1<repository>:: 2 The "remote" repository that is the source of a fetch 3 or pull operation, or the destination of a push operation. 4 One of the following notations can be used 5 to name the remote repository: 6+ 7=============================================================== 8- Rsync URL: rsync://remote.machine/path/to/repo.git/ 9- HTTP(s) URL: http://remote.machine/path/to/repo.git/ 10- git URL: git://remote.machine/path/to/repo.git/ 11 or remote.machine:/path/to/repo.git/ 12- Local directory: /path/to/repo.git/ 13=============================================================== 14+ 15In addition to the above, as a short-hand, the name of a 16file in `$GIT_DIR/remotes` directory can be given; the 17named file should be in the following format: 18+ 19 URL: one of the above URL format 20 Push: <refspec>... 21 Pull: <refspec>... 22+ 23When such a short-hand is specified in place of 24<repository> without <refspec> parameters on the command 25line, <refspec>... specified on `Push:` lines or `Pull:` 26lines are used for `git-push` and `git-fetch`/`git-pull`, 27respectively. Multiple `Push:` and and `Pull:` lines may 28be specified for additional branch mappings. 29+ 30The name of a file in `$GIT_DIR/branches` directory can be 31specified as an older notation short-hand; the named 32file should contain a single line, a URL in one of the 33above formats, optionally followed by a hash `#` and the 34name of remote head (URL fragment notation). 35`$GIT_DIR/branches/<remote>` file that stores a <url> 36without the fragment is equivalent to have this in the 37corresponding file in the `$GIT_DIR/remotes/` directory. 38+ 39 URL: <url> 40 Pull: refs/heads/master:<remote> 41+ 42while having `<url>#<head>` is equivalent to 43+ 44 URL: <url> 45 Pull: refs/heads/<head>:<remote> 46 47<refspec>:: 48 The canonical format of a <refspec> parameter is 49 `+?<src>:<dst>`; that is, an optional plus `+`, followed 50 by the source ref, followed by a colon `:`, followed by 51 the destination ref. 52+ 53When used in `git-push`, the <src> side can be an 54arbitrary "SHA1 expression" that can be used as an 55argument to `git-cat-file -t`. E.g. `master~4` (push 56four parents before the current master head). 57+ 58For `git-push`, the local ref that matches <src> is used 59to fast forward the remote ref that matches <dst>. If 60the optional plus `+` is used, the remote ref is updated 61even if it does not result in a fast forward update. 62+ 63For `git-fetch` and `git-pull`, the remote ref that matches <src> 64is fetched, and if <dst> is not empty string, the local 65ref that matches it is fast forwarded using <src>. 66Again, if the optional plus `+` is used, the local ref 67is updated even if it does not result in a fast forward 68update. 69+ 70[NOTE] 71If the remote branch from which you want to pull is 72modified in non-linear ways such as being rewound and 73rebased frequently, then a pull will attempt a merge with 74an older version of itself, likely conflict, and fail. 75It is under these conditions that you would want to use 76the `+` sign to indicate non-fast-forward updates will 77be needed. There is currently no easy way to determine 78or declare that a branch will be made available in a 79repository with this behavior; the pulling user simply 80must know this is the expected usage pattern for a branch. 81+ 82[NOTE] 83You never do your own development on branches that appear 84on the right hand side of a <refspec> colon on `Pull:` lines; 85they are to be updated by `git-fetch`. The corollary is that 86a local branch should be introduced and named on a <refspec> 87right-hand-side if you intend to do development derived from 88that branch. 89This leads to the common `Pull: master:origin` mapping of a 90remote `master` branch to a local `origin` branch, which 91is then merged to a local development branch, again typically 92named `master`. 93+ 94Some short-cut notations are also supported. 95+ 96* For backward compatibility, `tag` is almost ignored; 97 it just makes the following parameter <tag> to mean a 98 refspec `refs/tags/<tag>:refs/tags/<tag>`. 99* A parameter <ref> without a colon is equivalent to 100 <ref>: when pulling/fetching, and <ref>`:`<ref> when 101 pushing. That is, do not store it locally if 102 fetching, and update the same name if pushing. 103