Github Forks

May 13, 2023 (IST)

“Forks” in Github should probably be called “clones”. That’s basically what they are. Other related terms are “remotes” and “mirrors”.

🔗What “Forks” Stand For

Outside of Github, a “fork” is a project that takes the code of one project and seeks to establish itself as its own project, with a different name and branding, as well as different features and code fixes.

In Github parlance, a “fork” is used to mean a clone of a repository to which you’ve made some changes, before you can send those changes forward via pull requests. It’s not meant to be an independent project, simply a mirror of your personal copy of the project.

🔗Reasoning and Conclusion

I guess Github was worried about the difference between cloning it onto your machine versus your Github space. In that case, call it a “Github Clone” or “Remote Clone”? “Clones” is the more accurate term because you’re git clone-ing a repo to create a personal copy to mess with.

The git term “remote” is meant for other locations of a repository. Technically, it’s not a remote — your copy is not (automatically) a remote to the original copy, although the original project should be a remote of your copy. But it is a clone on a (Github) remote.

So ‘Remote Clone’.

I wonder what the process is for (remote) git interfaces like Sourcehut, Gogs (and descendants like Gitea and Forgejo), and any other interactive ones.