Why does a git fetch following a git pull clear Your branch is ahead of 'origin/master' message? -

my question why answer @rich in post work?

i running git version git version 1.7.1 , have bare git repository, , keep development , production environment updated committing , pushing development changes remote ics_client.git , git pull-ing changes down production system.

after pulling changes down production environment, see output following (in following example, tried git fetch followed git merge fetch_head, got same message git pull.

[ics@bucky ics_client]$ git fetch origin master gituser@h2oamr's password:  remote: counting objects: 11, done. remote: compressing objects: 100% (7/7), done. remote: total 7 (delta 5), reused 0 (delta 0) unpacking objects: 100% (7/7), done. h2oamr:ics_client  * branch            master     -> fetch_head [ics@bucky ics_client]$ git merge fetch_head updating 59a2f6a..05f8d8b fast-forward  reports.mf     |    5 +-  fgiusr.c       |  354 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----------------------------  rangebatch.4gl |   52 +++++++-  3 files changed, 225 insertions(+), 186 deletions(-) [ics@bucky ics_client]$ git status # on branch master # branch ahead of 'origin/master' 2 commits. # nothing commit (working directory clean) 

so, normal part of git? doing wrong?

the git fetch followed git merge performing closely same operations git pull. however, merge operation producing changes of own (thus local representation of remote ahead) following fetch operation handles syncing local representation of remote branch.

in git versions below 1.8.4, when git pull, fetch_head updated , merged checked out head local representation remote repository won't updated. while says you're ahead of of remote branch, they're in line each other.