(Note: starting Oct. 2020, any new repository is created with the default branch main, not master. And you can rename existing repository default branch from master to main.
The rest of this 2014 answer has been updated to use «main«)
(The following assumes github.com itself is not down, as eri0o points out in the comments: see www.githubstatus.com to be sure)
If the GitHub repo has seen new commits pushed to it, while you were working locally, I would advise using:
git pull --rebase
git push
The full syntax is:
git pull --rebase origin main
git push origin main
With Git 2.6+ (Sept. 2015), after having done (once)
git config --global pull.rebase true
git config --global rebase.autoStash true
A simple git pull would be enough.
(Note: with Git 2.27 Q2 2020, a merge.autostash is also available for your regular pull, without rebase)
That way, you would replay (the --rebase part) your local commits on top of the newly updated origin/main (or origin/yourBranch: git pull origin yourBranch).
See a more complete example in the chapter 6 Pull with rebase of the Git Pocket Book.
I would recommend a:
# add and commit first
#
git push -u origin main
# Or git 2.37 Q2 2022+
git config --global push.autoSetupRemote true
git push
That would establish a tracking relationship between your local main branch and its upstream branch.
After that, any future push for that branch can be done with a simple:
git push
Again, with Git 2.37+ and its global option push.autoSetupRemote, a simple git push even for the first one would do the same (I.e: establishing a tracking relationship between your local main branch and its upstream branch origin/main).
See «Why do I need to explicitly push a new branch?».
Since the OP already reset and redone its commit on top of origin/main:
git reset --mixed origin/main
git add .
git commit -m "This is a new commit for what I originally planned to be amended"
git push origin main
There is no need to pull --rebase.
Note: git reset --mixed origin/main can also be written git reset origin/main, since the --mixed option is the default one when using git reset.
When collaborating with other developers using Git, you might encounter the error: failed to push some refs to [remote repo] error.
This error mainly occurs when you attempt to push your local changes to GitHub while the local repository (repo) has not yet been updated with any changes made in the remote repo.
So Git is trying to tell you to update the local repo with the current changes in the remote before pushing your own changes. This is necessary so that you don’t override the changes made by others.
We’ll be discussing two possible ways of fixing this error in the sections that follow.
We can fix the error: failed to push some refs to [remote repo] error in Git using the git pull origin [branch] or git pull --rebase origin [branch] commands. In most cases, the latter fixes the error.
Let’s go over how you can use the commands above.
How to Fix error: failed to push some refs to Error in Git Using git pull
To send a pull request means to «fetch» new changes made to the remote repo and merge them with the local repo.
Once the merging is done, you can then push your own code changes to GitHub.
In our case, we’re trying to get rid of the error: failed to push some refs to [remote repo] error by sending a pull request.
Here’s how you can do that:
git pull origin mainIf you’re working with a different branch, then you’d have to replace main in the example above with the name of your branch.
Just keep in mind that there are chances of failure when using this command to sync your remote and local repos to get rid of the error. If the request succeeds, then go on and run the command below to push your own changes:
git push -u origin mainIf the error persists, you’ll get an error that says: fatal: refusing to merge unrelated histories. In that case, use the solution in the next section.
How to Fix error: failed to push some refs to Error in Git Using git pull --rebase
The git pull --rebase command is helpful in situations where your local branch is a commit behind the remote branch.
To fix the error, go on and run following commands:
git pull --rebase origin main
git push -u origin main If the first command above runs successfully, you should get a response that says: Successfully rebased and updated refs/heads/main.
The second command pushes your local repo’s current state to the remote branch.
Summary
In this article, we talked about the error: failed to push some refs to [remote repo] error.
This error occurs when you attempt to push your local changes to the remote repo without updating your local repo with new changes made to the remote repo.
We discussed two commands that you can use to fix the error: the git pull origin [branch] and git pull --rebase origin [branch] commands.
I hope this helps you fix the error.
Happy coding!
