Keeping remote repository in sync through a rebase

Question

I have a situation where I will have to rebase a topic branch to a master. That's fine, it's the normal rebase case and works great.

The complication is when I'm trying to get this process to be in sync on a bare remote repository.

e.g.

o--o--o origin/master
       \
        o--o origin/topic

o--o--o clone/master - tracking origin/master
       \
        o--o clone/topic - tracking origin/topic

Now I make a commit to clone/master which I push to origin/master, so far so good.

o--o--o--n origin/master
       \
        o--o origin/topic

o--o--o--n clone/master - tracking origin/master
       \
        o--o clone/topic - tracking origin/topic

This is where I want to end up:

o--o--o--n origin/master
          \
           o--o origin/topic

o--o--o--n clone/master - tracking origin/master
          \
           o--o clone/topic - tracking origin/topic

I just can't seem to get there, please help.

The workflow is:

1. Clone the bare remote origin
2. Make changes to clone/master
3. Push changes to origin/master
4. Rebase clone/topic to either origin or clone master - doesn't seem to make too much difference
5. Now I want the origin/topic to reflect the rebase so I want to push but first I have to pull to make clone/topic fast forward then I end up a merge which has all the original commits from clone/topic with all the commits from origin/topic on top.

Answer 1

I would modify slightly workflow that you have in order to avoid push --mirror.

1. git clone /path/to/origin # clones the master
2. git checkout --track origin/topic
3. git checkout master
4. git add some_new_file; git commit -m "added some new file"
5. git push origin/master
6. git checkout topic #Local branch
7. git rebase master
8. git push origin master #it will update master on origin
9. git push --force origin/topic : it will update topic on origin

You need --force because origin/topic will change the ancestor and you have disable fast forward check.