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Anonymous Coward
Asked: 2020-03-31 22:33:34 +0800 CST 2020-03-31 22:33:34 +0800 CST

What is the master branch in git?

  • 772

When I create a new project in git it contains one and only one branch, the master branch:

~> cd test
~/test> echo "Prueba de git" > Readme.md
~/test> git init
Initialized empty Git repository in /home/jose/test/.git/
~/test> git add .
~/test> git commit -m "Prueba git"
Created initial commit 0babea8: Prueba git
 1 files changed, 1 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 Readme.md
~/test> git branch
* master

If I clone a project I find that it may have many remote branches:

$ git clone https://github.com/git/git
$ cd git
$ git branch -r
  origin/HEAD -> origin/master
  origin/maint
  origin/master
  origin/next
  origin/pu
  origin/todo

And that as a result of cloning there is only one local branch, the master branch:

$ git branch
* master

Is there something special about the master branch, is it different from the branches I create with git branch? Is it mandatory? Will something bad happen if I delete it?

git

3 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    When you clone a repository you also clone its branches, not only the one master(the master one, which is created by default), but it saves them inside the "remote" repository and doesn't make it "local" until we use checkout.

    Using git branch -ayou will be able to see all and using git checkout todoyou will be able to switch to the branch todoand see that the content of the repository changes, at which point you will also be able to see that branch as local using git branch -a.

    Take a look at the documentation: https://git-scm.com/book/en/v1/Ramifications-on-Git-Remote-Branches

    Checking out a local branch from a remote branch automatically creates what we might call a " tracking branch " [...]

    If you're on a tracking branch and you type the command git push, Git automatically knows which server and which branch to push the contents of [...]

    When you clone a repository, it usually automatically creates a branch masterthat tracks the origin/master. And that is why git pushand git pullwork directly, without the need for further arguments.

    Answers:

    Is there something special about the master branch?

    It is the one created by default, and as you will see in the rest of my answers there is nothing special about it.

    NOTE: Keep in mind that some applications might assume that branch should exist. Also, as I explain in the comments, if you delete the branch masteryou should delete any reference (even a HEAD) that points to a commit of it.

    Is it different from the branches I create with git branch?

    Nope.

    Is it mandatory?

    Nope.

    Will something bad happen if I delete it?

    No, it will be deleted like any other branch, but you will first have to unite checkoutto a different branch (or create it if you don't have any other branches):

      $ git branch -D master
error: Cannot delete the branch 'master' which you are currently on.

  $ git checkout todo
Branch todo set up to track remote branch todo from origin.
Switched to a new branch 'todo'

  $ git branch -D master
Eliminada la rama master (era b14f27f)
    • 20

  2. Summarizing it can be said that it is the first to be created. Its use is usually intended to be the main branch of the project, where the latest stable and functional production version of the project is found or should always be found.

    The rest of the branches are usually used to make modifications to the project, such as develop, hotfix, beta, etc... And once that version is tested and finalized, it is uploaded as the definitive version to the master branch.

    On the official GIT page they explain exactly how the master branch works .

    • 0

  3. Branches are used to develop functionality isolated from each other. The master branch is the "default" branch when you create a repository. Create new branches during development and merge them into the main branch when you're done. Create a new branch called "feature_x" and switch to it using

    git checkout -b feature_x

    go back to main branch

    git checkout master

    and delete the branch

    git branch -d feature_x

    A new branch will not be available to others unless you push the branch to your remote repository.

    git push origin <branch>

    Source source: http://rogerdudler.github.io/git-guide/index.es.html

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