difference between git remote and git clone

Question

What is the difference between git remote and git clone?

Comments

I didn't understand the git remote

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In simple terms, git remote does not give you the actual repository, you only have the reference to the original repo.

Answer 1

They are two completely different things.

git remote is used to refer to a remote repository or your central repository.

For e.g: When you want to add a remote repository as your origin, you use this command:

git clone is used to copy or clone a different repository.

To learn more about the git commands, read this blog:

Git Tutorial | Commands And Operations In Git | Edureka

Answer 2

git remote add just creates an entry in your git config that specifies a name for a particular URL. You must have an existing git repo to use this.

git clone creates a new git repository by copying an existing one located at the URI you specify.

Try this out:

# git clone REMOTEURL foo

and:

 # mkdir foo
 # cd foo
 # git init
 # git remote add origin REMOTEURL
 # git pull origin master

Now there are minor differences, but fundamentally you probably won't notice them. As an exercise left to the reader, compare the .git/config's from each directory.

Answer 3

HI....

GIT REMOTE add just creates an entry in your git configuring  that specifies a name for a particular URL. You must have an existing git report  to use this.

GIT CLONE creates a new git repository by copying an existing one located at the URL you specify.

The differences between git clone and git remote:

git clone:

Will physically download the files into your computer. It will take space from your computer. If the repo is 200Mb, then it will download that all and place it in the directory you cloned.

git remote add:

Won't take space! It's more like a pointer! It doesn't increase your disk consumption. It just gets a snapshot of what branches are available and their git commit history I believe. It doesn't contain the actual file/folders of your project.

If you do:

git remote add TechLeadRepo  git://github.com/user/test.git

then you haven't added anything to your computer. After you've added it in your remote branches then you're able to get a list of all branches on that remote by doing:

git fetch --all

upon fetching (or pulling), you download the files And then if you wanted to do get your colleague's feature22 branch into your local, you'd just do

git checkout -b myLocalFeature22 TechLeadRepo/feature22

Had you cloned his repo then you would have to go into that local repository's directory and simply just checkout to your desired branch

i  hope this information may help you