How can I check the status of a remote Git repository?

Question

I have a remote Git repository to which I can push/pull from a local repository via SSH.

I can use the Git status command to check the untracked/unstaged files in the local repository. How do I do the same with the remote repository?

Please note that I'm not looking at finding the differences between the local commit and the remote commit.

Answer 1

git fetch --dry-run --verbose may show what you need.

Example:

# Before a remote update:
user@localhost:~/build/demo/myrepo$ git fetch --dry-run --verbose
From https://gitserver.local/git/myrepo
 = [up to date]      master     -> origin/master

# After a remote update:
user@localhost:~/build/demo/myrepo$ git fetch --dry-run --verbose
POST git-upload-pack (328 bytes)
remote: Counting objects: 12, done.
remote: Compressing objects: 100% (8/8), done.
remote: Total 8 (delta 6), reused 0 (delta 0)
Unpacking objects: 100% (8/8), done.
From https://gitserver.local/git/myrepo
   83619a7..67ea28b  master     -> origin/master

Caveats:

• The exit code does not reflect your local repository being in sync with the remote repository; it only reflects on the action itself being successful or not.
• If your local repository contains newer changes than the remote repository, Git fetch still considers your local repository up to date. Maybe git push --dry-run helps for this case.