Synchronizing: Local & GitHub

To sync a local repository with a GitHub repository you need two repositories (one local and one online) and then set up a link between them. The two possible paths are:

• Local –> GitHub

  1. Have a local git repository (which you started with git init).

  2. Have an empty repository on GitHub.

  3. Make the GitHub repository a remote for the local repository.

     • $ git remote add origin https://github.com/...

     • The name origin is a local nickname for your remote repository.

• GitHub –> Local

  1. Have a repository on GitHub.

  2. Clone the GitHub repository in your local machine. (this will create a local repo)

     • $ git clone https://github.com/...

     • git clone copies a remote repository to create a local repository with a remote called origin automatically set up.

Finding the GitHub repo link

Each repository has an unique address composed by

• GitHub link

• GitHub user name

• GitHub repository name

You can find the complete link in the main page of the repository, under the code download green button (see image bellow)

Then, choose one of the tabs (HTTPS, SSH, or GitHub CLI) and copy the address:

Push local changes to a remote repo

This command will push the changes (git commits) from our local repository to the repository on GitHub:

git push origin main

Note

You can push content to different branches, just change main for the desired branch name in the above command

Pull remote changes to a local repo

This command will pull changes from the remote repository to the local one:

git pull origin main

The “-u” flag

Sometimes is useful to create a short for the git push origin main (or git pull origin main). To do this, you need run one time the full command with the -u flag:

git push -u origin main

After that, you can simple use git push or git pull without the origin main arguments.

Please note that this works for the branch passed with the -u flag. If you want to pull/push in other branches you should use the complete command.

A Basic Collaborative Workflow

In practice, it is good to be sure that you have an updated version of the repository you are collaborating on, so you should git pull before making our changes. The basic collaborative workflow would be:

• update your local repo with git pull origin main,

• make your changes and stage them with git add,

• commit your changes with git commit -m, and

• upload the changes to GitHub with git push origin main

Note

You can (and should) use other branches besides main.