Warning: push.default is unset; its implicit value is changing in Git 2.0

The warning message you're seeing, "push.default is unset; its implicit value is changing in Git 2.0," is informing you about changes in Git's default behavior regarding the push.default configuration setting. This setting determines what happens when you run git push without specifying a remote branch explicitly.

Understanding push.default

In Git, push.default defines the action Git should take when you run git push without specifying the remote branch explicitly. The behavior of push.default has evolved over different Git versions, and the warning message indicates that Git 2.0 introduced changes to its default behavior.

Addressing the Warning

To address this warning and prevent potential issues when Git updates to version 2.0 or higher, you should explicitly set push.default to a value that matches your preferred workflow. Here are common settings for push.default and their implications:

1. Simple (Git 1.7.11 and later):

    

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   git config --global push.default simple
   

- **Behavior:** When you run `git push`, Git pushes the current branch to a branch of the same name on the remote repository if it exists.
- **Recommended:** This setting is straightforward and aligns with typical Git workflows.

1. Current (Deprecated):

    

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   git config --global push.default current
   

- **Behavior:** Similar to `simple`, but it's deprecated in favor of `simple`.
- **Not Recommended:** Deprecated and might not be supported in future Git versions.

1. Matching:

    

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   git config --global push.default matching
   

- **Behavior:** Pushes all branches that have the same name on both local and remote repositories.
- **Considerations:** Can push unintended branches and is less intuitive than `simple`.

Setting push.default

To set push.default to simple globally (recommended), use the following command:

git config --global push.default simple

This ensures that Git pushes the current branch to its upstream branch with the same name, providing a clear and predictable behavior.

Verifying the Configuration

After setting push.default, you can verify your Git configuration to ensure it's correctly set:

git config --global --get push.default

This command should return simple if you've successfully set the configuration.

Conclusion

By explicitly setting push.default to simple or another appropriate value, you prevent potential issues with Git's default behavior changes in future versions. This ensures your git push commands behave as expected across different environments and updates.

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