Git Pull Upstream - Shell/Bash

Introduction

git pull upstream is a command in Git that allows you to fetch and merge the changes from the upstream repository into your local repository. This is useful when you are working on a fork of a repository and want to incorporate changes made in the original repository.

In this tutorial, we will go over how to use git pull upstream in a shell/Bash environment and discuss some tips and tricks for making the most of this command.

Prerequisites

Before you can use git pull upstream, you should already have a forked repository and have set up an upstream remote. To set up an upstream remote, use the following command:

git remote add upstream <upstream-repo-url>

where <upstream-repo-url> is the URL of the original repository.

Syntax

To use git pull upstream, enter the following command in your terminal:

git pull upstream <branch-name>

where <branch-name> is the name of the branch you want to merge with. If you leave out <branch-name>, Git will use the default branch (usually master).

Features

Here are some tips and tricks for using git pull upstream effectively:

1. Always fetch before you pull. Use git fetch upstream to update your local repository with changes from the upstream repository before you pull.

2. Use git status to see which changes will be merged before you pull.

3. Use git diff to compare the differences between your local repository and the upstream repository before and after the pull.

4. If you encounter conflicts during the merge, use git mergetool to resolve them.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have gone over how to use git pull upstream in a shell/Bash environment. We have also discussed some tips and tricks for using this command effectively. By incorporating these best practices into your workflow, you can ensure that your local repository is always in sync with the upstream repository and that you are incorporating changes made by others in the community.