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Remote Branches

Goal

  • In this Project you will learn how to work with branches and how to share them with other people.

Hints

  • Try to solve the following tasks with the help of the slides and the Cheatsheets.
  • If you still run into problems, you'll find an expandable hint block for every task with a detailed description of the solution.

Task 1

  • In Gitlab, search for the project remote-branches and clone it. Please ensure you have left any other git projects before cloning the repository.
Solution (Click on the arrow if you are stuck)
  • Search in Gitlab in the left upper corner Menu->Projects for the project hands-on/remote-branches.
  • Copy the link from Clone with HTTPS.
  • Switch back to the terminal of the VSCode instance.
  • Ensure the current working directory is /root/workspace. Therefore move upwards from previous repositories with cd .. (alternatively it is possible to switch directly into the directory with: cd /root/workspace).
  • Clone the project with the command git clone {URL}.

Task 2

  • Create a new branch with your username and switch to it.
Solution (Click on the arrow if you are stuck)
  • Switch into the new cloned project with cd remote-branches.
  • Create a new branch with git switch -c user-{NUMBER}. With this command you will automatically switch to this new branch.
  • With git status you can see and check that you are actually switched to the new branch.

Task 3

  • Commit a new file with a creative text inside.
Solution (Click on the arrow if you are stuck)
  • Like in the previous hands-on, create a file with creative text inside and commit these changes.

Task 4

  • Push the new branch to the server.
Solution (Click on the arrow if you are stuck)
  • Push the new branch with git push.
  • There will be an error as your branch is only known in the local repository and the server is not knowing where you want to push the branch to.
  • You can copy the right command from the output of the error. This command will tell git that you want to push your branch to origin.

Task 5

  • Get the branches from your colleagues and inspect some of the changes they made.
Solution (Click on the arrow if you are stuck)
  • Execute the command git fetch. The output will tell you when there is a new branch available on origin.
  • Another option is to list all branches with git branch -a.
  • Check out a branch from someone else with git switch {branch}. Example: Remote has a branch test.
$ git branch -a
main
remotes/origin/test

Check out test with git switch test. Git will then create the local branch test and will track changes from origin/test. - Look at the creative contents in the filebrowser. - Repeat those steps for other participants. Remember to use git fetch from time to time. Maybe there are some new unseen branches for you.