To add a new remote, use the git remote add command:
git remote add origin https://github.com/user/repo.git # Set a new remote git remote -v # Verify new remote # origin https://github.com/user/repo.git (fetch) # origin https://github.com/user/repo.git (push)
The command takes two arguments:
- remote name:
origin - repository URL:
https://github.com/user/repo.git
Not sure which URL to use? Check out this guide
Tracking branch
You can also create a tracking branch as you create the remote:
git remote add --track master origin https://github.com/user/repo.git
This is useful if, when you have the master branch checked out, you want git pull to work without needing to do git pull origin master.
Please note, checking out a local branch from a remote branch automatically creates what is called a tracking branch. Also, when you clone a repository, it generally automatically creates a master branch that tracks origin/master.
Troubleshooting
Remote [name] already exists
This error means you've tried to add a remote with a name that already exists in your local repository. To fix this:
- Use a different name for the new remote or
- Rename the existing remote or
- Delete the existing remote
