678

I have my project on GitHub at some location, [email protected]:myname/oldrep.git.

Now I want to push all my code to a new repository at some other location, [email protected]:newname/newrep.git.

I used the command:

git remote add origin [email protected]:myname/oldrep.git

but I am receiving this:

fatal: remote origin already exists.

5
  • 7
    Give the output of the command $> git remote -v show
    – sykora
    Commented Aug 3, 2009 at 11:50
  • possible duplicate of Github "fatal: remote origin already exists" Commented Feb 5, 2014 at 14:52
  • 1
    A good way is to use "import from another repository" at the bottom of your new created repository, if you know the URL of the old one.
    – JW.ZG
    Commented Jul 16, 2016 at 4:58
  • A similar question was asked here: stackoverflow.com/questions/2432764/…
    – jciloa
    Commented Sep 27, 2016 at 12:46
  • 1
    If you want to keep the original remote you can simply use a different name git remote add origin2 ...., but if you only need to push once without modifying the repo configuration then you can simply do git push [email protected]:user/another-project.git master:master.
    – ccpizza
    Commented Jan 15, 2017 at 18:41

22 Answers 22

1064

You are getting this error because "origin" is not available. "origin" is a convention not part of the command. "origin" is the local name of the remote repository.

For example you could also write:

git remote add myorigin [email protected]:myname/oldrep.git  
git remote add testtest [email protected]:myname/oldrep.git

See the manual:

http://www.kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/git-remote.html

To remove a remote repository you enter:

git remote rm origin

Again "origin" is the name of the remote repository if you want to remove the "upstream" remote:

git remote rm upstream
7
  • 13
    "git remote rm origin" didn't work from me, if it doesn't work for you try to check with "git remote -v" this will show you if your origin has a url set, if it doesn't likely you did the init locally and are trying to push it remote, and made a misstep like me). Then follow RobinH's answer: git remote set-url origin [email protected]:username/projectname.git Commented May 23, 2014 at 1:46
  • 1
    check this answer in order to force the url.
    – srodriguex
    Commented Jun 5, 2014 at 21:32
  • 1
    "git remote rm origin" worked like a charm, wonderful! :) puhh, I'm new to the terminology of git so it was a bigger search, but your answer helped me a lot. :) thank you! Commented Dec 9, 2014 at 23:25
  • 5
    git push -u origin master --force Commented Aug 3, 2016 at 20:50
  • 1
    --force is solution!
    – creator
    Commented Mar 4, 2018 at 4:35
302

The previous solutions seem to ignore origin, and they only suggest to use another name. When you just want to use git push origin, keep reading.

The problem appears because a wrong order of Git configuration is followed. You might have already added a 'git origin' to your .git configuration.

You can change the remote origin in your Git configuration with the following line:

git remote set-url origin [email protected]:username/projectname.git

This command sets a new URL for the Git repository you want to push to. Important is to fill in your own username and projectname

4
  • 1
    This fiexd it for me. But what really help me with this problem was because I user portableGit that was installed with Gihub for windows. I found the solution here
    – PerseP
    Commented Mar 18, 2014 at 19:57
  • 1
    Great! I needed change my gitorious repo to git lab repo and this solution was perfect! Thank you! Commented Apr 22, 2015 at 23:12
  • 1
    Same situation as OP, and I needed to do this and then @MrHus's solution. Commented Aug 21, 2015 at 20:47
  • 2
    If anyone's getting a permission error, you might need to use the https version of this like I had to. It'll be like this: git remote set-url origin https://github.com/<username>/<projectname>.git
    – Justin Liu
    Commented Mar 27, 2018 at 10:32
100

If you have mistakenly named the local name as "origin", you may remove it with the following:

git remote rm origin
2
  • 1
    What does" mistakenly named the local name as 'origin'" actually mean?Can you explain it in detail?@Ozgur
    – Yuan Wen
    Commented Jul 18, 2016 at 5:43
  • 1
    This could mean that you added the remote origin that doesn't point to a git repository. Therefore, if you are planning to push all your changes to the master, the git will complain saying that the remote origin is not a git repository. Commented Feb 25, 2017 at 1:36
30

METHOD1->

Since origin already exist remove it.

git remote rm origin
git remote add origin https://github.com/USERNAME/REPOSITORY.git

METHOD2->

One can also change existing remote repository URL by ->git remote set-url

If you're updating to use HTTPS

git remote set-url origin https://github.com/USERNAME/REPOSITORY.git

If you're updating to use SSH

git remote set-url origin [email protected]:USERNAME/REPOSITORY.git

If trying to update a remote that doesn't exist you will receive a error. So be careful of that.

METHOD3->

Use the git remote rename command to rename an existing remote. An existing remote name, for example, origin.

git remote rename origin startpoint
# Change remote name from 'origin' to 'startpoint'

To verify remote's new name->

git remote -v

If new to Git try this tutorial->

TRY GIT TUTORIAL

0
17

You can simply edit your configuration file in a text editor.

In the ~/.gitconfig you need to put in something like the following:

[user]
        name  = Uzumaki Naruto
        email = [email protected]

[github]
        user = myname
        token = ff44ff8da195fee471eed6543b53f1ff

In the oldrep/.git/config file (in the configuration file of your repository):

[remote "github"]
        url = [email protected]:myname/oldrep.git
        push  = +refs/heads/*:refs/heads/*
        push  = +refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*

If there is a remote section in your repository's configuration file, and the URL matches, you need only to add push configuration. If you use a public URL for fetching, you can put in the URL for pushing as 'pushurl' (warning: this requires the just-released Git version 1.6.4).

