Re: master^ is not a local branch -- huh?!?

["Octavio Alvarez" <alvarezp@alvarezp.ods.org>]

On Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:20:46 -0800, Ron1 <ron1@flownet.com> wrote:

> [ron@mickey]$ git checkout master
> Already on 'master'
> [ron@mickey]$ git checkout master^
> Note: moving to 'master^' which isn't a local branch
> If you want to create a new branch from this checkout, you may do so
> (now or later) by using -b with the checkout command again. Example:
>   git checkout -b <new_branch_name>
> HEAD is now at 7be05e0... test
> [ron@mickey]$ git branch
> * (no branch)
>   master
> [ron@mickey]$
>
> Huh?!?
>
> This is a test repository which has never been pulled from nor pushed to
> anywhere.  So how is it possible that I have a non-local branch?

"Is a non-local branch" is not the same as "is not a local branch".

Think "branches" as tags that advance when you commit over them.

If you do gitk --all, only those commits with a green tag are
"branches".

It means that if you switch to master^ and commit, your commit will
be applied but not tracked (since there is not any branch to advance).

You would need to do git checkout -b 'new_branch', and then commit.
Now, new_branch will advance with your new commit.