Unable to resolve reference refs /refs/remotes/origin/branch while pushing after merging branches

Question

New to git and github.

I want to replace the git master branch with my other branch bridge both locally and remotely. The problem is that git is unable to resolve the references for the bridge branch. The problem arises from pushing to github.

How the git tree came to be this way:

1. Started master branch via the Git GUI.
2. Continued and then realized it wasn't that great and transitioned to the Bash.
3. Wasn't able to push to github anymore to master as the tip of the local master branch was one behind the tip of the remote counterpart.

4. To circumvent, I created another branch called bridge. I didn't like that I had made bridge the default so I then tried to change it back to master using:

   git checkout better_branch
   git merge --strategy=ours master    # keep the content of this branch, but record a merge
   git checkout master
   git merge better_branch             # fast-forward master up to the merge
   

5. It worked locally. However, when I tried to push I got the following:

   NAME@**** /C/Users/NAME/Documents/GitHub/tabtrack (master)
   $ git push
   warning: push.default is unset; its implicit value is changing in
   Git 2.0 from 'matching' to 'simple'. To squelch this message
   and maintain the current behavior after the default changes, use:
   
     git config --global push.default matching
   
   To squelch this message and adopt the new behavior now, use:
   
     git config --global push.default simple
   
   See 'git help config' and search for 'push.default' for further information.
   (the 'simple' mode was introduced in Git 1.7.11. Use the similar mode
   'current' instead of 'simple' if you sometimes use older versions of Git)
   Enter passphrase for key '/c/Users/NAME/.ssh/id_rsa':
   To [email protected]:NAMEtaylor/tabtrack.git
    ! [rejected]        master -> master (non-fast-forward)
   error: unable to resolve reference refs/remotes/origin/bridge: No error
   error: Cannot lock the ref 'refs/remotes/origin/bridge'.
   error: failed to push some refs to '[email protected]:NAMEtaylor/tabtrack.git'
   hint: Updates were rejected because the tip of your current branch is behind
   hint: its remote counterpart. Integrate the remote changes (e.g.
   hint: 'git pull ...') before pushing again.
   hint: See the 'Note about fast-forwards' in 'git push --help' for details.
   

   NAME@**** /C/Users/NAME/Documents/GitHub/tabtrack (master)
   $ git push origin master
   Enter passphrase for key '/c/Users/NAME/.ssh/id_rsa':
   To [email protected]:NAMEtaylor/tabtrack.git
    ! [rejected]        master -> master (non-fast-forward)
   error: failed to push some refs to '[email protected]:NAMEtaylor/tabtrack.git'
   hint: Updates were rejected because the tip of your current branch is behind
   hint: its remote counterpart. Integrate the remote changes (e.g.
   hint: 'git pull ...') before pushing again.
   hint: See the 'Note about fast-forwards' in 'git push --help' for details.
   

   NAME@**** /C/Users/NAME/Documents/GitHub/tabtrack (master)
   $ git push origin bridge
   Enter passphrase for key '/c/Users/NAME/.ssh/id_rsa':
   error: unable to resolve reference refs/remotes/origin/bridge: No error
   error: Cannot lock the ref 'refs/remotes/origin/bridge'.
   Everything up-to-date
   

6. I tried to git push -f but:

   NAME@**** /C/Users/NAME/Documents/GitHub/tabtrack (bridge)
   $ git checkout master
   Switched to branch 'master'
   
   NAME@**** /C/Users/NAME/Documents/GitHub/tabtrack (master)
   $ git push -f
   warning: push.default is unset; its implicit value is changing in
   Git 2.0 from 'matching' to 'simple'. To squelch this message
   and maintain the current behavior after the default changes, use:
   
     git config --global push.default matching
   
   To squelch this message and adopt the new behavior now, use:
   
     git config --global push.default simple
   
   See 'git help config' and search for 'push.default' for further information.
   (the 'simple' mode was introduced in Git 1.7.11. Use the similar mode
   'current' instead of 'simple' if you sometimes use older versions of Git)
   
   Enter passphrase for key '/c/Users/NAME/.ssh/id_rsa':
   Counting objects: 13, done.
   Delta compression using up to 2 threads.
   Compressing objects: 100% (7/7), done.
   Writing objects: 100% (7/7), 898 bytes | 0 bytes/s, done.
   Total 7 (delta 5), reused 0 (delta 0)
   To [email protected]:NAMEtaylor/tabtrack.git
   

   • 1297c9f...bfa60d5 master -> master (forced update) error: unable to resolve reference refs/remotes/origin/bridge: No such file or d irectory error: Cannot lock the ref 'refs/remotes/origin/bridge'.
   NAME@**** /C/Users/NAME/Documents/GitHub/tabtrack (master) $ git status On branch master nothing to commit, working directory clean

7. Finally I tried to git push origin bridge --verbose as per advice on some stackoverflow questions:

   $ git push origin bridge --verbose
   Pushing to [email protected]:ishaantaylor/tabtrack.git
   Enter passphrase for key '/c/Users/Ishaan/.ssh/id_rsa':
   To [email protected]:ishaantaylor/tabtrack.git
    = [up to date]      bridge -> bridge
   updating local tracking ref 'refs/remotes/origin/bridge'
   error: unable to resolve reference refs/remotes/origin/bridge: No error
   error: Cannot lock the ref 'refs/remotes/origin/bridge'.
   Everything up-to-date
   

A screenshot of my git tree is shown by clicking the link below (I need more rep to post a functioning pic): http://i.imgur.com/FN9wHdi.jpg

Please let me know if I need to add any other information in the question for it to become better. Thanks so much for your time, even if you just read my problem!

Solution

First, set the default push policy:

git config --global push.default simple

Then you can try and push your master branch

git push -u -f origin master

(you shouldn't need your bridge branch, since you merged master in it, and merge that branch back to master in point 4)

Comments

[Ishaan Taylor]

Thank you so much for your response!! "Branch master set up to track remote branch master from origin. Everything u[-to-date" Why was this the solution and how did this solve the problem?

[VonC]

@IshaanTaylor It allows you to establish a tracking relationship between a local branch and a remote tracking one, which means Git knows what to push and where. You can see more at stackoverflow.com/a/17096880/6309