`+`, followed by the source ref <src>, followed
by a colon `:`, followed by the destination ref <dst>.
It is used to specify with what <src> object the <dst> ref
- in the remote repository is to be updated.
+ in the remote repository is to be updated. If not specified,
+ the behavior of the command is controlled by the `push.default`
+ configuration variable.
+
The <src> is often the name of the branch you would want to push, but
it can be any arbitrary "SHA-1 expression", such as `master~4` or
updated.
+
The object referenced by <src> is used to update the <dst> reference
-on the remote side, but by default this is only allowed if the
-update can fast-forward <dst>. By having the optional leading `+`,
-you can tell git to update the <dst> ref even when the update is not a
-fast-forward. This does *not* attempt to merge <src> into <dst>. See
+on the remote side. By default this is only allowed if <dst> is not
+a tag (annotated or lightweight), and then only if it can fast-forward
+<dst>. By having the optional leading `+`, you can tell git to update
+the <dst> ref even if it is not allowed by default (e.g., it is not a
+fast-forward.) This does *not* attempt to merge <src> into <dst>. See
EXAMPLES below for details.
+
`tag <tag>` means the same as `refs/tags/<tag>:refs/tags/<tag>`.
the local side, the remote side is updated if a branch of the same name
already exists on the remote side. This is the default operation mode
if no explicit refspec is found (that is neither on the command line
-nor in any Push line of the corresponding remotes file---see below).
+nor in any Push line of the corresponding remotes file---see below) and
+no `push.default` configuration variable is set.
--all::
Instead of naming each ref to push, specifies that all
----------------
Further suppose that the other person already pushed changes leading to A
-back to the original repository you two obtained the original commit X.
+back to the original repository from which you two obtained the original
+commit X.
The push done by the other person updated the branch that used to point at
commit X to point at commit A. It is a fast-forward.
`git push origin :`.
+
The default behavior of this command when no <refspec> is given can be
-configured by setting the `push` option of the remote.
+configured by setting the `push` option of the remote, or the `push.default`
+configuration variable.
+
For example, to default to pushing only the current branch to `origin`
use `git config remote.origin.push HEAD`. Any valid <refspec> (like
A handy way to push the current branch to the same name on the
remote.
-`git push origin master:satellite/master dev:satellite/dev`::
+`git push mothership master:satellite/master dev:satellite/dev`::
Use the source ref that matches `master` (e.g. `refs/heads/master`)
to update the ref that matches `satellite/master` (most probably
- `refs/remotes/satellite/master`) in the `origin` repository, then
+ `refs/remotes/satellite/master`) in the `mothership` repository;
do the same for `dev` and `satellite/dev`.
++
+This is to emulate `git fetch` run on the `mothership` using `git
+push` that is run in the opposite direction in order to integrate
+the work done on `satellite`, and is often necessary when you can
+only make connection in one way (i.e. satellite can ssh into
+mothership but mothership cannot initiate connection to satellite
+because the latter is behind a firewall or does not run sshd).
++
+After running this `git push` on the `satellite` machine, you would
+ssh into the `mothership` and run `git merge` there to complete the
+emulation of `git pull` that were run on `mothership` to pull changes
+made on `satellite`.
`git push origin HEAD:master`::
Push the current branch to the remote ref matching `master` in the