Learn to code for free. freeCodeCamp’s open source curriculum has helped more than 40,000 people get jobs as developers. Get started
Git can be an incredibly simple version control system (VCS) to pick up and use. However, under its hood are some complex workflows and commands. This can also mean errors from time to time. Git’s “error: failed to push some refs to” is one of the more frustrating because you may not understand how to resolve it.
You often see this error when pushing to remote repositories when working as part of a team. This complicates the situation somewhat and means you may have to hunt out the source of the issue to make sure you can manage it both now and in the future.
In this tutorial, we look at how you can fix Git’s “error: failed to push some refs to”. Let’s start with what this error means before we move on to the fix.
What the “Error: Failed to Push Some Refs To” Is in Git?
Git’s “error: failed to push some refs to” is a common and sometimes complex issue. In a nutshell, you could see this when you attempt to push changes to a remote repository. The error indicates that the push operation was unsuccessful for some of the references, such as branches or tags.
You can see the error in a few different situations:
- A common scenario is when you try to push changes to a remote repository, but a team member has already pushed changes to the same branch. In this case, Git detects a conflict between the local and remote repositories. As such, you can’t push changes until you resolve the conflict.
- You might also see this error if the remote repository’s branch sees an update or modification, but your local repo is out of date. Git will prevent you from pushing changes to avoid overwriting or losing any changes made by others.
The error message tells you that Git has encountered issues while trying to push some references, usually specific branches, to the remote repo. However, it doesn’t provide specific details about the problems. Instead, it prompts you to investigate further to identify the cause of the failed push.
We’ll give you a full tutorial on how to resolve the “error: failed to push some refs to” later in the article. However, in short, to resolve the error, you need to synchronize your local repository with the changes in the remote one. You would pull the latest changes from remote, merge any conflicting changes, then attempt the push again.
Why “Error: Failed to Push Some Refs To” Occurs?
The “error: failed to push some refs to” is essentially a mismatch in certain references between the local and remote repos. However, there are a few deeper reasons why this error may occur:
- Conflicting changes. Code conflicts represent one of the more common reasons for errors. Here, if someone pushes changes to the same branch before you, Git will detect a conflict and prevent you from overwriting those changes. Git will ask you to pull the latest changes from the remote repository and merge them with your local changes before you retry to push.
- Outdated local repository. If the branch you are trying to push has an update on the remote repo since your last pull or clone, your local repository might be behind. Git recognizes this inconsistency and will refuse a push to avoid losing any changes.
- Insufficient permissions. The “error: failed to push some refs to” message could appear if you don’t have sufficient permissions to push changes to remote. For this, you’ll need to speak with the repo administrator before you can try again.
- Repository configuration. The error can also occur if you misconfigure the remote repository or the Git configuration itself. For instance, you could have incorrect access URLs, authentication issues, or invalid repository settings. All can lead to failed pushes.
Most of the ways to resolve this error involve synchronizing the local and remote repositories. Over the next few sections, we will look at how to fix the error, then look at how you can prevent the issue from appearing in the future.
How To Fix the “Error: Failed to Push Some Refs To” in Git (2 Quick Steps)
While our tutorial on how to fix Git’s “error: failed to push some refs to” looks lengthy, the steps are straightforward. In fact, there are only two. For the first, you want to make sure there are no simple issues you can resolve.
1. Make Sure You’re Not Making a Straightforward Error
As with many other errors you encounter, it’s a good idea to take care of the basics first. It makes sense to ensure the fundamentals are present and correct before you dig into (slightly) more complex solutions.
For this first step, we look at some of the straightforward ways you can resolve the “error: failed to push some refs to” in Git before we consider pushing and pulling options.
Ensure You’re Using the Right Repository Pair
You could consider this check as an equivalent to “Have you turned the computer on at the wall?” It’s important to check whether you are pushing and pulling to and from the right repos before you check anything else.
First, check over the remote repo. Within your preferred Terminal app, use the git remote -v command to view all of the configured remote repos. You want to confirm that the remote repository URL matches the intended repo.
Next, you want to confirm that you’ll push changes to the correct branch. To do this, use git branch, then verify the branch name that shows:
If you need to switch branches, simply use git checkout <branch-name>.
