Switching branches of freebsd-base-graphics with git

[Doug Kirk]

I wouldn't `rm -R *`, that seems dangerous. :O

Try `git checkout drm-next` followed by `git pull origin drm-next`. The
latter command needs internet access while the former doesn't. (Because of
your fetch, one of those may complain...I can't remember. If so, `git reset
--hard` will get you back to the last-committed state of the current
branch, after which you can checkout and/or pull.)

`git clone $url [$name]`:
    Copy the git *repository* at $url into a new subdirectory of the same
base-name [or $name]. You see the working tree; the repo is in its .git/
subdirectory, including all branches and the entire version history.

`git checkout $branch`:
    Make your working tree look like the committed state of $branch.
Usually to switch branches. A branch in git is just a type of "ref", and
you can check out any $ref. Other types are tags and revisions.

`git pull`:
    `git fetch`, and then `git merge`, upstream changes into your current
working tree, and then commit those changes to your local repository if
there are no conflicts. (not technically 100% accurate, but the effect is
the same).

`git status`:
    Show the current checked-out branch and the state of working tree
modifications.

`git fetch`:
    Fetches new commits from a remote, but doesn't merge those into your
working tree or commit them to your current branch.

`git reset`:
    If you've made uncommitted changes that you want to undo, this will
undo them. (see man page about --hard, --soft, and --mixed variants).

All the git commands have man pages, accessible either by `git help
{command}` or by `man git-{command}`. (e.g., either `man git-pull` or `git
help pull`)

Notes:

I don't know what the "remote" repo names (in your command `git fetch
remote`). With git-fetch (or pull), that is a repo name (which is just some
string you assign as a name for a repo, whether it's local or remote).
Usually we use "origin" there...which identifies the repo that yours was
cloned from unless you've edited the configuration.

A "remote" is "some other repository that's not the one in your current
project's .git/ subdirectory". Meaning that, even though it's called a
remote, it could just be another directory on the local filesystem (outside
your project dir). In `git pull origin drm-next`, the remote name is
"origin" as explained above, and "drm-next" is the *remote's* branch name
to fetch/merge into *your current branch*.

If you're not making changes, you really only need to know `git clone`,
`git checkout`, followed by periodic `git pull` to get the latest changes.

The `git reset` command has variants to reset the working tree and/or the
"index". The index is just the place where git stores to-be-committed
changes (usually a subset of the working tree changes).

Good luck with your taxes!

P.S., Per is correct, `git clone $url -b $branch` clones the entire
repository but checks out the named branch.


On Wed, Apr 5, 2017 at 6:23 PM Thomas Mueller <mueller6722 at twc.com> wrote:

> from Doug Kirk:
>
> > `git pull` is just sugar for `git fetch` (fetch remote updates) then `git
> > merge` (merge them into the current work tree).
>
> > Since git pulls down the entire repo (unlike svn), `git checkout $branch`
> > is enough (AS LONG AS you originally cloned the entire repo instead of
> just
> > one branch -- `-b $branch` on the clone command).
>
> > So after the checkout as above, `git pull` should be enough to get the
> > currently checked-out branch's updates from the remote repo.
>
> > Even if you didn't clone the entire repo, `git checkout $branch` followed
> > by `git pull` is enough to checkout the branch and get its updates.
>
> > You can get a (local & remote) branch list with `git branch -a`. It'll
> show
> > a star for the current branch.
>
> > Also keep in mind that git won't do anything with non-tracked files, so
> > you'll likely want to `make clean` to get rid of prior-branch remnants.
>
> I ran "git branch -a" on this computer and the other, showed branches, but
> got more on this computer than the other: drm-next showed on this computer
> but not the other.
>
> I ran "git fetch remote", thinking I would update the list of branches,
> but got a bigger download.  I am still in branch drm-i915-update-38 on that
> computer.
>
> So I am lost at this stage, only way I can see is rm -R * from
> /freebsd-base-graphics and start over with new branch.
>
> Now my head is spinning/swimming.  I need to wait until after I finish my
> income tax return.
>
>
> Tom
>
>