How do I push a new local branch to a remote Git repository and track it too?

To push a new local branch to a remote Git repository and set up tracking (so git pull/git push work without extra arguments), use the following command:

git push -u origin <branch-name>

Breakdown:

• -u or --set-upstream: Links your local branch to the remote branch, enabling automatic tracking.
• origin: The name of the remote repository (default is origin).
• <branch-name>: Replace with your local branch name.

Example Workflow:

1. Create and switch to a new local branch:

   git checkout -b feature/login

2. Commit some changes:

   git add .
   git commit -m "Add login page"

3. Push to the remote repository and set tracking:

   git push -u origin feature/login

What This Does:

• Creates the remote branch feature/login (if it doesn’t exist).
• Sets up tracking so future commands like git pull/git push work without specifying the remote branch.

Verify Tracking:

git branch -vv
# Output:
# * feature/login  a1b2c3d [origin/feature/login] Add login page

Key Notes:

• First Push: Use -u only once. Subsequent pushes can use git push alone.
• Existing Branches: If the remote branch already exists, use git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/<branch-name> to link it retroactively.