How to change the remote a branch is tracking?
GitGit Problem Overview
The central repository had to be set up on a new server, so I created a new remote on my local repo, and pushed to that.
But now when I do git pull, it claims I am up to date. It's wrong—it's telling me about the old remote branch, not the new one, which I know for a fact has new commits to fetch.
How do I change my local branch to track a different remote?
I can see this in the git config file but I don't want to mess things up.
[branch "master"]
remote = oldserver
merge = refs/heads/master
Git Solutions
Solution 1 - Git
Using git v1.8.0 or later:
git branch branch_name --set-upstream-to your_new_remote/branch_name
Or you can use the -u switch
git branch branch_name -u your_new_remote/branch_name
Using git v1.7.12 or earlier
git branch --set-upstream branch_name your_new_remote/branch_name
Solution 2 - Git
For me the fix was:
git remote set-url origin https://some_url/some_repo
Then:
git push
Solution 3 - Git
With an up to date git (2.5.5) the command is the following :
git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/branch
This will update the remote tracked branch for your current local branch
Solution 4 - Git
Another option to have a lot of control over what's happening is to edit your configurations by hand:
git config --edit
or the shorthand
git config -e
Then edit the file at will, save and your modifications will be applied.
Solution 5 - Git
If you're sane about it, editing the config file's safe enough. If you want to be a little more paranoid, you can use the porcelain command to modify it:
git config branch.master.remote newserver
Of course, if you look at the config before and after, you'll see that it did exactly what you were going to do.
But in your individual case, what I'd do is:
git remote rename origin old-origin
git remote rename new-origin origin
That is, if the new server is going to be the canonical remote, why not call it origin as if you'd originally cloned from it?
Solution 6 - Git
This is the easiest command:
git push --set-upstream <new-origin> <branch-to-track>
For example, given the command git remote -v produces something like:
origin ssh://gi[email protected]/~myself/projectr.git (fetch)
origin ssh://gi[email protected]/~myself/projectr.git (push)
team ssh://gi[email protected]/vbs/projectr.git (fetch)
team ssh://gi[email protected]/vbs/projectr.git (push)
To change to tracking the team instead:
git push --set-upstream team master
Solution 7 - Git
git fetch origin
git checkout --track -b local_branch_name origin/branch_name
or
git fetch
git checkout -b local_branch_name origin/branch_name
Solution 8 - Git
You could either delete your current branch and do:
git branch --track local_branch remote_branch
Or change change remote server to the current one in the config
Solution 9 - Git
Based on what I understand from the latest git documentation, the synopsis is:
git branch -u upstream-branch local-branch
git branch --set-upstream-to=upstream-branch local-branch
This usage seems to be a bit different than urschrei's answer, as in his the synopsis is:
git branch local-branch -u upstream-branch
git branch local-branch --set-upstream-to=upstream-branch
I'm guessing they changed the documentation again?
Solution 10 - Git
I've found @critikaster's post helpful, except that I had to perform these commands with GIT 2.21:
$ git remote set-url origin https://some_url/some_repo
$ git push --set-upstream origin master
Solution 11 - Git
Based on the git documentation the best way is:
- be sure the actual origin path:
> git remote -v
- Then make the change with:
> git remote set-url origin
where url-repository is the same URL that we get from the clone option.
Solution 12 - Git
In latest git version like 2.7.4,
git checkout branch_name #branch name which you want to change tracking branch
git branch --set-upstream-to=upstream/tracking_branch_name #upstream - remote name
Solution 13 - Git
the easiest way is to simply push to the new branch:
> git push -u origin branch/name
Solution 14 - Git
After trying the above and searching, searching, etc. I realized none of my changes were on the server that were on my local branch and Visual Studio in Team Explorer did not indicate this branch tracked a remote branch. The remote branch was there, so it should have worked. I ended up deleting the remote branch on github and 're' Push my local branch that had my changes that were not being tracked for an unknown reason.
By deleting the remote branch and 're' Push my local branch that was not being tracked, the local branch was re-created on git hub. I tried to this at the command prompt (using Windows) I could not get my local branch to track the remote branch until I did this. Everything is back to normal.