From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Mon, 08 Oct 2012 19:18:25 GMT
Subject: Re: git fetch documentation problem or bug
Message-ID: <7vbogclqm6.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org>
In-Reply-To: <7vfw5olqp9.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org>

Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com> writes:

> Angelo Borsotti <angelo.borsotti@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> git fetch <repository> <refspec> does not create the remote refs in
>> the current (local)
>> repository...
>> However, if a git fetch origin is executed, the refs are properly created:
>
> Working as designed and documented.
>
>  $ git fetch origin master
>
> is giving the refspec "master" from the command line which is a
> short-hand for "refs/heads/master".
>
> When you run
>
>  $ git fetch origin
>
> configured refspec is looked up from your config (because you didn't
> give any from the command line).  The default refspec in your config
> is likely to be "refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*".
>
> The former, "refs/heads/master" refspec, tells Git not to update the
> remote tracking branch.  The latter has colon and right-hand-side of
> the colon tells Git what to update with what was fetched.
>
> It would hlep to read up on refspec by running "git fetch --help"
> and looking for a string "colon".

Addendum.  Your claim

>> git fetch <repository> <refspec> does not create the remote refs in
>> the current (local)
>> repository...

is incorrect.  The behaviour depends on what <refspec> you give.

In other words, you can do this from the command line if you want
to do the update.

  $ git fetch origin master:refs/remotes/origin/master