33 lines
1.5 KiB
Markdown
33 lines
1.5 KiB
Markdown
---
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tags: [git]
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---
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# Remote tracking branches
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A remote tracking branch is a **local** snapshot or reference to the state of a
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branch on a remote repository.
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When you clone a remote repository, Git automatically creates remote tracking
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branches for all the branches on the remote repository.
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The remote tracking branches have the prefix `origin/` followed by the name of
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the remote branch. For example, if you clone a repository with a branch named
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`develop`, Git creates a remote tracking branch named `origin/develop`.
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When you use commands like `git fetch` and `git pull`, you are interacting with
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the remote repository and having it reflected in the remote tracking branches.
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For instance, `git fetch` makes the remote tracking branch reflect the remote
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changes so that you have a local copy.
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The remote tracking branch is not the same as a local branch. A local branch is
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a branch that may or may not exist on the remote. Once it has been pushed to the
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remote repository, a remote tracking branch will be created for its remote
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version. When you make local changes, the snapshot of the remote tracking branch
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will no longer be up to date: your local branch will be "ahead" of it. Once you
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push, the remote tracking branch snapshot is update and reflects the local state
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of the branch and the two are in sync again.
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The same is true of remote branches. When you checkout a remote branch, your
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local version of it reflects a remote tracking version of it. This goes out of
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sync with your local version when changes are made on the remote.
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