Git & Terminal Cheatsheet

Remotes and Syncing

Use this Git & Terminal reference while you build software engineering projects, review code for technical interview prep, or polish examples for a software engineer resume.

Managing Remotes

git remote -v                       # list remotes and their URLs
git remote add origin <url>         # register a remote
git remote set-url origin <url>     # change its URL (e.g. https -> ssh)
git remote rename origin gh         # rename
git remote remove gh                # remove
git remote show origin              # branches, tracking, push/pull status

Fetch vs Pull

git fetch                   # download remote commits, touch NOTHING local
git fetch --all --prune     # all remotes, drop refs to deleted branches
git pull                    # fetch + merge the upstream into your branch
git pull --rebase           # fetch + replay your local commits on top (linear)
git pull --ff-only          # fetch + fast-forward only, error if diverged

git fetch is always safe. git pull is fetch plus an integration step, and which step (merge vs rebase) is worth configuring once:

git config --global pull.rebase true    # make plain `git pull` rebase
git config --global pull.ff only       # or: refuse anything but fast-forward

Pushing

git push -u origin main     # first push: create upstream link, then push
git push                    # after -u, this is all you need
git push origin v1.2.0      # push one tag
git push --tags             # push all tags
git push origin --delete feature    # delete a remote branch

The -u (--set-upstream) link is what lets bare git push / git pull / git status know which remote branch you track. Check with git branch -vv, fix with git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/main.

When Branches Have Diverged

git push rejected with non-fast-forward, or git pull says You have divergent branches? You and the remote both have new commits. Pick an integration strategy:

git pull --rebase           # usual choice: your commits replay on top, no merge commit
git pull --no-rebase        # or merge: creates a merge commit
git status                  # confirm "ahead X, behind Y" is resolved
git push

If the rebase hits conflicts: fix files, git add, git rebase --continue (or git rebase --abort to undo the pull).

Force-Pushing Safely

After you rebase or amend commits that were already pushed, the remote rejects a normal push. Never plain --force on a shared branch:

git push --force-with-lease             # push, but FAIL if someone else pushed meanwhile
git push --force-with-lease origin feature
git push --force                        # overwrites unconditionally, can delete teammates' work

--force-with-lease refuses to overwrite commits you have not seen, which makes it the default choice for updating your own rebased PR branch.

Syncing a Fork

Your fork is origin, the original repo is conventionally upstream:

git remote add upstream <original-url>
git fetch upstream
git switch main
git merge upstream/main         # or: git rebase upstream/main
git push origin main

Quick Reference

Task	Command
Download only	`git fetch --all --prune`
Update branch	`git pull` (or `git pull --rebase`)
First push	`git push -u origin <branch>`
Push	`git push`
Push after rebase/amend	`git push --force-with-lease`
Delete remote branch	`git push origin --delete <branch>`
See tracking info	`git branch -vv`
Sync a fork	`git fetch upstream && git merge upstream/main`