Git question: I want to pull a GitHub repository to my empty local folder. Should I clone it or pull it?

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It depends on whether the local folder already has a Git repository linked to the remote repository.

If You Don’t Have a Local Copy Yet:

You should clone the repository. The git clone command will copy the entire repository (including all branches and commit history) from the remote server to your local machine. For example:

git clone <repository-URL>

This will create a new folder containing the repository.

If You Already Have a Local Copy:

You should pull to fetch and merge the latest changes from the remote repository into your local branch. The git pull command does the following:

  1. Fetches updates from the remote branch.
  2. Merges them into your current local branch.

Use this command inside the folder of your existing local repository:

git pull

Summary:

  • git clone: When you’re setting up the repository locally for the first time.
  • git pull: When you already have the repository and want to sync it with the remote.