I'm trying to sync a local Git repository with its remote repository. I ran `git status`, `git add .`, and `git commit -m "fifth commit"`, but encountered an error because the local and remote repositories contained mismatched or unrelated files. I then tried `git pull origin main --allow-unrelated-histories`, but Git reported that the branches had diverged and asked me to choose a pull strategy. I ran `git config pull.rebase false` to use a merge, then repeated the pull and push commands. This time, the operation failed with `fatal: unable to access ... Could not resolve host: github.com`. What should I do next, and do I simply repeat the Git commands once the connection is working?
2 Answers
The `pull.rebase false` setting is a valid choice because it tells Git to merge the remote history with your local history. The later `Could not resolve host: github.com` error is separate from the branch-history issue—it means your computer temporarily cannot resolve or reach the host, usually because of a slow internet connection or a DNS problem. Check that the site opens in a browser and that your connection is stable before changing any more Git settings.
Yes, once the network or DNS issue is resolved, retry the pull command. You should not need to redo the earlier configuration. If the pull completes successfully, resolve any merge conflicts, commit the merge if Git asks you to, and then push.
The final error is not about unrelated histories or the merge strategy. Your machine is failing to resolve `github.com`, so check the network connection, DNS settings, VPN, proxy, or firewall first. Since the connection is already slow, waiting briefly and retrying after confirming the host is reachable is reasonable.
If the connection starts working again, should I just repeat the pull and push commands?