Remotes Overview

# 1) Inspect existing remotes
git remote
git remote -v                                     # with URLs
# origin  git@github.com:me/myapp.git (fetch)
# origin  git@github.com:me/myapp.git (push)

# 2) Add a remote
git remote add origin git@github.com:me/myapp.git
git remote add upstream https://github.com/upstream/repo.git

# 3) Change the URL
git remote set-url origin git@github.com:me/myapp-renamed.git
git remote set-url --push origin git@github.com:me/myapp.git    # different fetch/push URLs

# 4) Rename / remove
git remote rename origin upstream
git remote remove old-fork

# 5) Fetch — bring down refs without merging
git fetch origin                                  # all branches + tags
git fetch origin main                              # one branch
git fetch --all                                    # every remote
git fetch --prune                                  # delete local refs for branches deleted upstream

# 6) Pull — fetch + merge (or rebase)
git pull                                          # current branch's tracked upstream
git pull origin main
git pull --rebase                                  # rebase your work on top instead of merging

# Set rebase by default (cleaner history):
git config --global pull.rebase true

# 7) Push
git push                                          # current branch to its upstream
git push origin main
git push origin HEAD:feature/new                   # push current HEAD to a remote branch
git push -u origin feature/new                     # set tracking on first push
git push --tags                                    # tags
git push origin --delete feature/done             # delete a remote branch

# Force push — DANGEROUS, use --force-with-lease
git push --force-with-lease                       # refuses if remote moved
git push --force                                   # blind overwrite — only on personal branches

# 8) Tracking branches — local branch knows its remote counterpart
git branch -vv                                    # see tracking + last commit
git branch -u origin/main main
git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/feature/x feature/x

# 9) Multiple remotes — fork workflow
# You forked someone's repo:
git remote add origin   git@github.com:you/repo.git              # your fork
git remote add upstream git@github.com:original/repo.git         # the source

git fetch upstream
git rebase upstream/main                          # sync your branch with upstream
git push                                          # push to your fork

# 10) Different remotes for fetch vs push
# Read from a fast mirror, write to the canonical repo
git remote set-url --push origin git@github.com:me/repo.git
git remote set-url origin https://github.com/me/repo.git

# 11) Show a remote's details
git remote show origin
# * remote origin
#   Fetch URL: …
#   Push  URL: …
#   HEAD branch: main
#   Remote branches:
#     main                  tracked
#     feature/auth          tracked
#   Local branches configured for 'git pull':
#     main merges with remote main
#   Local refs configured for 'git push':
#     main pushes to main (up to date)

# 12) Prune stale refs (branches deleted on the remote)
git fetch --prune
git remote prune origin

# Auto-prune on fetch:
git config --global fetch.prune true

# 13) Mirror push — copy ALL refs (use for migrations)
git clone --mirror git@github.com:old/repo.git
cd repo.git
git remote set-url --push origin git@gitlab.com:new/repo.git
git push --mirror

# 14) Authentication
#   SSH (recommended):  ssh-keygen + add to GitHub/GitLab → git@host:user/repo.git
#   HTTPS + token:      git@... but using a Personal Access Token as password
#   Credential helper:  git config --global credential.helper osxkeychain | manager | cache --timeout=3600

# 15) Common pitfalls
#   • Pushing to the wrong remote (origin vs upstream) — re-check with 'git remote -v' before each push
#   • Forgetting --prune — local has stale tracking refs after teammate deletes a branch
#   • Pull without --rebase on a busy team — messy merge commits
#   • --force on shared branches — overwrites teammate's work
#   • Hardcoded production credentials in remote URL — use SSH or credential helper

# 16) Audit what you'd push (before pushing)
git log origin/main..HEAD                         # commits you have but origin doesn't
git diff origin/main..HEAD                        # diff of those commits

git remote -v
git remote add origin https://github.com/user/repo.git