[[def_refspec]]refspec::
A "refspec" is used by <<def_fetch,fetch>> and
<<def_push,push>> to describe the mapping between remote
- <<def_ref,ref>> and local ref. They are combined with a colon in
- the format <src>:<dst>, preceded by an optional plus sign, +.
- For example: `git fetch $URL
- refs/heads/master:refs/heads/origin` means "grab the master
- <<def_branch,branch>> <<def_head,head>> from the $URL and store
- it as my origin branch head". And `git push
- $URL refs/heads/master:refs/heads/to-upstream` means "publish my
- master branch head as to-upstream branch at $URL". See also
- linkgit:git-push[1].
+ <<def_ref,ref>> and local ref.
[[def_remote_tracking_branch]]remote-tracking branch::
- A regular Git <<def_branch,branch>> that is used to follow changes from
- another <<def_repository,repository>>. A remote-tracking
- branch should not contain direct modifications or have local commits
- made to it. A remote-tracking branch can usually be
- identified as the right-hand-side <<def_ref,ref>> in a Pull:
- <<def_refspec,refspec>>.
+ A <<def_ref,ref>> that is used to follow changes from another
+ <<def_repository,repository>>. It typically looks like
+ 'refs/remotes/foo/bar' (indicating that it tracks a branch named
+ 'bar' in a remote named 'foo'), and matches the right-hand-side of
+ a configured fetch <<def_refspec,refspec>>. A remote-tracking
+ branch should not contain direct modifications or have local
+ commits made to it.
[[def_repository]]repository::
A collection of <<def_ref,refs>> together with an