Managing remote repositories

Adding a remote repository

To add a new remote, use the git remote add command on the terminal, in the directory your repository is stored at.

The git remote add command takes two arguments:

• A remote name, for example, origin
• A remote URL, for example, https://[hostname]/user/repo.git

For example:

$ git remote add origin https://hostname/user/repo.git
# Set a new remote

$ git remote -v
# Verify new remote
> origin  https://hostname/user/repo.git (fetch)
> origin  https://hostname/user/repo.git (push)

For more information on which URL to use, see "About remote repositories."

Troubleshooting: Remote origin already exists

This error means you've tried to add a remote with a name that already exists in your local repository.

$ git remote add origin https://hostname/octocat/Spoon-Knife.git
> fatal: remote origin already exists.

To fix this, you can:

• Use a different name for the new remote.
• Rename the existing remote repository before you add the new remote. For more information, see "Renaming a remote repository" below.
• Delete the existing remote repository before you add the new remote. For more information, see "Removing a remote repository" below.

Changing a remote repository's URL

The git remote set-url command changes an existing remote repository URL.

The git remote set-url command takes two arguments:

• An existing remote name. For example, origin or upstream are two common choices.
• A new URL for the remote. For example:
  • If you're updating to use HTTPS, your URL might look like:

    https://[hostname]/USERNAME/REPOSITORY.git

  • If you're updating to use SSH, your URL might look like:

    git@hostname:USERNAME/REPOSITORY.git

Switching remote URLs from SSH to HTTPS

1. Open TerminalTerminalGit Bash.