git Git “Tip of Your Current Branch Is Behind” Error

[Linux Hint]

The “git tip of your current branch is behind” error message occurs when your local Git branch is not up-to-date with the recent changes in the remote branch that it is tracking. For example, someone else pushes the changes to the remote repository but you have not downloaded them to have the latest version of the branch.

In this tutorial, we will quickly go over the steps that you can take to resolve this to ensure that you have the latest changes in your branch.

Step 1: Switch to the Target Branch

The first step is to navigate into the repository directory. You can then switch to the target branch that you want to update. We can do this by running the “git checkout” command:

$ git checkout master

If you are not using the master branch, replace it with the name of the branch that you wish to update.

Step 2: Update the Branch

Once you are in the target branch, you need to fetch the latest changes from the remote repository. This downloads the latest updates and ensures that the local copy is in sync with the remote branches without merging them into the current branch.

Run the following “git fetch” command:

$ git fetch

Step 3: Confirm the Changes

Once the update is complete, run the “git status” command to check the status of the local branch in comparison to the remote branch.

$ git status

The command shows the status of your local branch including how many commits that your branch is behind or ahead.

Step 4: Rebase or Merge

In order to update the local branch to match the remote one, you can either merge the changes or rebase the branch.

If you choose to merge, Git will combine the changes from one branch into another branch and incorporate the new changes.

To merge, run the following command:

$ git merge origin/master

This should merge the changes.

To rebase, run the following command:

$ git rebase origin/master

Rebasing rewrites your commit history; use it with caution.

Step 5: Push the Changes

Once you merge or rebase the changes, you can resolve any rising conflicts and push the changes.

$ git push

Conclusion

The “git tip of your current branch is behind” error means that you do not have the latest changes from the remote repo. The solution is to download them and update the branch to match.

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