Git Commands & Troubleshooting Guide

Table of Contents

1. Git Repository Basics
2. Checking Repository Information
3. Clone Repository
4. Understanding Local vs Remote Branches
5. Fork and Upstream Workflow
6. Synchronizing Fork with Upstream
7. Branch Management
8. Git Sync Commands
9. Rebase vs Merge
10. Git Divergence Checks
11. Branch Tracking
12. Creating a New Independent Repository
13. Git Mirroring (Clone All Branches)
14. Common Git Errors and Fixes
15. Troubleshooting Checklist
16. Useful Git Commands Reference

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1. Git Repository Basics

Check Current Repository

git remote -v

Example:

origin   https://github.com/Sar-py-05/vprofile.git (fetch)
origin   https://github.com/Sar-py-05/vprofile.git (push)

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Check Current Branch

git branch

Example:

* main

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Check All Branches

git branch -a

Shows:

• Local branches
• Remote branches
• Tracking branches

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2. Checking Repository Information

Check Repository Status

git status

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Check Commit History

git log --oneline -10

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Visual Commit Graph

git log --oneline --graph --decorate --all

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3. Clone Repository

Standard Clone

git clone https://github.com/devopshydclub/vprofile-project.git

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Clone via SSH

git clone git@github.com:devopshydclub/vprofile-project.git

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4. Understanding Local vs Remote Branches

Many developers make this mistake:

Wrong:

git branches

Error:

git: 'branches' is not a git command

Correct:

git branch

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Local Branches

git branch

Output:

* main

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Remote Branches

git branch -r

Output:

origin/main
upstream/main

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All Branches

git branch -a

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5. Fork and Upstream Workflow

Verify Remotes

git remote -v

Example:

origin    https://github.com/Sar-py-05/repo.git
upstream  https://github.com/original/repo.git

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Add Upstream Repository

If missing:

git remote add upstream https://github.com/original/repo.git

Verify:

git remote -v

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Fetch Upstream Branches

git fetch upstream

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6. Synchronizing Fork with Upstream

Fetch Updates

git fetch upstream

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Checkout Main

git checkout main

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Pull Changes

git pull upstream main

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Push to Your Fork

git push origin main

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7. Branch Management

List All Branches

git branch -a

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Create Local Branch from Upstream

Example:

git checkout -b local upstream/local

or

git switch -c local upstream/local

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Switch Branches

git checkout local

or

git switch local

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Push New Branch

git push -u origin local

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8. Git Sync Commands

Fetch Updates from Origin and Upstream

git fetch origin
git fetch upstream

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Sync Main Branch

git checkout main
git pull upstream main
git push origin main

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Check Status

git status

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One-Liner Sync

git fetch upstream && git pull upstream main && git push origin main

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9. Rebase vs Merge

Option 1: Rebase (Recommended)

git pull --rebase origin main
git push origin main

Advantages:

• Cleaner history
• Linear commit chain

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Option 2: Merge

git pull origin main
git push origin main

Advantages:

• Preserves complete history

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Option 3: Force Push

Use cautiously.

git push origin main --force-with-lease

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10. Git Divergence Checks

This was one of the most useful discoveries.

Check Sync with Origin

git rev-list --left-right --count main...origin/main

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Output Interpretation

Fully Synced

0 0

Meaning:

Local main: 0 commits ahead
Origin main: 0 commits ahead

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Local Ahead

3 0

Meaning:

Need git push

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Remote Ahead

0 5

Meaning:

Need git pull

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Diverged

2 4

Meaning:

Need merge/rebase

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Compare with Upstream

git rev-list --left-right --count main...upstream/main

Example:

7 0

Meaning:

Your branch is 7 commits ahead of upstream
Upstream has no newer commits

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11. Branch Tracking

Check branch tracking:

git branch -vv

Example:

* main  abc123 [origin/main]

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12. Creating a New Independent Repository

Step 1

Clone Original Repo

git clone https://github.com/devopshydclub/vprofile-project.git
cd vprofile-project

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Step 2

Create New Empty GitHub Repository

Do NOT initialize with:

• README
• .gitignore
• License

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Step 3

Update Remote URL

git remote set-url origin https://github.com/Sar-py-05/vprofile-project_devopshydclub.git

Verify:

git remote -v

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Step 4

Push Everything

git push -u origin --all
git push -u origin --tags

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13. Git Mirroring (Clone All Branches)

Clone Everything

git clone --mirror https://github.com/devopshydclub/vprofile-project.git vprofile-temp.git
cd vprofile-temp.git

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Push Everything

git push --mirror https://github.com/Sar-py-05/vprofile-project_devopshydclub.git

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Cleanup

cd ..
rm -rf vprofile-temp.git

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14. Common Git Errors and Fixes

Error: git branches

Wrong:

git branches

Correct:

git branch

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Error: upstream does not appear to be a git repository

Error:

fatal: 'upstream' does not appear to be a git repository

Cause:

upstream remote not configured

Fix:

git remote add upstream https://github.com/original/repo.git

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Error: Branch Not Found Locally

You fetched upstream but cannot checkout branch.

Fix:

git branch -a

Find remote branch:

upstream/local

Create local branch:

git checkout -b local upstream/local

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Error: Cannot See Remote Branches

Fetch first:

git fetch upstream

Then:

git branch -a

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Error: Local Repo Different from GitHub

Check:

git rev-list --left-right --count main...origin/main

Interpret results and sync accordingly.

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15. Troubleshooting Checklist

Before Deploying to EC2:

git status

Must be clean.

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git branch

Verify correct branch.

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git remote -v

Verify remotes.

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git fetch origin

Refresh origin.

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git fetch upstream

Refresh upstream.

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git rev-list --left-right --count main...origin/main

Verify sync.

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git push origin main

Push pending changes.

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16. Useful Git Commands Reference

git status
git branch
git branch -a
git branch -vv
git checkout main
git checkout -b local upstream/local
git switch local
git fetch origin
git fetch upstream
git pull upstream main
git push origin main
git remote -v
git remote add upstream URL
git log --oneline
git log --graph --decorate --all
git rev-list --left-right --count main...origin/main
git rev-list --left-right --count main...upstream/main
git clone URL
git clone --mirror URL
git push --mirror URL
git push --all
git push --tags

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Lessons Learned

1. git branch shows only local branches.
2. git branch -a shows local and remote branches.
3. git fetch updates references but does not modify working files.
4. git pull performs fetch + merge/rebase.
5. Always configure upstream when working with forks.
6. Use git rev-list --left-right --count before deciding whether to pull or push.
7. Never use --force unless you fully understand the consequences.
8. Verify synchronization before deployments, CI/CD runs, and production releases.
9. Use git clone --mirror when you need all branches and tags.
10. Keep origin (your fork) and upstream (source repo) clearly separated.