From here, use git status to check for any errors or unresolved conflicts in your local repo changes. Before you attempt to push changes again, make sure you resolve any conflicts or errors you see.
When you’re ready, you can add changes to the staging area using git add <file> for individual files, or git add . to stage all changes.
When you commit the changes, look to give it a descriptive message – one that includes brief details of the error will help create a richer message log for the repo. You can use the git commit -m "Your commit message" command and replace the placeholder with your actual message.
Next, you can execute git pull origin <branch-name> to fetch and merge the latest changes from the remote repository. Again, you should resolve any conflicts that arise during the merge process. When this completes, retry the push using git push origin <branch-name>.
Note that you may need to authenticate the push and provide credentials, which you should do. Regardless, once the push process completes, run git status to ensure there are no uncommitted changes or pending actions that remain.
Check Your Working Directory and Repo Status
Another basic check to help resolve the “error: failed to push some refs to” in Git is to check your working directory and status of the repository.
However, even if you don’t believe you have made a mistake with the command you execute, it’s a good idea to check for typos or other errors here. It may help to test your internet connection too. In short, check everything that could have an impact on the path between your local repo and remote.
From here, you can check on the status of your working directory. This is as simple as executing git status. Once you ensure that you’re staging all the changes you want to push, you can move on to looking at your repo’s status.
As with the other step, you can use git remote -v to verify the remote repository configuration. Here, check that the remote URL is correct. You should also confirm that you will push to the correct branch using git branch:
Once you know everything is in order, git fetch will grab the latest changes from the remote repository. From here, execute git merge origin/<branch-name> to merge the fetched changes into your local branch.
Again, resolve any merge conflicts, then retry the push using git push origin <branch-name>. You might need to authenticate the push, but regardless, run git status after to make sure the working branch is now clean.
2. Carry Out a Simple Git Push and Pull
Once you know that Git’s “error: failed to push some refs to” is not appearing due to simple and fundamental errors, you can begin to deal with your specific scenario. In most situations, you can use a push and pull to put things right again.
However, note that if you believe there’s a permissions issue, you should speak with your remote repo’s administrator. This will be the only way you can resolve the “error: failed to push some refs to” in Git.
For issues where you have conflicting changes or your local repo is behind the remote, you can run a git pull origin <branch-name> to fetch and merge the latest changes from the remote repository.
You may need to resolve any conflicts that arise during the merge process, but once you do this, commit the changes and run git push origin <branch-name> to push your changes to the remote repo.
However, if you have an incorrect remote repository URL or configuration, you can update it using git remote set-url origin <new-remote-url>.
This will set the correct URL for the remote repository. From here, look to reproduce the “error: failed to push some refs to”, which shouldn’t appear after.
How Can You Prevent “Error: Failed to Push Some Refs To” in Git Before It Becomes a Problem?
While the “error: failed to push some refs to” in Git can be a snap to resolve, you should try to ensure that the error doesn’t appear at all.
Before you begin work, it’s a good idea to verify your permissions. This may have to be through your repo owner or administrator. It’s also a solid idea to have effective communication with other developers working on the same repository. You should look to coordinate and agree on branching strategies, branch naming conventions, and other workflows to minimize conflicts and sync issues.
Apart from these communicative practices, there are a few technical considerations to make too:
- Use branches for collaboration and to reduce conflicts. If you create separate branches for different features or bug fixes, this lets your colleagues work without interfering with each other’s changes.
- Always look to pull the latest changes from the remote repo before you push your changes. As such, your local repository will be up-to-date. It also minimizes the chances of encountering a conflict or outdated reference.
- If a conflict arises during a pull, resolve it locally before attempting to push. Git provides tools to help identify and merge conflicting changes.
- Ensure that the remote repository’s URL is correct in your local repo. What’s more, review this on a regular basis using
git remote set-url origin <new-remote-url>if necessary. - Use staging environments to test and preview changes before you deploy them. This helps identify any issues early on and ensures a smooth deployment process.
