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The answer by hkotsubo is correct. But just in case you're being very specific about fast-forwarding, it's worth stressing that you can use --ff-only as an option on the merge to abort if it requir...
Answer
#2: Post edited
by
Michael
·
2024-07-31T20:39:02Z (5 months ago)
Link more configuration. Add some more explainer in a footnote.
- The [answer by hkotsubo](https://software.codidact.com/posts/292136/292140#answer-292140) is correct. But just in case you're being *very specific* about fast-forwarding, it's worth stressing that you can [use `--ff-only`][ff-only] as an option on the merge to abort if it requires a merge commit.
- ```sh
- git merge --ff-only origin/branch_name
- ```
Where is this useful? I have my `git pull` set to fail if the merge would create a merge commit. Typically, I'd rather rebase my new commits than make a merge commit unnecessarily.- ```ini
- [pull]
- ff = only
- ```
But that only happens for pulls. If I explicitly ask for a merge after fetching, Git's going to give me a merge, even if it makes a merge commit… unless I `--ff-only` it not to.[ff-only]: https://git-scm.com/docs/git-merge#Documentation/git-merge.txt---ff-only
- The [answer by hkotsubo](https://software.codidact.com/posts/292136/292140#answer-292140) is correct. But just in case you're being *very specific* about fast-forwarding, it's worth stressing that you can [use `--ff-only`][ff-only] as an option on the merge to abort if it requires a merge commit.
- ```sh
- git merge --ff-only origin/branch_name
- ```
- Where is this useful? I have [my `git pull` set to fail][ff-pull] if the merge would create a merge commit. Typically, I'd rather rebase my new commits than make a merge commit unnecessarily.
- ```ini
- [pull]
- ff = only
- ```
- But that only happens for pulls.[^ff-merge] If I explicitly ask for a merge after fetching, Git's going to give me a merge, even if it makes a merge commit… unless I `--ff-only` it not to.
- [ff-only]: https://git-scm.com/docs/git-merge#Documentation/git-merge.txt---ff-only
- [ff-merge]: https://git-scm.com/docs/git-config#Documentation/git-config.txt-mergeff
- [ff-pull]: https://git-scm.com/docs/git-config#Documentation/git-config.txt-pullff
- [^ff-merge]: This configuration can be [added for merges][ff-merge] as well [as for pulls][ff-pull], but I find that the `pull.ff` config set to `only` gives me the confidence to pull whenever I want. If a fast forward is unavailable, Git just does a fetch without merging. I don't bother setting `merge.ff` to `only`, since I only ever `git merge` commits I already have locally and I'm pretty cognizant of when it'll merge or fast forward.
#1: Initial revision
by
Michael
·
2024-07-31T15:45:43Z (5 months ago)
The [answer by hkotsubo](https://software.codidact.com/posts/292136/292140#answer-292140) is correct. But just in case you're being *very specific* about fast-forwarding, it's worth stressing that you can [use `--ff-only`][ff-only] as an option on the merge to abort if it requires a merge commit.
```sh
git merge --ff-only origin/branch_name
```
Where is this useful? I have my `git pull` set to fail if the merge would create a merge commit. Typically, I'd rather rebase my new commits than make a merge commit unnecessarily.
```ini
[pull]
ff = only
```
But that only happens for pulls. If I explicitly ask for a merge after fetching, Git's going to give me a merge, even if it makes a merge commit… unless I `--ff-only` it not to.
[ff-only]: https://git-scm.com/docs/git-merge#Documentation/git-merge.txt---ff-only