Difference Between Git Pull --Rebase and Git Pull --Ff-Only

Difference Between Git Pull --Rebase and Git Pull --Ff-Only

Let's say origin/master has commit A--B--C and my local/master has commit A--B--D.

What will happen if I use git pull --rebase ?

What will happen if I use git pull --ff-only ?

Is there any difference in the resulting commit tree ?

1 Answer

What will happen if I use git pull --rebase ?

git pull --rebase is roughly equivalent to

git fetch
git rebase origin/master

i.e. your remote changes (C) will be applied before the local changes (D), resulting in the following tree

A -- B -- C -- D

What will happen if I use git pull --ff-only ?

It will fail.

git pull --ff-only corresponds to

git fetch
git merge --ff-only origin/master

--ff-only applies the remote changes only if they can be fast-forwarded. From the man:

Refuse to merge and exit with a non-zero status unless the current HEAD is already up-to-date or the merge can be resolved as a fast-forward

Since your local and remote branches have diverged, they cannot be resolved by a fast-forward and git pull --ff-only would fail.

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David Miller
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David Miller

David Miller brings 15 years of experience in global economics, personal finance strategy, and market dynamics. He specializes in turning complex economic trends into actionable insights for everyday readers.