How to track remote branch in Git

# Push and set tracking in one command
git push -u origin feature-branch

# Now you can use simple commands:
git push  # Pushes to origin/feature-branch
git pull  # Pulls from origin/feature-branch

# Set tracking for current branch
git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/main

# Or shorter form
git branch -u origin/main

# Set tracking for specific branch
git branch -u origin/develop develop

# View tracking branches
git branch -vv

# Output shows tracking info:
# * main    abc1234 [origin/main] Latest commit
#   feature def5678 [origin/feature: ahead 2] New feature

# Clone automatically tracks default branch
git clone https://github.com/username/repo.git

# Check tracking
cd repo
git branch -vv
# * main abc1234 [origin/main] Initial commit

# List remote branches
git branch -r
# origin/main
# origin/develop
# origin/feature-x

# Checkout and track in one command
git checkout --track origin/feature-x

# Or shorter form (Git auto-detects)
git checkout feature-x

# Git automatically creates local branch tracking origin/feature-x

# Local branch: my-feature
# Remote branch: origin/team-feature

git checkout -b my-feature
git branch -u origin/team-feature

# Now my-feature tracks origin/team-feature
git push  # Pushes to origin/team-feature
git pull  # Pulls from origin/team-feature

# Remove tracking relationship
git branch --unset-upstream

# Branch still exists but no longer tracks remote
git branch -vv
# * feature abc1234 New feature (no tracking info)

# Add multiple remotes
git remote add upstream https://github.com/original/repo.git
git remote add fork https://github.com/yourname/repo.git

# Track different remotes for different branches
git checkout main
git branch -u upstream/main

git checkout develop
git branch -u fork/develop

# Verify
git branch -vv
# * develop abc1234 [fork/develop] Latest dev
#   main    def5678 [upstream/main] Latest main

# With tracking configured
git push

# Without tracking, you need:
git push origin feature-branch

# Force push to tracked branch
git push --force

# Or safer force push
git push --force-with-lease

# With tracking configured
git pull

# Equivalent to:
git fetch origin
git merge origin/feature-branch

# Use rebase instead
git pull --rebase

# Configure Git to auto-track on first push
git config --global push.autoSetupRemote true

# Now first push automatically sets up tracking
git checkout -b new-feature
git push  # Automatically pushes to origin/new-feature and sets tracking

# Check specific branch tracking
git config branch.main.remote
# origin

git config branch.main.merge
# refs/heads/main

# View all branch configs
git config --get-regexp branch
# branch.main.remote origin
# branch.main.merge refs/heads/main

# Rename local branch
git branch -m old-name new-name

# Update tracking (old tracking is lost)
git branch -u origin/new-name

# Or push and set tracking
git push -u origin new-name

# Add remote for different repo
git remote add other https://github.com/other/repo.git

# Fetch branches
git fetch other

# Create local branch tracking other repo
git checkout -b other-feature
git branch -u other/feature

# Now local other-feature tracks other/feature