Why creating git branch doesn't copy all files? -

git branch shows me i'm on master. write git checkout -b newbranch. git branch shows me i'm on newly created branch newbranch. write git pull , following error:

there no tracking information current branch. please specify branch want merge with. see git-pull(1) details.      git pull <remote> <branch>  if wish set tracking information branch can with:      git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/<branch> newbranch 

i guess because couldn't pull branch created. write git pull origin master , million files differ between branches master , newbranch (taking full console can't see beginning of error) following ending:

please move or remove them before can merge. aborting 

i don't understand why branch newbranch isn't exact copy of master. read when create new branch starts same commit branch on. wanted make git pull make sure files same on master. if new branch isn't exact copy of branch copied from, don't know files taken from.

edit: mentioned, problem local master different remote master. had do:

git checkout master git branch -d newbranch git fetch --all # change permision issues chmod , chown git reset --hard origin/master git checkout -b newbranch 

one of important properties of git git distributed version control system. means local branch doesn't need in sync of remote branch.

in particular case, have master on machine. when git checkout -b newbranch, created new branch same master on machine.

however there master on remote machine name origin (perhaps github if use it). when git pull origin master, merging local newbranch remote origin/master instead of local master. think case here local master has merge conflicts origin/master.

what should do

to create new branch

git checkout -b newbranch # create local newbranch local master git push --set-upstream origin newbranch # push local newbranch origin/newbranch 

you want keep local master in sync origin/master

git checkout master git pull # , solve merge conflicts