Open menu
You are here: Horwood.biz > Linux Things

Git - Synchronize Two Remote

How to Synchronize Two Remote Git Repositories

Preface

Imagine you have two repository URLs, and want to synchronize them so that they contain the same thing.

You must configure a remote that points to the upstream repository in Git to sync changes you make in a fork with the original repository. This also allows you to sync changes made in the original repository with the fork.

Step 1. Open terminal and change the current working directory to your local project.

Step 2. List the current configured remote repository for your fork.

$ git remote -v
 origin https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/YOUR_FORK.git (fetch)
 origin https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/YOUR_FORK.git (push)

Step 3. Specify a new remote upstream repository that will be synced with the fork. $ git remote add upstream https://github.com/ORIGINAL_OWNER/ORIGINAL_REPOSITORY.git

Step 4. Verify the new upstream repository you’ve specified for your fork.

$ git remote -v
 origin https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/YOUR_FORK.git (fetch)
 origin https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/YOUR_FORK.git (push)
 upstream https://github.com/ORIGINAL_OWNER/ORIGINAL_REPOSITORY.git (fetch)
 upstream https://github.com/ORIGINAL_OWNER/ORIGINAL_REPOSITORY.git (push)

Step 5. Fetch the branches and their respective commits from the upstream repository. Commits to master will be stored in a local branch, upstream/master.

$ git fetch upstream
 remote: Counting objects: 75, done.
 remote: Compressing objects: 100% (53/53), done.
 remote: Total 62 (delta 27), reused 44 (delta 9)
 Unpacking objects: 100% (62/62), done.
 From https://github.com/ORIGINAL_OWNER/ORIGINAL_REPOSITORY
 * [new branch] master -> upstream/master

Step 6. Check out your fork’s local master branch.

$ git checkout master
 Switched to branch ‘master’

Step 7. Merge the changes from upstream/master into your local master branch. This brings your fork’s master branch into sync with the upstream repository, without losing your local changes.

$ git merge upstream/master
 Updating a422352..5fdff0f
 Fast-forward
 README | 9 — — — -
 README.md | 7 ++++++
 2 files changed, 7 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-)
 delete mode 100644 README
 create mode 100644 README.md

Step 8. Push your changes $ git push