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# Checkout fork merge request branch

`Developers` at times, need to checkout and build changes from a merge request fork branch. Any one of the following methods can be used:

- Checkout `COMMIT-SHA` of the branch HEAD. It is available on the “Commits” tab of the merge request web page.

      % git fetch origin <COMMIT-SHA>
      % git checkout FETCH_HEAD

- Checkout branch using the repository `URL`. The `URL with branchname` is available as “Source branch” hyperlink on merge request web page.

      % git fetch <URL> <branchname>
      % git checkout FETCH_HEAD

- Setup a local Git clone to access the merge request branch via the `MR-NUMBER`. Here use the following in `.git/config`:

      [remote "origin"]
            url = https://gitlab.com/petsc/petsc.git
            pushurl = git@gitlab.com:petsc/petsc.git
            fetch = +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*
            fetch = +refs/merge-requests/*:refs/remotes/origin/merge-requests/*

  Now, the branch is available to checkout:

      % git fetch
      % git checkout origin/merge-requests/<MR-NUMBER>/head

# Commit and push changes to a merge request fork branch

Only `Owners/Maintainers` can push commits to a merge request fork branch. Here, use the `ssh-URL` for the Git repository.

    % git fetch <ssh-URL> <branchname>
    % git checkout -b <branchname> FETCH_HEAD
    % git push -u <ssh-URL> <branchname>
    % (edit/commit)
    % git push

Notes:

For example, with `merge request` at petsc/petsc!8619 we have:

- `MR-NUMBER` = `8619`

- `COMMIT-SHA` = `1b741c341f10772b6231f15a4abcef052bfe2d90` (“Copy commit SHA” of the HEAD commit from the “Commits” tab)

- `URL with branchname` = `https://gitlab.com/paul.kuehner/petsc/-/tree/add-tao-get-constraints` (“Copy link” of “Source branch”)

- `URL` = `https://gitlab.com/paul.kuehner/petsc`

- `ssh-URL` = `git@gitlab.com:paul.kuehner/petsc.git`

- `branchname` = `add-tao-get-constraints`