Copy all upstream branches after forking only main branch

If you’ve forked a Git repository but only have the main (or master) branch locally, you can fetch and track other remote branches from the original repository (upstream) into your fork. Here’s how:

Step 1: Add the Original Repository as upstream

If you haven’t already, add the original repo as a remote named upstream:

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

Verify remotes:

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git remote -v
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# Should show:
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# origin    https://github.com/your-username/forked-repo.git (fetch/push)
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# upstream  https://github.com/original-owner/original-repo.git (fetch)

Step 2: Fetch All Branches from Upstream

Fetch all branches and their commits from the original repository:

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git fetch upstream

This downloads all branches (e.g., feature, dev, etc.) but doesn’t create local copies yet.

Step 3: List Available Remote Branches

Check which branches exist upstream:

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git branch -r  # Shows remote branches (upstream/*)

Example output:

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upstream/main
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upstream/feature-x
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upstream/dev

Step 4: Create Local Branches Tracking Upstream

For each branch you want to copy (e.g., feature-x), create a local branch that tracks the upstream version:

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git checkout -b feature-x upstream/feature-x

This:

1. Creates a local branch feature-x.
2. Sets it to track upstream/feature-x.
3. Switches you to the new branch.

Repeat for other branches you need.

Step 5: Push Branches to Your Fork (Optional)

To make these branches available in your fork (on GitHub/GitLab), push them to origin:

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git push origin feature-x

Now they’ll appear in your fork’s remote repository.

Alternative: One-Liner to Copy All Branches

To copy all upstream branches to local and push them to your fork:

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git fetch upstream
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for branch in $(git branch -r | grep -vE "HEAD|main"); do
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  git checkout -b ${branch#upstream/} $branch
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  git push origin ${branch#upstream/}
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done

This script:

1. Fetches all upstream branches.
2. Loops through each (excluding HEAD and main).
3. Creates local branches and pushes them to your fork.

Key Notes

• Tracking Branches: Local branches will track upstream (original repo). To track your fork instead:

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  git branch -u origin/feature-x feature-x

• Avoid Conflicts: If branches already exist locally, use git checkout -B to reset them.
• Permissions: Ensure you have push access to your fork (origin).

Let me know if you need help with a specific branch or error!