Changing Git Default Branch from Master to Main on Command Line (Cli)
I'd Like to Change My Default Branch from Master to Main - I Have Done the Following Locally: Git Branch -M Master Main Git Push Origin Main Git Symbolic-Ref...
I'd like to change my default branch from master to main - I have done the following locally:
git branch -m master main
git push origin main
git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD refs/remotes/origin/main
Now when I do:
git branch -a
I get the following:
* main
remotes/origin/HEAD -> origin/main
remotes/origin/main
remotes/origin/master
When I try and delete the master branch I get an error:
! [remote rejected] master (deletion of the current branch prohibited)
On my git server when I do:
git branch
I get the following:
main
* master
Contents on the remote (ll -a) are below:
drwxrwxr-x 7 ubuntu ubuntu 4096 Oct 21 08:56 ./
drwxr-xr-x 46 ubuntu ubuntu 4096 Sep 4 12:20 ../
-rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 23 Feb 23 2021 HEAD
drwxrwxr-x 2 ubuntu ubuntu 4096 Feb 23 2021 branches/
-rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 66 Feb 23 2021 config
-rw-rw-r-- 1 ubuntu ubuntu 73 Feb 23 2021 description
drwxrwxr-x 2 ubuntu ubuntu 4096 Feb 23 2021 hooks/
drwxrwxr-x 2 ubuntu ubuntu 4096 Feb 23 2021 info/
drwxrwxr-x 46 ubuntu ubuntu 4096 Oct 21 09:48 objects/
drwxrwxr-x 4 ubuntu ubuntu 4096 Feb 23 2021 refs/
So my question (finally) is how do I repoint my remote branch to main so I can delete master, locally and remotely?
1 Answer
You have to change the HEAD pointer directly on the server as well, not only on the clones using it as a remote. This can probably be done in two ways:
Change the remote HEAD to the new branch, then delete the old one:
git symbolic-ref HEAD refs/heads/main git branch -d masterOr delete the new branch, then rename the old one (and re-push commits):
git branch -d main git branch -m main
(Note that git remote set-head -a can be used on clones to automatically update origin/HEAD after it's changed on the server.)
Alexander Ross has covered the video game industry for a decade, writing deep dives on game design, esports tournaments, VR developments, and gaming culture.
