on branch name <SOURCE>:<DESTINATION>

Full syntax is as follows git push git <REMOTE_NAME> <LOCAL_BRANCH_NAME>:<LOCAL_BRANCH_NAME> .

Example: Push master local branch to qa/master remote branch is git push origin master:refs/heads/qa/master

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