From here, you should keep a close eye on the status of your repository and regularly perform maintenance tasks. This could be pulling updates, resolving conflicts, reviewing changes, and more. While you can’t eradicate the issue in full, these typical practices go some way to help minimize any disruptions.
How Kinsta Can Help You Use Git to Deploy Your Website
If you’re a Kinsta user, you have seamless integration and robust support for Git in the box. It’s of big value when it comes to managing your WordPress websites and applications, as well as for deployment.
The process lets you connect your Git repo directly to Kinsta. As such, you can automate deployment processes, streamline collaboration, and maintain a reliable VCS too. It uses Secure Shell (SSH) access to keep your connection safe and secure.
We think using Kinsta and Git offers a number of benefits. For instance, you could set up a continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipeline. For GitLab customers, you can even set up complete automation. This not only reduces human error but ensures your website is always up-to-date.
You also have flexibility when it comes to pushing and deployment. Many Kinsta users turn to WP Pusher, although Beanstalk and DeployBot also have fans.
Using Kinsta’s staging, you can test and preview changes before you deploy them. This is an ideal scenario for Git, as it can happen from the command line and slot into your automated process.
The best way to integrate Git with Kinsta is to locate your SSH credentials on the Info > SFTP/SSH screen.
With these credentials, you can log into your site from the command line. We have a complete guide on using Git with Kinsta within our documentation, and it’s essential reading regardless of whether you need to fix an error or not.
Summary
Git is arguably the best VCS on the market and provides most of the functionality you need to manage the code for your development projects. However, your project’s efficiency could slow to a crawl if you encounter an error. The “error: failed to push some refs to” in Git can be confusing, but it often has a straightforward resolution.
First, check that you don’t make any simple errors, such as using the right repo pair and working directory. From there, you simply need to carry out a push and pull to make sure every file and folder sync correctly.
What’s more, Kinsta is top-tier when it comes to Application and Database Hosting. You can deploy your full stack in minutes to your remote repo without the need to learn new workflows. This means you can minimize errors while you take advantage of our 25 data centers and resource-based pricing.
Do you have any questions about resolving Git’s “error: failed to push some refs to”? Ask away in the comments section below!
What is ‘failed to push some refs to’ error
failed to push some refs to is a Git error that many developers frequently face. It occurs when a developer attempts to push committed code to an external git repository, while the local repository has not yet been updated with any changes made in the remote repo. As a result, the ability to push code stops working suddenly, which can be a cause of frustration.
Here are some reasons why the failed to push some refs to error may occur:
- Changes are not committed before pushing
- Issues with Git pre-push hook
- Incorrect branch name
- Local repository not in sync with the Git repository.
These issues can occur because multiple contributors are working on the same branch and the remote repository is further along than what you currently have on your local machine.
When working in teams, git pushes can overlap, or ref heads could be in different positions. This overlap can cause the repository to be out of sync, which causes a failed to push some refs to error.
To fix this error, you can try these steps (learn more below):
- Run git pull origin to update local branch with changes from remote branch
- Perform rebasing using the git push –rebase origin command
- Use stash to save your local changes
Do not use –force. This is not recommended in most cases
What causes ‘failed to push some refs to’ error
When multiple developers work on the same branch, it can cause a sequencing issue in Git. A commit gets rejected and causes a failed to push some refs to error because the local repository has not been updated with any changes made in the remote repo. In other words, the remote branch contains code that you do not have locally.
What this means is that your local git repository is not compatible with the remote origin. Git is trying to tell you to update the local repo with the current changes in the remote before pushing your own changes.
Here is an abstraction of what incompatibility looks like in Git:
A -- B -- C -- D (on the remote) A -- B -- E (on your local machine)
Based on the above, your local machine is missing commits C and D. Meanwhile, you are trying to slot in your commit – E – between B and C on the remote repo.
Before Git lets you proceed, you will need to integrate the remote changes into your local repository. This step will fix any incompatibility issues and ensure that your version is up to date with the remote.
Steps you can try to fix ‘failed to push some refs to’ errors
Here are steps you can take to fix the failed to push some refs error in different scenarios.
