git-sync

name	git-sync
description	Fetch and show remote changes without modifying local branch Use when this capability is needed.
metadata	{"author":"dtsong"}

Scope Constraints

• Read-only operation — fetches remote refs and displays status but does not modify local branches or working tree
• Runs git fetch --prune which updates remote tracking refs and removes stale ones
• Does not pull, merge, rebase, or push — use pull or push skills for those actions

Input Sanitization

• Remote name: only alphanumeric characters, hyphens, and underscores. Reject spaces, .., shell metacharacters, or null bytes.
• Flags: only --all accepted. Reject arbitrary strings.

/git-sync - Fetch and Show Remote Changes

Fetch the latest changes from remote without modifying your local branch. Shows what's new upstream.

Usage

/git-sync              # Fetch all remotes and show status
/git-sync origin       # Fetch specific remote
/git-sync --all        # Fetch all remotes including tags

Workflow

Step 1: Fetch Remote Changes

# Fetch from all remotes with prune
git fetch --all --prune

Step 2: Show Current Status

# Get current branch
git branch --show-current

# Check remote tracking status
git status -sb

Step 3: Show Commits Ahead/Behind

# Get the remote tracking branch
REMOTE_BRANCH=$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref --symbolic-full-name @{u} 2>/dev/null)

# If tracking branch exists, show difference
if [ -n "$REMOTE_BRANCH" ]; then
    # Commits behind (on remote but not local)
    git log --oneline HEAD..$REMOTE_BRANCH

    # Commits ahead (on local but not remote)
    git log --oneline $REMOTE_BRANCH..HEAD
fi

Step 4: Show Changed Files Preview

# Files that would change on pull
git diff --stat HEAD..@{u} 2>/dev/null

Output Format

Fetched from origin, upstream

Current branch: feat/dark-mode
Tracking: origin/feat/dark-mode

Behind by 3 commits:
  abc1234 Fix theme persistence
  def5678 Update color palette
  ghi9012 Add system theme detection

Ahead by 1 commit:
  xyz7890 WIP: toggle component

Files that would change on pull:
  src/theme/colors.ts | 12 ++++++------
  src/hooks/useTheme.ts | 45 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Next steps:
  /git-pull          # Pull the changes
  /git-stash         # Stash local changes first

Edge Cases

No Remote Tracking Branch

Branch 'feat/local-only' has no upstream tracking branch.

To set tracking:
  git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/feat/local-only

Or push with tracking:
  git push -u origin feat/local-only

Already Up To Date

Current branch: main
Tracking: origin/main

Already up to date.

Network Error

Failed to fetch from origin: Could not resolve host: github.com

Check your network connection and try again.

Integration

• Run /git-pull to apply the fetched changes
• Run /git-stash if you have uncommitted changes to save first
• Run /git-branches to see status of all branches

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