Managing Multiple Remotes

A single Git repository can connect to multiple remotes simultaneously. The most common use case is open source contribution: "origin" points to your personal fork and "upstream" points to the original project.

01.The Fork + Upstream Workflow

Classic open source setup: Fork the project on GitHub (creates your copy under your account). Clone your fork — this sets origin to your fork automatically. Add the original repo as "upstream". You push your work to origin (your fork) and open pull requests. You sync from upstream to stay current with the original project.

Distributed Architecture

💻

Your Local

push / pull

☁️

GitHub (Remote)

push / pull

💻

Teammate's Local

02.Keeping Your Fork in Sync

When the original project gets new commits, you need to sync. Fetch from upstream to download new commits into remote-tracking branches. Then merge or rebase upstream/main into your local main. Then push to origin to update your fork on GitHub. This is the complete sync loop.

Branch Visualization

main

feature

HEAD

Commands

commands — click to reveal output

git remote add upstream https://github.com/original/repo.git

Add the original repo as upstream

git remote -v

Verify both remotes are configured

▼ show output

git fetch upstream

Download latest commits from the original project

git rebase upstream/main

Replay your work on top of the latest original main

git push origin main

Update your fork on GitHub with the synced changes

KNOWLEDGE CHECK

In open source contribution, what does "upstream" typically refer to?

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