1. Run git pull origin to update local branch with changes from remote branch
If another developer pushed a commit to the same branch, and this is the reason for the failed to push some refs error, the error in your terminal will look like this:
To [email protected]:sometest.git ! [rejected] your-branch -] your-branch (non-fast-forward)
When this occurs, the head sits at different positions on the same code timeline, and Git does not know how to handle it. This is because the origin repository is ahead of where you currently are. To fix this issue, run git pull on your local repository. This should allow you to push to origin again.
git pull origin [your-branch] git push origin [your-branch]
You can also use git pull origin master to fetch commits from the origin remote master branch, into the local origin/master branch. Git will then merge origin/master into the branch you currently have checked out.
2. Perform rebasing using the git push –rebase origin command
If you got a master (non-fast-forward) error with a failed to push some refs to error, this means the ref pointer was moved forward in the commit history. However, if your code diverges before it reaches the latest commit, it can cause the non-fast-forward issue and lead to a failed to push some refs to error.
To solve this issue, you can pull with the --rebase flag. --rebase will let you move your intended files to commit over to the latest pull code.
Here is how to pull with --rebase:
git pull --rebase origin [branch]
3. Use stash to save your local changes
If you got a master (fetch first) error with a failed to push some refs to error, this means someone has pushed to the branch before you. Git wants you to pull first before you can push your committed changes.
To prevent the loss of your work during the pull, you can stash your local changes.
Using –force is not recommended in most cases
A common suggested fix is to use --force flag to push through the local changes. However, it is good practice to avoid using the --force flag as it can cause inconsistency issues. Instead, use --rebase to move the ref heads and update your local repository without causing a divergence in the remote repository.
Using --force to try and fix the failed to push some refs to error will only result in more errors in the long run. This occurs because --force uses a brute force method that puts your current code and its ref head as the source of truth.
As a result, the changes in the remote can be overwritten by what you have pushed, removing any features or updates that other developers may have committed.
Only use --force if you are comfortable with features not on your local being overwritten with what you’ve currently got. Use the --force flag if you are confident that your local repository in its current state is correct.
How to prevent ‘failed to push some refs to’ errors
To prevent failed to push some refs to errors in Git, it is good practice to avoid having multiple developers work on the same branch simultaneously. Instead, use feature branches that merge into a master branch or something equivalent.
If you get a failed to push some refs to error, the main thing to do is git pull to bring your local repo up to date with the remote. Avoid employing the --force flag when using git pull and prevent other developers’ accidental overwrites of committed features.
Use the --rebase flag instead to avoid other errors from occurring while fixing your original failed to push some refs to error.
Kubernetes Troubleshooting with Komodor
We hope that the guide above helps you better understand the troubleshooting steps you need to fix the failed to push some refs to error.
Keep in mind that this is just one of many Git errors that can pop up in your K8s logs and cause the system to fail. Due to the complex and distributed nature of k8s, the search for the root cause of each such failure can be stressful, disorienting, and time-consuming.
This is why we created Komodor, which acts as a single source of truth (SSOT) to streamline and shorten your k8s troubleshooting processes. Among other features, it offers:
- Change intelligence: Every issue is a result of a change. Within seconds we can help you understand exactly who did what and when.
- In-depth visibility: A complete activity timeline, showing all code and config changes, deployments, alerts, code diffs, pod logs, etc. All within one pane of glass with easy drill-down options.
- Insights into service dependencies: An easy way to understand cross-service changes and visualize their ripple effects across your entire system.
- Seamless notifications: Direct integration with your existing communication channels (e.g., Slack) so you’ll have all the information you need, when you need it.
In this blog post, we will discuss the common Git error «failed to push some refs to remote» that often frustrates developers when working with Git repositories. This error might seem cryptic at first, but with a better understanding of the underlying issues, it becomes easier to address and resolve. As a professional developer using codedamn, you may encounter this error when pushing changes to a remote repository. This blog post will provide a detailed explanation of the causes and solutions for this error, as well as a FAQ section to address common questions.
