100 Days of DevOps: Day 23

Mastering Git: A Guide to Forking

Git forking is a crucial collaboration model that involves creating a personal copy of a project repository. Unlike cloning, which creates a local copy, forking creates a server-side copy of the original repository under your own account. It's an essential practice in open-source development, allowing you to contribute to a project without directly affecting the original codebase.

Why Forking is Important

Forking is important for several key reasons:

• Non-destructive experimentation: It allows you to make changes, experiment, and develop new features in your own copy of the repository without risking the integrity of the original project. This is especially vital in large-scale open-source projects where many developers are contributing.
• Encourages collaboration: By forking, you're able to work independently on a feature or bug fix. Once your changes are complete, you can submit a pull request to the original repository, proposing your changes to be merged.
• Permissionless contributions: You don't need write access to the original repository to make a contribution. This democratizes the development process and allows anyone to suggest improvements or fixes.

Steps to Fork a Repository

1. Fork the repository: Navigate to the original repository on a platform like GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket. Look for the 'Fork' button, usually located in the top-right corner, and click it. This creates a new copy of the repository under your account.

2. Clone your forked repository: Now, you need a local copy of your new, personal repository. Use the git clone command with the URL of your forked repository.
   

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/repository-name.git
   

3. Add the original repository as an 'upstream' remote: To keep your forked repository in sync with the original project, it's a best practice to add a remote called upstream.
   

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

4. Fetch and merge changes from upstream: Before you start working, it's crucial to pull the latest changes from the original repository into your local branch.
   

   git fetch upstream
   git merge upstream/main # or 'upstream/master'
   

5. Create a new branch for your work: To keep your changes isolated and organized, create a new branch.
   

   git checkout -b my-new-feature
   

6. Make your changes, commit, and push: Once you've made your changes, stage and commit them.
   

   git add .
   git commit -m "feat: adding my new feature"
   git push origin my-new-feature
   

7. Open a pull request: After pushing your changes to your fork, go back to the original repository on the hosting platform. You'll likely see a prompt to create a pull request. This signals to the original maintainers that you have changes you'd like to propose for inclusion in their project.