Forking Your Own Repository? It is not possible to perform a self fork on Github interface. The reason why is that forking by definition creates a unique instance of another users repository to encourage futher developement on its own. But, there is another way to achieve the same by using upstream remotes.
What is an Upstream Remote?
Upstream RemoteIt is a reference to the original repository from which your fork was made. It lets you push your local changes to the original repository, so that when another contributor changes some code, you get access to all updates and modifications. This way you can manage your work effectively and also make sure that it stays in sync with the up to date changes that may happen in the original project.GitHub (ad)
Configuring an Upstream Remote
Here is how you can setup an upstream remote for your own repo or any forked repo;
The First thing you do is Clone Your Repository — If you have not done this yet.
git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-REPOSITORY.gitPreferences
cd YOUR-REPOSITORY
Create Upstream Remote: Didn’t execute below command to add the original repository as an upstream remote?
bashgit remote add upstream https://github.com/ORIGINAL-OWNER/OLD-REPOSITORY.git
Validate the Remote: Make sure the upstream has been added properly:
bashgit remote -v
Rebase Updates: To sync your fork to the original repository, rebase with upstream.
bashgit fetch upstream
Merge whatever changes in your branch that you need to:
bashgit checkout main # or master
git merge upstream/main # or upstream/master
Pros Of Using Upstream Remotes
There are 2 real benfits of using remotes like that :
Syncronization: Keep your fork up to date with the latest changes in the original project.
Merge Conflicts: Enables you to merge changes in an organized, systematic process.
Contribute Back Easier: More easier to contribute back to original project by keeping your fork up-to-date with the improvements.
In summary, even though GitHub does not allow to fork your own repositories directlyfor this task setting up an upstream remote is a good way for keeping and updating your project most effectively.
