git_fork_clone.md

Fork, Clone, Add Remote

1. From any public repository (GH website) click the upper right Fork button.

   • A copy of someones/cool-repository will now be in GH at yourname/cool-repository

2. Go to GH yourname/cool-repository and from there, go to the green Code button to copy the git clone command.

3. Open a Terminal and clone your forked repository to create a local copy.

   cd /path/to/directory/with/github.com
   git clone <paste from 2. above>
   cd cool-repository

4. You now have a local copy of your fork of the cool-repository. You probably want to add a git remote to track the original someones/cool-repository.

   git remote -v
   # you should see 'origin' as 'git@github.com:yourname/cool-repository.git'
   # now add the 'upstream'
   git remote add upstream git@github.com:someones/cool-repository.git

5. Continuously keep your local and remote main branch even with someones main branch

   git checkout main
   git fetch --all
   git rebase upstream/main
   git push origin main

6. Open a new branch for local development

   git checkout -b new-branch

7. Add a new commit to the new-branch and push to your fork in GH

   # make changes
   git add .
   git commit -m "a new commit"
   git push origin new-branch

   • You might now visit GH to open a PR, comparing yourname/new-branch to someones/main

8. You might want to clean up your branches!

   • To remove local development branch

   git branch -D new-branch

   • To remove development branch from your fork in GH

   git push origin :new-branch

NOTE origin is the default remote name given to a local clone, and upstream is my habit. You can update to anything with:

git remote rename origin anything
git remote rename current updated