How to force git pull to overwrite local repository files?

You can use git reset –hard <remote_name>/<remote_branch_name> command to force git pull to overwrite local repository files.

This is helpful when you are getting “error: Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by merge” or “fatal: Need to specify how to reconcile divergent branches” messages during the pull and you want to discard your local repository changes and force pull your remote changes.

Example:

Create a new git local repository:

## Create a new git local repository
cd
git init myrepo1 && cd myrepo1

## Create a new git local repository

git init myrepo1 && cd myrepo1

Create first commit in default branch of local repository:

## Create first commit in default branch
echo "cat" > file1
git add file1
git commit -m "commit1"

## Create first commit in default branch

echo "cat" > file1

git add file1

git commit -m "commit1"

Create a new empty git remote repository:

## Add a remote repository 
## Create an empty remote git repository (i m using GitHub for this demo)
## Add your username and email to git config (optional)
git config --add --local user.name cloudaffaire
git config --add --local user.email cloudaffaire@gmail.com
## Add remote repository to your local repository
git remote add origin git@github.com:CloudAffaire/myrepo.git
git branch -M main    ## rename of default local branch (master -&gt; main)
git push -u origin main

## Add a remote repository

## Create an empty remote git repository (i m using GitHub for this demo)

## Add your username and email to git config (optional)

git config --add --local user.name cloudaffaire

git config --add --local user.email cloudaffaire@gmail.com

## Add remote repository to your local repository

git remote add origin git@github.com:CloudAffaire/myrepo.git

git branch -M main ## rename of default local branch (master -> main)

git push -u origin main

Clone the remote repository to some other place and push a change:

## Now clone the remote repository to some other place and perform a change.
cd
git clone git@github.com:CloudAffaire/myrepo.git  myrepo2
cd myrepo2
echo "dog" >> file1
git add  file1
git commit -m "commit2"
git push

## Now clone the remote repository to some other place and perform a change.

git clone git@github.com:CloudAffaire/myrepo.git myrepo2

cd myrepo2

echo "dog" >> file1

git add file1

git commit -m "commit2"

git push

Next, move back to the previous git repository (myrepo1) and try to pull after some local changes:

Change an existing file (already indexed) and try to pull:

## move back to myrepo1
cd ../myrepo1

## update an existing file in your local repo working tree 
echo "cow" >> file1

## now try to pull from remote repo
git pull
## error: Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by merge:

## move back to myrepo1

cd ../myrepo1

## update an existing file in your local repo working tree

echo "cow" >> file1

## now try to pull from remote repo

git pull

## error: Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by merge:

Observe: You will get an error “error: Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by merge:“. Here you can either discard the local change or force pull, we will discard the local change and carry on.

Discard local change:

## Undo the change (discard)
git reset --hard

## or
## force pull
## git reset --hard origin/main

## Undo the change (discard)

git reset --hard

## or

## force pull

## git reset --hard origin/main

Create a new file (not indexed) in the working tree and try to pull:

## add a new file in your working tree
echo "rat" > file2

## now try to pull from remote repo
git pull ## pull does not effect untracked files

## add a new file in your working tree

echo "rat" > file2

## now try to pull from remote repo

git pull ## pull does not effect untracked files

Observe: This time you are able to pull as it does not impact any file in your working tree that is not yet indexed by git.

Discard local change:

## Undo the change (discard)
git reset --hard HEAD~1
git clean -df

## Undo the change (discard)

git reset --hard HEAD~1

git clean -df

Create a new file (not indexed) in staging area and try to pull:

## add a new file in your staging area
echo "rat" > file2
git add .

## now try to pull from remote repo
git pull ## pull does not effect staged changes

## add a new file in your staging area

echo "rat" > file2

git add .

## now try to pull from remote repo

git pull ## pull does not effect staged changes

Observe: This time you are able to pull as well as it does not impact any file in your staging area that is not yet indexed by git.

Discard local change:

## Undo the change (discard)
git reset --hard HEAD~1

1 2	## Undo the change (discard) git reset --hard HEAD~1

Create a new file and commit (indexed) and then try to pull:

## add a new file in your local repo
echo "rat" > file2
git add .
git commit -m "commit2"

## now try to pull from remote repo
git pull ## fatal: Need to specify how to reconcile divergent branches.

## add a new file in your local repo

echo "rat" > file2

git add .

git commit -m "commit2"

## now try to pull from remote repo

git pull ## fatal: Need to specify how to reconcile divergent branches.

Observe: You get an error “fatal: Need to specify how to reconcile divergent branches”. Again you can either discard the change or force pull but unlike last time we are going to force pull this time to demonstrate how to force pull.

Force pull discarding/overwriting local changes:

## force pull
git reset --hard origin/main

1 2	## force pull git reset --hard origin/main