git-track-remote

#!/bin/bash

# Put this file in your $PATH
#
# Usage:
#
#   git track-remote origin/branch
#   git track-remote branch origin/branch
#
# Sets up an existing branch to track a remote branch. Runs the
# following git-config commands:
#
#   git config branch.$local_branch.remote $remote_repo
#   git config branch.$local_branch.remote refs/heads/$remote_branch

echo_err() {
    echo "$(basename $0): $@" >&2
}

if [[ -z "$1" ]]; then
    echo_err "Didn't specify remote."
    exit 1
fi

parse_git_branch() {
    git-branch --no-color 2>/dev/null | grep '^\*' | sed 's/^\* //'
}

if [[ -z "$2" ]]; then
    Remote="$1"
    Local="$(parse_git_branch)"
else
    Remote="$2"
    Local="$1"
fi

RemoteRepo=$(echo "$Remote" | sed 's/\/.*$//')
RemoteBranch=$(echo "$Remote" | sed 's/^.*\///')

if [[ ! $(echo "$Remote" | grep '/') || -z "$RemoteRepo" || -z "$RemoteBranch" ]]; then
    echo_err "Looks like remote was not specified correctly."
    exit 1
fi

if [[ -z "$Local" ]]; then
    echo_err "Not in a git repository."
    exit 2
elif [[ "$Local" = "(no branch)" ]]; then
    echo_err "Not on any branch, specify branch."
    exit 2
fi

git config branch."$Local".remote "$RemoteRepo"
git config branch."$Local".merge "refs/heads/$RemoteBranch"