Search code examples
gitgithubgitlabgit-fork

Forking Git repository from GitHub to GitLab

Suppose that I would like to implement a fix to a project of someone else. That project resides on GitHub.

I could create a fork on GitHub and implement the fix.

However, I would like to create my fork on GitLab rather than on GitHub.

Is that possible? How?

I have read this article: https://about.gitlab.com/2016/12/01/how-to-keep-your-fork-up-to-date-with-its-origin/

Anyway, I am not sure what should I do in my case.

  • Should I just create a fork on GitLab of the project from GitHub somehow?
  • Or should I create a mirror on GitLab of the project from GitHub?
  • Or should I create a mirror on GitLab and then fork the mirror?
  • Or should I do something completely different?

What is the correct approach.

Thanks.

UPDATE

Repository mirroring on GitLab does not make sense probably. I can create a mirror of MY GitHub repository on GitLab but I cannot create a mirror of a repository of someone else.

https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/repository/mirror/

This is what I have done so far:

I have cloned the original GitHub project to my local machine. I have commited the fix to a new branch in my local repository. I have created an empty project on GitLab. I have set origin in my local repository to that empty project on GitLab and pushed both branches to GitLab. I have set upstream in my local repository to the GitHub repository.

When I want to get new commits from the original GitHub repository to the repository on GitLab (i.e. sync the repositories), I can do this using my local repo as an intermediate step. However, there is no direct connection between the repo on GitHub and the repo on GitLab. Is my setup correct? Is there any difference if I make a fork on GitHub?

Solution

  • If you just want to track changes, first make an empty repository in GitLab (or whatever else you may be using) and clone it to your computer.

    Then add the GitHub project as the "upstream" remote with:

    git remote add upstream https://github.com/user/repo

    Now you can fetch and pull from the upstream should there be any changes. (You can also push or merge to it if you have access rights.)

    git pull upstream master

    Finally, push back to your own GitLab repository:

    git push origin master

    If you don't want to manually pull upstream/push origin, GitLab offers a mirroring ability in Settings => Repository => Mirroring repositories.