# git pull merges current branch even when is specified 4 messages from 2009-06-24 to 2009-06-25. Participants: Tom Lambda, Michael J Gruber, Johannes Schindelin. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/19917 ## Tom Lambda, 2009-06-24 16:47 Subject: git pull merges current branch even when is specified Message-ID: <1245862052581-3149948.post@n2.nabble.com> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/1245862052581-3149948.post%40n2.nabble.com ``` If I am in 'master' and 'bugfix' is a remote branch in 'repo' which I do not have locally yet, running: git pull repo bugfix:bugfix creates a new local branch 'bugfix' equals to 'repo/bugfix' as expected. However, it also merges 'bugfix' into 'master', that surprises me since I explicitly specify that is 'bugfix'. I know that I can get what I want by running: git fetch repo bugfix:bugfix But the git-pull behavior looks odd to me. I thought that was the current branch by default and it could be overridden by specifying it in the command line. Thank you, Tom -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/git-pull-merges-current-branch-even-when-%3Cdst%3E-is-specified-tp3149948p3149948.html Sent from the git mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ``` ## Michael J Gruber, 2009-06-25 08:52 Subject: Re: git pull merges current branch even when is specified Message-ID: <4A433AC8.4040702@drmicha.warpmail.net> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/4A433AC8.4040702%40drmicha.warpmail.net In-Reply-To: <1245862052581-3149948.post@n2.nabble.com> ``` Tom Lambda venit, vidit, dixit 24.06.2009 18:47: > > If I am in 'master' and 'bugfix' is a remote branch in 'repo' which I do not > have locally yet, running: > > git pull repo bugfix:bugfix > > creates a new local branch 'bugfix' equals to 'repo/bugfix' as expected. > However, it also merges 'bugfix' into 'master', that surprises me since I > explicitly specify that is 'bugfix'. > > I know that I can get what I want by running: > > git fetch repo bugfix:bugfix > > But the git-pull behavior looks odd to me. I thought that was the > current branch by default and it could be overridden by specifying it in the > command line. Well, the first line of git-pull's man page says: Runs git-fetch with the given parameters, and calls git-merge to merge the retrieved head(s) into the current branch. So I can't help but call your surprise somewhat unjustified ;) Michael ``` ## Johannes Schindelin, 2009-06-25 09:44 Subject: Re: git pull merges current branch even when is specified Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/alpine.DEB.1.00.0906251142550.5365%40intel-tinevez-2-302 In-Reply-To: <4A433AC8.4040702@drmicha.warpmail.net> ``` Hi, On Thu, 25 Jun 2009, Michael J Gruber wrote: > Tom Lambda venit, vidit, dixit 24.06.2009 18:47: > > > > If I am in 'master' and 'bugfix' is a remote branch in 'repo' which I do not > > have locally yet, running: > > > > git pull repo bugfix:bugfix > > > > creates a new local branch 'bugfix' equals to 'repo/bugfix' as expected. > > However, it also merges 'bugfix' into 'master', that surprises me since I > > explicitly specify that is 'bugfix'. > > > > I know that I can get what I want by running: > > > > git fetch repo bugfix:bugfix > > > > But the git-pull behavior looks odd to me. I thought that was the > > current branch by default and it could be overridden by specifying it in the > > command line. > > Well, the first line of git-pull's man page says: > > Runs git-fetch with the given parameters, and calls git-merge to merge > the retrieved head(s) into the current branch. To explain why this is so: Merging is an operation that requires a working directory, as merge conflicts can happen. That is why merging is only possible locally, and only into the current branch. Ciao, Dscho ``` ## Tom Lambda, 2009-06-25 13:28 Subject: Re: git pull merges current branch even when is specified Message-ID: <1245936518805-3155010.post@n2.nabble.com> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/1245936518805-3155010.post%40n2.nabble.com In-Reply-To: ``` Thank you for the explanation. So specifying : in git-pull does not seem that useful now to me, since one has to checkout the branch anyway to keep other branches unaltered. Thanks again, Tom Johannes Schindelin wrote: > > > To explain why this is so: Merging is an operation that requires a working > directory, as merge conflicts can happen. That is why merging is only > possible locally, and only into the current branch. > > -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/git-pull-merges-current-branch-even-when-%3Cdst%3E-is-specified-tp3149948p3155010.html Sent from the git mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ```