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Difference between git checkout --track originbranch and git checkout -b branch originbranch

February 15, 2025

Difference between git checkout --track originbranch and git checkout -b branch originbranch

Navigating the planet of Git tin awareness similar exploring a huge, uncharted district. Amongst its galore instructions, git checkout stands retired arsenic a peculiarly versatile implement, frequently utilized to control branches. Nevertheless, delicate variations successful its utilization tin pb to surprising outcomes. This station dives heavy into the nuances of 2 communal git checkout variations: git checkout –path root/subdivision and git checkout -b subdivision root/subdivision, clarifying their chiseled functionalities and empowering you to wield them efficaciously.

Knowing git checkout –path root/subdivision

This bid creates a fresh section subdivision that “tracks” a distant subdivision. Monitoring means your section subdivision volition routinely act synchronized with the distant subdivision, simplifying the procedure of pulling successful updates. Basically, it units ahead a nonstop nexus betwixt your section and distant counter tops.

Ideate you’re collaborating connected a task with a squad. The –path action permits you to seamlessly combine modifications from the shared distant repository into your section workspace. This simplifies the workflow and minimizes the hazard of merge conflicts.

For case, if you privation to activity connected a characteristic subdivision named “fresh-characteristic” residing connected the root distant, you’d execute: git checkout –path root/fresh-characteristic. This creates a section “fresh-characteristic” subdivision and configures it to path the distant “fresh-characteristic” subdivision.

Exploring git checkout -b subdivision root/subdivision

This bid, piece seemingly akin, performs a somewhat antithetic cognition. It besides creates a fresh section subdivision however provides you much power complete its relation with the distant subdivision. It creates a fresh section subdivision named “subdivision” and units its upstream to root/subdivision. Piece this besides permits for syncing with the distant, it’s not automated successful the aforesaid manner arsenic –path.

Deliberation of it arsenic establishing a transportation betwixt your section and distant branches, however with a spot much handbook power. You’ll demand to explicitly propulsion adjustments to the distant and configure immoderate monitoring relationships your self.

Utilizing the aforesaid “fresh-characteristic” illustration, the bid would beryllium: git checkout -b fresh-characteristic root/fresh-characteristic. This creates a section “fresh-characteristic” subdivision and units ahead root/fresh-characteristic arsenic its upstream. You’ll past demand to usage git propulsion -u root fresh-characteristic to propulsion the section subdivision and found monitoring.

Cardinal Variations and Once to Usage All

The center quality lies successful the flat of automation. –path robotically establishes a monitoring relation, piece -b requires handbook involution. Truthful, once ought to you usage all?

  • –path: Perfect for rapidly creating a section transcript of a distant subdivision and staying synchronized with upstream adjustments effortlessly.
  • -b: Appropriate once you privation much granular power complete the relation betwixt your section and distant branches, possibly once mounting ahead a much analyzable branching scheme.

Selecting the correct bid relies upon connected your circumstantial workflow and the flat of automation you tendency.

Champion Practices and Communal Pitfalls

Knowing these instructions tin importantly better your Git workflow. Present are any champion practices to support successful head:

  1. Ever guarantee you’re running connected the accurate subdivision earlier making modifications.
  2. Commonly propulsion successful updates from the distant subdivision to debar conflicts.
  3. Usage broad and descriptive subdivision names to heighten collaboration.

A communal pitfall is forgetting to propulsion modifications last utilizing -b. Retrieve to explicitly propulsion and found monitoring if desired.

Infographic Placeholder: Ocular examination of –path vs. -b

FAQ: Addressing Communal Queries

Q: Tin I alteration the monitoring relation last creating a subdivision?

A: Sure, you tin usage git subdivision -u root/branch_name to fit ahead monitoring astatine immoderate clip.

By knowing the refined but important variations betwixt these 2 git checkout variations, you tin navigate your Git repositories with higher assurance and ratio. Leveraging the correct bid for the correct script volition streamline your workflow and decrease the possible for errors. Research these instructions, pattern their utilization, and unlock the afloat possible of Git for your tasks. Larn much astir precocious Git strategies present. For additional speechmaking, seek the advice of the authoritative Git documentation present and Atlassian’s Git tutorial present. This knowing volition not lone heighten your idiosyncratic productiveness however besides lend to smoother collaboration inside your improvement groups.

Question & Answer :
Does anyone cognize the quality betwixt these 2 instructions to control and path a distant subdivision?

git checkout -b subdivision root/subdivision git checkout --path root/subdivision 

I deliberation some support path of the distant subdivision truthful I tin propulsion my adjustments to the subdivision connected root, correct?

Are location immoderate applicable variations?

The 2 instructions person the aforesaid consequence (acknowledgment to Robert Siemer’s reply for pointing it retired).

The applicable quality comes once utilizing a section subdivision named otherwise:

  • git checkout -b mybranch root/abranch volition make mybranch and path root/abranch
  • git checkout --path root/abranch volition lone make ‘abranch’, not a subdivision with a antithetic sanction.

(That is, arsenic commented by Sebastian Graf, if the section subdivision did not be already.
If it did, you would demand git checkout -B abranch root/abranch)


Line: with Git 2.23 (Q3 2019), that would usage the fresh bid git control:

git control -c <subdivision> --path <distant>/<subdivision> 

If the subdivision exists successful aggregate remotes and 1 of them is named by the checkout.defaultRemote configuration adaptable, we’ll usage that 1 for the functions of disambiguation, equal if the <subdivision> isn’t alone crossed each remotes.
Fit it to e.g. checkout.defaultRemote=root to ever checkout distant branches from location if <subdivision> is ambiguous however exists connected the ‘root’ distant.

Present, ‘-c’ is the fresh ‘-b’.


Archetypal, any inheritance: Monitoring means that a section subdivision has its upstream fit to a distant subdivision:

# git config subdivision.<subdivision-sanction>.distant root # git config subdivision.<subdivision-sanction>.merge refs/heads/subdivision 

git checkout -b subdivision root/subdivision volition:

  • make/reset subdivision to the component referenced by root/subdivision.
  • make the subdivision subdivision (with git subdivision) and path the distant monitoring subdivision root/subdivision.

Once a section subdivision is began disconnected a distant-monitoring subdivision, Git units ahead the subdivision (particularly the subdivision.<sanction>.distant and subdivision.<sanction>.merge configuration entries) truthful that git propulsion volition appropriately merge from the distant-monitoring subdivision.
This behaviour whitethorn beryllium modified by way of the planetary subdivision.autosetupmerge configuration emblem. That mounting tin beryllium overridden by utilizing the --path and --nary-path choices, and modified future utilizing git subdivision --fit-upstream-to.


And git checkout --path root/subdivision volition bash the aforesaid arsenic git subdivision --fit-upstream-to):

# oregon, since 1.7.zero git subdivision --fit-upstream upstream/subdivision subdivision # oregon, since 1.eight.zero (October 2012) git subdivision --fit-upstream-to upstream/subdivision subdivision # the abbreviated interpretation stays the aforesaid: git subdivision -u upstream/subdivision subdivision 

It would besides fit the upstream for ‘subdivision’.

(Line: git1.eight.zero volition deprecate git subdivision --fit-upstream and regenerate it with git subdivision -u|--fit-upstream-to: seat git1.eight.zero-rc1 denote)


Having an upstream subdivision registered for a section subdivision volition:

  • archer git to entertainment the relation betwixt the 2 branches successful git position and git subdivision -v.
  • directs git propulsion with out arguments to propulsion from the upstream once the fresh subdivision is checked retired.

Seat “However bash you brand an current git subdivision path a distant subdivision?” for much.