GitHub is a popular platform for managing and collaborating on code projects. One important aspect of managing a code project on GitHub is setting the main branch as the production branch. This ensures that the code in the production branch is always the most stable and ready for deployment. In this article, we will discuss how to set the main branch as the production branch in GitHub.
- Go to the repository on GitHub that you want to set the production branch for.
- Click on the “Settings” tab.
- Scroll down to the “Branches” section.
- Under “Branch protection rules”, click on the “Edit” button next to the “master” branch.
- Check the box next to “Require pull request reviews before merging” to enable branch protection.
- Click “Save changes”
Step 1: Determine the Main Branch
The first step in setting the main branch as the production branch is to determine which branch is currently the main branch. The main branch is typically the branch that contains the most stable and tested code. It is usually named “master” by default.
You can check which branch is the main branch by going to the repository page on GitHub and looking at the branch dropdown menu. The branch with a green tick icon next to it is the default branch.
Step 2: Rename the Main Branch
If the main branch is not already named “master”, you will need to rename it. To do this, you can use the GitHub web interface or the command line.
Using the GitHub web interface, navigate to the repository page and click on the branch dropdown menu. Select the branch that you want to rename, and then click on the three dots icon next to the branch name. From there, you can select “Rename” and enter the new branch name.
Using the command line, you can use the git branch -m command to rename the branch. For example, to rename the branch “main” to “master”, you would use the command git branch -m main master.
Step 3: Set the Main Branch as the Production Branch
Once the main branch is named “master”, it can be set as the production branch. This can be done by navigating to the repository settings in GitHub and selecting “Branches” from the left-hand menu. Under “Default branch”, select “master” from the dropdown menu.
You can also set the main branch as the production branch using the command line. By using git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/master master you will set the branch to track the production branch on the remote repository.
Conclusion
Setting the main branch as the production branch in GitHub is an important step in managing and deploying code projects. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily set the main branch as the production branch in GitHub. This will ensure that the code in the production branch is always the most stable and ready for deployment.