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Git Remotes

A remote is a named repository location, commonly origin. The name is local configuration and does not prove a particular host or owner.

How it works

We create a bare repository beside the desk and register it as origin. Bare repositories store history without a normal checked-out working tree, which makes them useful as local exchange points. The example uses paths rather than a network URL so no credential or internet service is needed.

Run the disposable lab

Use Windows PowerShell 5.1 or later and Git 2.28 or later. The reviewed CLI is Git for Windows 2.53.0.windows.2. These are PowerShell examples, not Git Bash commands. Save the download as remotes.ps1 in a separate empty learning folder and run it in a separate process: powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\remotes.ps1. The execution-policy option applies to that process, not your machine policy.

The script creates bhylu-git-remotes and refuses an existing folder. It supplies two fictional seed files and repository-local settings, then runs the lesson commands. The literal separator is quoted as '--' so PowerShell passes it through the guard. A guard function named git calls the real CLI and stops on unexpected failures; Expect-GitFailure checks deliberately refused operations. Child-process configuration isolates your personal Git settings. File transports are allowed only for owned local remotes; internet transports are disabled in this lab. No hosting account, Apache or MySQL service is required. There is no Git playground. Leave the generated folder for inspection; choose another empty parent to run again.

Download the complete remotes.ps1 lab

Example

remotes.ps1

# Bhylu Git lab: Remotes
# Run in a separate PowerShell process, in an empty learning folder.
# Existing lab folders are refused; nothing is pushed to an internet host.
$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
$script:GitExe = (Get-Command git -CommandType Application | Select-Object -First 1).Source
$script:LabRoot = Join-Path (Get-Location) 'bhylu-git-remotes'
if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $script:LabRoot) { throw 'Lab folder already exists. Choose another empty parent folder.' }
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $script:LabRoot | Out-Null
$env:GIT_CONFIG_NOSYSTEM = '1'
$env:GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL = Join-Path $script:LabRoot 'empty-global-config'
[IO.File]::WriteAllText($env:GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL, '')
$env:GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT = '0'
$env:GIT_EDITOR = 'true'
$env:GIT_SEQUENCE_EDITOR = 'true'
$env:GIT_AUTHOR_DATE = '2026-01-10T10:00:00+00:00'
$env:GIT_COMMITTER_DATE = $env:GIT_AUTHOR_DATE
function git {
    & $script:GitExe -c protocol.allow=never -c protocol.file.allow=always @args
    if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw "Git exited with code $LASTEXITCODE" }
}
function Expect-GitFailure {
    & $script:GitExe -c protocol.allow=never -c protocol.file.allow=always @args
    if ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 0) { throw 'Expected Git to refuse this operation' }
}
function Assert-Equal($Actual, $Expected) {
    if ((($Actual | Out-String).Trim()) -cne (($Expected | Out-String).Trim())) { throw "Expected [$Expected], got [$Actual]" }
}
function Write-LabFile([string]$Name, [string]$Text) {
    $target = [IO.Path]::GetFullPath((Join-Path (Get-Location) $Name))
    if (!$target.StartsWith($script:LabRoot + [IO.Path]::DirectorySeparatorChar, [StringComparison]::OrdinalIgnoreCase)) { throw 'Path outside lab' }
    [IO.Directory]::CreateDirectory([IO.Path]::GetDirectoryName($target)) | Out-Null
    [IO.File]::WriteAllText($target, ($Text.Replace('\n', "`n") + "`n"), (New-Object Text.UTF8Encoding($false)))
}
function New-LabRepo([string]$Name) {
    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $Name | Out-Null
    Push-Location $Name
    try {
        git init --initial-branch=main
        git config --local user.name 'Repair Lab'
        git config --local user.email 'repair@example.invalid'
        git config --local core.autocrlf false
        git config --local commit.gpgSign false
        git config --local tag.gpgSign false
        git config --local core.hooksPath (Join-Path $script:LabRoot 'empty-hooks')
        Write-LabFile 'notes.md' 'Inspect hinge'
        Write-LabFile 'tasks.txt' 'desk=open'
        git add '--' notes.md tasks.txt
        git commit -m 'Record initial repair plan'
    } finally { Pop-Location }
}
Push-Location $script:LabRoot
try {
    New-LabRepo 'desk'
    Set-Location desk
    git init --bare --initial-branch=main ../shared.git
    git remote add origin ../shared.git
    git push -u origin main
    Assert-Equal (git remote get-url origin) @('../shared.git')
    Assert-Equal (git --git-dir=../shared.git rev-parse --is-bare-repository) @('true')
    git remote -v
    Write-Output 'Verified: remotes'
} finally { Pop-Location }
Focus on the lesson commands

This excerpt omits the seed repository and guard helpers. Use the complete download to run it.

Lesson excerpt

git init --bare --initial-branch=main ../shared.git
git remote add origin ../shared.git
git push -u origin main
Assert-Equal (git remote get-url origin) @('../shared.git')
Assert-Equal (git --git-dir=../shared.git rev-parse --is-bare-repository) @('true')
git remote -v

Expected result

origin points to ../shared.git and the exchange repository is bare.

The complete script ends with Verified: remotes only after its checks pass. Object IDs, temporary paths and progress output can differ.

A push URL may differ from a fetch URL, and multiple remotes can serve different roles. Inspect the configured destination before sending real work. This local exercise tests Git transport and references, not an internet provider’s permissions or availability.

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