Keeping a fork in sync #

This page is for designers maintaining a fork (Forking a theme). A fork that never merges from its origin misses every fix made there, including security fixes.

Step by step #

1. Add the original as a remote, once:

   git remote add upstream https://github.com/originalvendor/theme.git
   git fetch upstream --tags

2. Merge regularly (each upstream release, or monthly):

   git fetch upstream --tags
   git switch main
   git merge upstream/main

3. Resolve conflicts: in templates, keep upstream's fixes (escaping, accessibility) and re-apply your change on top. Read each conflict; never take one side blindly.

4. Test as in Upgrade testing, step by step.

5. Release your fork with a changelog entry: Updated: merged <original> <version>.

Merge rather than rebase a branch others have fetched: rebasing rewrites published history.

Keep merges easy #

• Keep your changes in separate files where possible (an override of a template rather than an edit of it).
• Send general fixes upstream (Contributing back upstream); every accepted one is a conflict you will never have.

Related pages #

• Develop with Git
• Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.