Clone, Push, Pull, and Fetch

Getting a Repository: git clone

git clone downloads an entire repository — all history, all branches — and automatically sets up origin pointing to the source URL.

git clone git@github.com:cpcode/project.git       # SSH (preferred)
git clone https://github.com/cpcode/project.git   # HTTPS

Sending Changes: git push

After committing locally, push your branch to the remote so teammates and CI can see your work.

git push origin feature/login              # push a branch
git push -u origin feature/login           # push and set upstream tracking
git push                                   # push to tracked remote (after -u)

Fetching vs Pulling

git fetch downloads remote changes but does not modify your working directory or local branches. git pull is git fetch followed by git merge (or git rebase if configured). Understanding the difference matters:

• git fetch origin — safe: update your knowledge of the remote without touching your code.
• git pull origin main — convenient but can create unexpected merge commits.
• git pull --rebase origin main — cleaner: replays your commits on top of the latest main.

git fetch origin
git log origin/main --oneline   # inspect what changed before merging
git merge origin/main            # merge on your terms