More help with "pull" please

I've actually given up on using "git pull" at all, preferring to fetch first, examine in gitk, and then decide whether to merge or whatever.

The problem I have is that it seems to always want to merge "something" with the current checked-out branch. It always throws the remote HEAD into the mix, or if fetch lines are set up in the configuration file, takes the first thing on there regardless of which branch I'm currently checked out. Maybe I'm wrong, but I just re-read the man page, forward and backwards, and am more bewildered than ever.

Anyway, I want to help out a co-worker who has a more specialized situation that may be right for a pull. Also, I'll talk him through cloning the remote from the beginning, so the config files won't be all strange or not setup from the previous users.

The only remaining issue is the remote in question: it is not a bare repository, and may be in use locally as well, at least for maintenance. So I can't trust its HEAD to be anything reasonable at any given time.

This person wants to track a remote branch tip. When that advances or otherwise changes on the remote, update the working tree to match. It will always use the same branch, let's call it ReleaseCandidate for this discussion.

My question is: What is the easiest way to create this local repository and operate it so that he can just keep it following that branch on the remote?

Thanks, --John (excuse the footer; it's not my idea)

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