Question
How to rename a local Git branch via the command line?
- Posted November 6, 2020
- GitLinux BasicsLinux Commands
More often than not, I would create a new branch with git checkout -b branch_name and I would realize that I’ve made a typo or I would come up with a better name for the branch later on.
If I have just created the branch it is ok as I can create a new one, but sometimes I would notice this after a couple of commits.
So here’s how you could rename a local Git branch via your command line!
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If you want to test this on a fresh new repository, then you can do the following prep work:
- Quickly create a new folder and
cdinto it:
- mkdir my-repo ; cd my-repo
- Then initialize a new git repository:
- git init .
- After that create a new branch:
- git checkout -b wrong-branch-name
- Then check your the available branches with the following command:
- git branch
Output:
main
* wrong-branch-name
- Then similar in order to rename the branch you could just run the following command:
- git branch -m wrong-branch-name correct-branch-name
- If you want to rename your current branch, you could just run the following:
- git branch -m my-branch-name
After that, if you run git branch again you will be able to see the correct branch name!
An easy way to remember the -m flag is from the mv command in Linux, the mv command is used to move files but also rename them, just like the -m flag for Git!
This is pretty much it! Hope that this helps. Regards, Bobby