15

I had the same issue, and here is how I fixed it, after doing some research:

  1. Download GitHub for Windows, or use something similar, which includes a shell.
  2. Open the Git Shell from the task menu. This will open a power shell including Git commands.
  3. In the shell, switch to your old repository, e.g. cd C:\path\to\old\repository.
  4. Show the status of the old repository.
  • Type git remote -v to get the remote path for fetch and push remote. If your local repository is connected to a remote, it will show something like this:

     origin  https://[email protected]/team-or-user-name/myproject.git (fetch)
     origin  https://[email protected]/team-or-user-name/myproject.git (push)
    
  • If it's not connected, it might show origin only.

  1. Now remove the remote repository from the local repository by using

    git remote rm origin
    
  2. Check again with git remote -v, as in step 4. It should show origin only, instead of the fetch and push path.

  3. Now that your old remote repository is disconnected, you can add the new remote repository. Use the following to connect to your new repository:

Note: In case you are using Bitbucket, you would create a project on Bitbucket first. After creation, Bitbucket will display all required Git commands to push your repository to remote, which look similar to the next code snippet. However, this works for other repositories as well.

cd /path/to/my/repo # If you haven't done that yet.
git remote add mynewrepo https://[email protected]/team-or-user-name/myproject.git
git push -u mynewrepo master # To push changes for the first time.

That's it.

13
  1. git remote rm origin

  2. git remote -v It will not display any repository name

  3. git remote add origin [email protected]:username/myapp.git

  4. git push origin master It will start the process and creating the new branch. You can see your work is pushed to github.

10

The below two commands should help set up.

git remote set-url origin https://github.com/USERNAME/NEW_REPO.git
    
git push --set-upstream origin main
9
git remote rm origin
git remote add origin [email protected]:username/myapp.git
8

You don't have to remove your existing "origin" remote, just use a name other than "origin" for your remote add, e.g.

git remote add github [email protected]:myname/oldrep.git

5

I had the same problem when I first set up using Bitbucket.

My problem was that I needed to change the word origin for something self-defined. I used the name of the application. So:

git remote add AppName https://[email protected]/somewhere/something.git
4

You should change the name of the remote repository to something else.

git remote add origin [email protected]:myname/oldrep.git

to

git remote add neworigin [email protected]:myname/oldrep.git

I think this should work.

Yes, these are for repository init and adding a new remote. Just with a change of name.

3

You could also change the repository name you wish to push to in the REPOHOME/.git/config file

(where REPOHOME is the path to your local clone of the repository).

2

You need to check the origin and add if not exists.

if ! git config remote.origin.url >/dev/null; then
    git remote add origin [email protected]:john/doe.git
fi

Create file check.sh, paste the script update your git repository URL and run ./check.sh.

2

I had the same issue but I found the solution to it. Basically "origin" is another name from where your project was cloned. Now the error

fatal: remote origin already exists.

LITERALLY means origin already exists. And hence to solve this issue, our goal should be to remove it. For this purpose:

git remote rm origin

Now add it again

git remote add origin https://github.com/__enter your username here__/__your repositoryname.git__

This did fix my issue.

1

This can also happen when you forget to make a first commit.

1

I just faced this issue myself and I just removed it by removing the origin. the origin is removed by this command

git remote rm origin

if you've added the remote repo as origin try implementing this command.

1

Try to remove first existing origin, In order to see the which existing origin has registered with bash you can fire below command.

 git remote -v 

after you know the which version of origin has register with bash then you can remove existing origin by firing below command

git remote rm origin

Once you removed existing origin you can add new origin by firing below command in you case ..

git remote add origin [email protected]:myname/oldrep.git

Once you add your origin in git, then you can push your local commit to remote origin

git push -u origin --all
0

Step:1

git remote rm origin

Step:2

git remote add origin enter_your_repository_url

Example:

git remote add origin https://github.com/my_username/repository_name.git
0

if you want to create a new repository with the same project inside the github and the previous Remote is not allowing you to do that in that case First Delete That Repository on github then you simply need to delete the .git folder C:\Users\Shiva\AndroidStudioProjects\yourprojectname\.git delete that folder,(make sure you click on hidden file because this folder is hidden )

Also click on the minus(Remove button) from the android studio Setting->VersionControl click here for removing the Version control from android And then you will be able to create new Repository.

0

Try this command it works for me.

rm -rf .git/

1
  • If you have any local version history this will remove it.
    – Kanembel
    Commented Feb 11, 2023 at 19:17
-1
git remote rm origin 

and then

git push -f 
3
  • 1
    Are you sure that this works? Did you try it?
    – aaossa
    Commented Mar 24, 2022 at 18:04
  • yes, I have done many times
    – Rasikh
    Commented Mar 25, 2022 at 17:16
  • 1
    It does not seem to work for me, I get "fatal: No configured push destination". git push -f uses "origin" as default remote location, but your previous command just deleted it. If this works under certain conditions, can you include those conditions in your answer?
    – aaossa
    Commented Mar 26, 2022 at 22:06

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.