Feature to make forks stay synchronized

[serapath]

I would often like to clone a certain repository and make some changes to it to adapt it to my needs or preferences. These changes might not be accepted back into the origin via my pull request.

I'd like to see an option for me to enable auto-updates or notifications to do manual-updates and in case of conflicts a pull request and a "merge task" notification, so that I can easily keep my forks up-to-date while maintaining my custom change.

[cirosantilli]

On Webapps SE: http://webapps.stackexchange.com/questions/28998/how-do-you-update-a-github-repo-fork-in-the-web-interface

I think the most common use case would be to update pull requests (on feature branches) and get notifications when there is a merge conflict.

Otherwise we would have to assume some other mapping from forked branches to origin branches. Taking the same branch name is a sensible choice, but feature branches are likely a better way to develop as they make changes more manageable.

Then it would come down to: #88 but automated for all PRs at once and with failure notifications.

And if you want to go hardcore and solve the merge conflicts: #200

[brock]

Here is how I presented this option via my help ticket:

User story:

• I forked a repo a long time ago because I liked it.
• I didn't follow the changes, and now my fork is behind "upstream".
• I can create a pull request and merge the latest changes into my fork, but now my fork says that I am "1 commit ahead of upstream"
• I just wanted to get the latest updates. My life is sew hee-yarrrrd.

Proposed Solution:

• If the repo I am viewing is a fork and I am the owner of the fork:
  • If my fork is behind the upstream and has no commits:
    • I click a magic button with the title: "Bring your fork up to date"
      • Myee life is less hee-yarrrd.

[serapath]

+1
I would like to follow a repository, so that is either automatically kept up to date with upstream, (maybe even if i made changes - as long as they don't conflict)... but at least i get a notification that there is an update upstream that i need to manually confirm. :-)

[AraHaan]

Better option if it sees your changes is in a branch that the original has have github automatically do:

A rebase of the forked repository branch with the branch on the original which then replays the changes not in the original on top of all the other commits currently on the original.

However in the case of conflicts when trying to apply the replayed changes show the merge conflicts resolution UI, but apply it to the commit being replayed itself (for each replayed commit that has issues). In fact that might make it a lot easier for projects like Git for Windows, that yes has windows specfic changes to git but must also track their development.

[clarkbw]

Feels like a duplicate of #121

[alexcohn]

Feels like a duplicate of #121

Actually, of #1122