git pull

Two operations stapled together. Know which staple.

🎯 What & why

Run git fetch followed by either git merge or git rebase. Convenient. Also the easiest way to surprise yourself with a merge commit when you didn't want one.

🧠 Mental model

pull = fetch + (merge or rebase), depending on pull.rebase config. Default behavior is merge: a merge commit appears if you and upstream both moved. With pull --rebase your local commits are replayed on top of the upstream tip — linear history, but rewritten.

🛠️ Synopsis

git pull [<options>] [<repository> [<refspec>...]]

🎚️ Switches & options

Flag	What it does
`--rebase[=true\|false\|merges\|interactive]`	Use rebase instead of merge.
`--ff-only`	Refuse if a fast-forward isn't possible. Safer default for some workflows.
`--no-commit`	Like `merge --no-commit` — stage the merge but let you edit before committing.
`--all`	Pull from all remotes.
`--autostash`	Stash dirty changes before pulling, pop after.

💡 Use cases

Quickly bring your branch up to date when no one else has touched it.
Daily 'sync with main' workflow.

🧪 Examples

Standard pull on the current branch.

$ git pull

Rebase instead of merging.

$ git pull --rebase

Refuse non-fast-forward (safe).

$ git pull --ff-only

Pull with autostash so dirty work doesn't block it.

$ git pull --autostash

🎓 Recommendations

Set pull.rebase = true and pull.ff = only globally. You'll thank yourself.
If you don't want a merge commit, never run a default git pull.
On a feature branch, prefer git fetch && git rebase origin/main.

🪤 Common pitfalls

Default pull can create a merge commit you didn't ask for — pull.rebase=false, both sides moved.
pull --rebase rewrites your local commits. If you've already pushed, you'll need --force-with-lease afterwards.
Pulling into a dirty working tree fails. Use --autostash or commit/stash first.

🔗 Related modules

📝 Quiz

Hit each option, then Check answers. Score is recorded; Next is always open.