| <repository>:: |
| The "remote" repository that is the source of a fetch |
| or pull operation, or the destination of a push operation. |
| One of the following notations can be used |
| to name the remote repository: |
| + |
| =============================================================== |
| - Rsync URL: rsync://remote.machine/path/to/repo.git/ |
| - HTTP(s) URL: http://remote.machine/path/to/repo.git/ |
| - git URL: git://remote.machine/path/to/repo.git/ |
| or remote.machine:/path/to/repo.git/ |
| - Local directory: /path/to/repo.git/ |
| =============================================================== |
| + |
| In addition to the above, as a short-hand, the name of a |
| file in `$GIT_DIR/remotes` directory can be given; the |
| named file should be in the following format: |
| + |
| URL: one of the above URL format |
| Push: <refspec> |
| Pull: <refspec> |
| + |
| When such a short-hand is specified in place of |
| <repository> without <refspec> parameters on the command |
| line, <refspec> specified on `Push:` lines or `Pull:` |
| lines are used for `git-push` and `git-fetch`/`git-pull`, |
| respectively. Multiple `Push:` and and `Pull:` lines may |
| be specified for additional branch mappings. |
| + |
| The name of a file in `$GIT_DIR/branches` directory can be |
| specified as an older notation short-hand; the named |
| file should contain a single line, a URL in one of the |
| above formats, optionally followed by a hash `#` and the |
| name of remote head (URL fragment notation). |
| `$GIT_DIR/branches/<remote>` file that stores a <url> |
| without the fragment is equivalent to have this in the |
| corresponding file in the `$GIT_DIR/remotes/` directory. |
| + |
| URL: <url> |
| Pull: refs/heads/master:<remote> |
| + |
| while having `<url>#<head>` is equivalent to |
| + |
| URL: <url> |
| Pull: refs/heads/<head>:<remote> |
| |
| <refspec>:: |
| The canonical format of a <refspec> parameter is |
| `+?<src>:<dst>`; that is, an optional plus `+`, followed |
| by the source ref, followed by a colon `:`, followed by |
| the destination ref. |
| + |
| When used in `git-push`, the <src> side can be an |
| arbitrary "SHA1 expression" that can be used as an |
| argument to `git-cat-file -t`. E.g. `master~4` (push |
| four parents before the current master head). |
| + |
| For `git-push`, the local ref that matches <src> is used |
| to fast forward the remote ref that matches <dst>. If |
| the optional plus `+` is used, the remote ref is updated |
| even if it does not result in a fast forward update. |
| + |
| For `git-fetch` and `git-pull`, the remote ref that matches <src> |
| is fetched, and if <dst> is not empty string, the local |
| ref that matches it is fast forwarded using <src>. |
| Again, if the optional plus `+` is used, the local ref |
| is updated even if it does not result in a fast forward |
| update. |
| + |
| [NOTE] |
| If the remote branch from which you want to pull is |
| modified in non-linear ways such as being rewound and |
| rebased frequently, then a pull will attempt a merge with |
| an older version of itself, likely conflict, and fail. |
| It is under these conditions that you would want to use |
| the `+` sign to indicate non-fast-forward updates will |
| be needed. There is currently no easy way to determine |
| or declare that a branch will be made available in a |
| repository with this behavior; the pulling user simply |
| must know this is the expected usage pattern for a branch. |
| + |
| [NOTE] |
| You never do your own development on branches that appear |
| on the right hand side of a <refspec> colon on `Pull:` lines; |
| they are to be updated by `git-fetch`. The corollary is that |
| a local branch should be introduced and named on a <refspec> |
| right-hand-side if you intend to do development derived from |
| that branch. |
| This leads to the common `Pull: master:origin` mapping of a |
| remote `master` branch to a local `origin` branch, which |
| is then merged to a local development branch, again typically |
| named `master`. |
| + |
| [NOTE] |
| There is a difference between listing multiple <refspec> |
| directly on `git-pull` command line and having multiple |
| `Pull:` <refspec> lines for a <repository> and running |
| `git-pull` command without any explicit <refspec> parameters. |
| <refspec> listed explicitly on the command line are always |
| merged into the current branch after fetching. In other words, |
| if you list more than one remote refs, you would be making |
| an Octopus. While `git-pull` run without any explicit <refspec> |
| parameter takes default <refspec>s from `Pull:` lines, it |
| merges only the first <refspec> found into the current branch, |
| after fetching all the remote refs. This is because making an |
| Octopus from remote refs is rarely done, while keeping track |
| of multiple remote heads in one-go by fetching more than one |
| is often useful. |
| + |
| Some short-cut notations are also supported. |
| + |
| * For backward compatibility, `tag` is almost ignored; |
| it just makes the following parameter <tag> to mean a |
| refspec `refs/tags/<tag>:refs/tags/<tag>`. |
| * A parameter <ref> without a colon is equivalent to |
| <ref>: when pulling/fetching, and <ref>`:`<ref> when |
| pushing. That is, do not store it locally if |
| fetching, and update the same name if pushing. |
| |