# Re: [Q] Changing the current branch (HEAD) in a bare repository - how? 1 messages from 2008-06-09 to 2008-06-09. Participants: Brian Foster. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/13871 ## Brian Foster, 2008-06-09 07:50 Subject: Re: [Q] Changing the current branch (HEAD) in a bare repository - how? Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/a537dd660806090050t385db36fk15d44c88bd5183af%40mail.gmail.com In-Reply-To: <200806090934.13564.brian.foster@innova-card.com> ``` > Date: Friday 06 June 2008 > Subject: Re: [Q] Changing the current branch (HEAD) in a bare repository - how? > From: Jakub Narebski > > "Brian Foster" writes: >> Using git 1.5.2.5 (Kubuntu 7.10) and a bare repository, >> I [ essentially swapped branch names `master' and `foo' ]. >> Now, how do I change the current branch to the (new) >> `master'? [ ... ] > > In a bare repository it doesn't matter (almost) which branch is > current one (there is no _checked out_ branch, so it only matters > as a default checked out branch for clone, IIRC). Jakub, Yes, I also believe that is the case (but have not confirmed). The reason for the exercise is the bare repository in question will be cloned by newbies, and I want things to "just work" out-of-the-box. The (new) `master' is the development mainline (broadly meaning what has passed (usually my) review), and as such is nominally what Patches should be generated against. (It didn't start out that way due to some convoluted history that is not relevant.) Hence --- with the caveat I'm also rather new to git --- it seems wise to ensure the default checked-out branch after a clone represents the nominal development line. (Of course, I need/want to encourage the use of topic branches, but I see that as a rather different issue.) >> I (ultimately) hand-edited `HEAD' [ as Dscho suggested ]. > > You have to rely on plumbing: > > $ git symbolic-ref HEAD master > > (see documentation for details). Ah! Thanks for the hint. cheers! -blf- -- "How many surrealists does it take to | Brian Foster change a lightbulb? Three. One calms | somewhere in south of France the warthog, and two fill the bathtub | Stop E$$o (ExxonMobil)! with brightly-coloured machine tools." | http://www.stopesso.com ```