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I want to sync a repo I forked on Github with the original.

Is there any way I can do that using only the Github for Mac client and/or the Web interface?

If not, is there a GUI client (for Mac OS X) that I can use to do that?

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3 Answers

up vote 7 down vote accepted

GitHub for Mac does not support multiple Git remotes. It only works with the origin remote.

I read through the Git OS X clients listed in this answer at SO and culled the ones that indicate support for remotes and push/pull.

supports push, pull, fetch (for all protocols), tag and branch management, merge, remotes management

Gitbox push and pull, rebase, branch reset and cherry picking


In the Sidebar right-click on the "Remotes" section header or click on the "plus" button at the bottom and choose "Add New Remote Repository...".

GitX (L)
possibly through gitX

obviously this is quite easy With the commandline:

git remote add upstream git://github.com/octocat/Spoon-Knife.git

git fetch upstream

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I personally use SourceTree and highly recommend it. It's highly supported and very easy to use. –  KronoS Jun 18 '12 at 16:31
Using SourceTree, how would you add a remote and sync your repo with it? –  julien_c Jun 19 '12 at 8:42
@JeremyW done.... –  KronoS Jun 19 '12 at 15:59
@julien_c You should be able to add a new remote repository within "Settings" (top right). Name it something other than "origin" and the "fetch" option should allow you to select the repository you just added. –  Jeremy W Jun 19 '12 at 23:00
Thanks to you both for your help. I hope they'll add multiple remotes to Github for Mac, as it seems to me to be the most frequent use case on Github (Fork, then cycles of "Commit to your fork, pull request to upstream repo, wait, sync with upstream repo") –  julien_c Jun 20 '12 at 7:47
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Source Tree Logo from website

I've personally used SourceTree and highly recommend it. It's packed full of features, and is compatible with multiple repo services including kiln and github. The program is very easy to use, and highly supported. They even have their own Q/A site where if you run into problems you can ask questions (the interface is very similar to Stack Exchanges very own).

I use kiln solely, and have never dabbled with github, so I'm not for sure what it is exactly that you're trying to do but I do know that you can fork, and merge forks in the repo using the Git and that SourceTree supports doing that as well. I would look into that functionality and see if that is what you are looking to do.

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Might I suggest Bazaar?

With the git plugin, the Bazaar GUI (or CLI) will work quite well with Git. I have used it to fork a Git, but not to sync back with it (although I know it supports this behavior).

You could build a Bazaar branch from you local Git fork, and then use bazaar to 'push' your new branch back to the original.



I am not 100% sure if the Git plugin is included with the Mac install (since I dont have a Mac). But I know it is for Windows, and I have installed the plugin to Linux painlessly.

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