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git@gitorious.org:~porton/texmacs/texmacs-porton.git is my repository containing a clone of the main TeXmacs repository git://gitorious.org/texmacs/texmacs.git with my changes (not accepted to the main repository).

I run the following commands:

$ git clone git@gitorious.org:~porton/texmacs/texmacs-porton.git

$ cd texmacs-porton

$ git fetch --verbose --progress https://git.gitorious.org/texmacs/texmacs.git

The last get fetch outputs nothing and as it seems to me does not create any new branches.

Please help me to merge from the main TeXmacs repository to my own.

Is it a bug of git?

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2 Answers

up vote 3 down vote accepted


git remote add official git://gitorious.org/texmacs/texmacs.git
git fetch official
  • git:// is much faster
  • by giving the remote a name, fetch can create remote branches
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Thanks, now it works. –  porton Jul 27 '11 at 14:14
Ah, yes, makes sense. Without a remote name it would have nowhere in refs/remotes to place remote tracking branches. –  meagar Jul 27 '11 at 14:24
"by giving the remote a name (by using remote add), fetch can create remote branches" -- this is a key insight. Without remote add, fetch tends to report success, but accomplish nothing. –  nobar Apr 12 '13 at 12:24
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The problem is likely your URL. You're using https:// (which results in a 404) when you should be using git://.

The following works for me:

git fetch git://git.gitorious.org/texmacs/texmacs.git
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1. It does not work with both https:// and git://. 2. How did you check for yourself that it does work? Has it produced output? Has it created a new branch? –  porton Jul 27 '11 at 14:08
@porton I simply checked by attempting to clone your https:// URI, which failed (specifically, hung indefinitely) vs cloning your URI using the git:// protocol specifier, which worked instantly. –  meagar Jul 27 '11 at 14:10
This does not make sense. Cloning works for me. The thing which does not work is "git fetch" and it does not depend on the used protocol, GIT or HTTPS. –  porton Jul 27 '11 at 14:12
@porton There's no reason to assume it will work with http://. Git can use HTTP as a transport, but the server doesn't have to support it. –  meagar Jul 27 '11 at 14:15
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