Understanding the Error
Before diving into the solutions, let’s understand what the error message «failed to push some refs to remote» actually means. This error occurs when you attempt to push your local changes to a remote repository, and Git is unable to complete the operation for some reason. The error message provides some insight into the cause of the problem, but it’s essential to understand the underlying issues to address them effectively.
There are several reasons why this error might occur, and we will discuss the most common ones in this blog post:
- Local branch is behind the remote branch
- Non-fast-forward updates
- Conflicts between local and remote changes
- Permissions and authentication issues
Local Branch Behind the Remote Branch
One of the most common reasons for the «failed to push some refs to remote» error is that your local branch is behind the remote branch. This means that there have been changes on the remote branch that you do not have in your local branch.
How to Fix
To resolve this issue, you need to update your local branch with the changes from the remote branch. You can achieve this by using the git pull command or the git fetch followed by git merge commands.
git pull origin <branch_name>
or
git fetch origin git merge origin/<branch_name>
These commands will update your local branch with the changes from the remote branch, allowing you to push your changes without any issues.
Non-Fast-Forward Updates
Non-fast-forward updates occur when the commit history of your local branch is different from the commit history of the remote branch. This can happen if you have made changes to your local branch that are not present in the remote branch, or if someone else has pushed changes to the remote branch that you haven’t pulled yet.
How to Fix
To fix non-fast-forward updates, you can use the --force or --force-with-lease options when pushing your changes. However, using these options can result in data loss and should be used with caution.
git push --force origin <branch_name>
or
git push --force-with-lease origin <branch_name>
Alternatively, you can create a new branch, merge the changes from both the local and remote branches, and then push the new branch to the remote repository.
git checkout -b <new_branch_name> git merge <local_branch_name> git merge origin/<remote_branch_name> git push origin <new_branch_name>
Conflicts Between Local and Remote Changes
Conflicts can arise when the changes you made to your local branch conflict with the changes made to the remote branch. This can happen if two developers have made changes to the same file and are trying to push their changes simultaneously.
How to Fix
To fix conflicts between local and remote changes, you need to resolve the conflicts manually. You can use the git pull or git fetch followed by git merge commands to download the changes from the remote branch and initiate the conflict resolution process.
git pull origin <branch_name>
or
git fetch origin git merge origin/<branch_name>
Once you have resolved the conflicts, you can commit the changes and push them to the remote repository.
git add <conflicted_files> git commit -m "Resolved conflicts" git push origin <branch_name>
Permissions and Authentication Issues
Another possible cause of the «failed to push some refs to remote» error is insufficient permissions or authentication issues. This can occur if you do not have the necessary access rights to push changes to the remote repository or if your authentication credentials are incorrect.
How to Fix
To fix permissions and authentication issues, you need to ensure that you have the correct access rights to the remote repository and that your authentication credentials are valid. You can check your permissions on the remote repository’s hosting platform (e.g., GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket) and verify your authentication credentials using the git remote command.
git remote -v
If you need to update your authentication credentials, you can use the git remote set-url command.
git remote set-url origin <new_remote_URL>
FAQ
Why does Git require a pull before pushing changes?
Git requires a pull before pushing changes to ensure that the local and remote branches are in sync. This prevents conflicts and ensures that the commit history remains linear.
What is the difference between ‘git pull’ and ‘git fetch’?
git pull is a combination of git fetch and git merge. git fetch downloads changes from the remote branch but does not merge them, while git pull downloads the changes and merges them into your local branch.
Can I force push my changes without losing data?
Force pushing your changes with the --force or --force-with-lease options can result in data loss if done incorrectly. It is recommended to use these options with caution and only when necessary.
How can I prevent «failed to push some refs to remote» errors in the future?
To prevent this error in the future, always keep your local branch up-to-date with the remote branch by regularly pulling changes and resolving conflicts as they arise.
In conclusion, the «failed to push some refs to remote» error can be caused by various issues, including local branches being behind remote branches, non-fast-forward updates, conflicts between local and remote changes, and permissions and authentication issues. Understanding these causes and knowing how to fix them is essential for any developer working with Git repositories. By following the steps provided in this blog post, you should be able to resolve this error and push your changes to the remote repository with ease.