Git Remotes: Fun Commands You Can Use

Commands discussed in this section:

• git branch
• git remote
• git ls-remote
• git fetch
• git pull

List remote-tracking branches

$ git branch -r
  origin/HEAD -> origin/master
  origin/master
  origin/test
  qa/master
  qa/test

List all branches:

$ git branch -a
* master
  remotes/origin/HEAD -> origin/master
  remotes/origin/master
  remotes/origin/test

List only local, working branches:

$ git branch
* master

Show basic information about the default remote

$ git remote -v
origin  file:///home/gitadmin/project1.git (fetch)
origin  file:///home/gitadmin/project1.git (push)

Show a lot about a remote

$ git remote show origin
* remote origin
  Fetch URL: file:///home/gitadmin/project1.git
  Push  URL: file:///home/gitadmin/project1.git
  HEAD branch: master
  Remote branches:
    master tracked
    test   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)

Dig around remote repositories

Show the references in a remote repository and their hash:

$ git ls-remote origin
8dc59a3c60b5dd12605d0a647b4921b5410b820f    HEAD
8dc59a3c60b5dd12605d0a647b4921b5410b820f    refs/heads/master
a402bc61da05d2c9dc6dc6307dcffe12a1fb8045    refs/heads/test

$ git ls-remote git://git.debian.org/collab-maint/usplash.git
ee17d863ceab06e408e8b051244b7202ae4075f7        HEAD
ee17d863ceab06e408e8b051244b7202ae4075f7        refs/heads/master
f0847d378161de510b49654746f551482240901f        refs/heads/upstream
7f5b189dc1c67bb5ff33ca2d4f616336baa8fb4c        refs/tags/0.5.19-1
...

The first example, refers to a remote repository named origin and the second above specifies the completely URL of the remote repository.

Add a remote repository

$ git remote add qa git://qaserver/round1
$ git fetch qa
From git://qaserver/round1
 * [new branch]      master     -> qa/master
 * [new branch]      test       -> qa/test

Add a tracking branch

$ git branch --track test origin/test
Branch test set up to track remote branch test from origin.
$ git checkout test
$ git pull
  ...