I have an application that depends on a 3rd party open source project hosted on github (let’s call it “https://github.com/3rd-party-org/3rd-party-lib”. This project has a “master” branch and multiple version-specific branches (e.g. “x.y”, “x.z”).
I want to be able to occasionally submit fixes to the open source project, while maintaining local branches on my dev machine that (a) keep up-to-date with the 3rd party project’s branches, and (b) contain my fixes, including those that I have not yet submitted to the 3rd party project, and those I have submitted but which have not yet been accepted and merged (and maybe never will be, but nevertheless I need those changes for my own use).
I’m pretty new to git, and I’d like to get off on the right foot here.
Here’s what I’m thinking, please advise on whether this makes sense or if there are preferable alternatives.
As an initial setup:
- clone “https://github.com/3rd-party-org/3rd-party-lib” to my local dev environment
- in my local repo, create branches off each of the 3rd-party-defined branches, e.g. branch “my-master” from “master”, “my-x.y” from “x.y”, etc.
- fork the 3rd party repo on github (e.g. to “https://github.com/me/3rd-party-lib”), so I have a place to push fixes, and from which I can send pull requests to the 3rd party lib maintainer.
When I want to work on a fix to the 3rd party project, I would (in my local dev environment):
- make sure “master” is up-to-date by pulling from origin/master
- merge “master” into “my-master”
- create a topic branch off “master” (e.g. “issue-123”)
- when ready, push my topic branch to my forked repo on github, and submit a pull request to the 3rd party project
- back in my local environment, merge my topic branch into “my-master”, so that when building my dependent project against “my-master”, I see all my fixes.
- if applicable, backport my fixes to “my-x.y” or “my-x.z” branches by cherry-picking them from “my-master”, so that I can build against a specific version of the library instead of “my-master” if I don’t want to live on the bleeding edge.
This depends on how the 3rd party lib accepts pulls or patches. Some will accept a pull request from a direct fork, which others will request you use a branch. Still others may not accept pull requests, and ask that patches come from another source.
Aside from the details of getting the patch back to the 3rd party, you appear to be on the right path for maximum flexibility.