How to checkout merge request locally, and create new local branch?

Question

I have GitLab repository there and I need to test every merge request locally, before merging to the target branch.

How can I pull/fetch merge request as a new branch?<

Answer 1

There is a Check out branch button in GitLab.

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Then you can copy comments from Step 1. Fetch and check out the branch for this merge request.

git fetch <repo> <branch>
git checkout -b <branch>

Answer 2

1. Pull merge request to new branch

   git fetch origin merge-requests/REQUESTID/head:BRANCHNAME

   i.e git fetch origin merge-requests/10/head:file_upload

2. Checkout to newly created branch

   git checkout BRANCHNAME

   i.e (git checkout file_upload)

OR with single command

git fetch origin merge-requests/REQUESTID/head:BRANCHNAME && git checkout BRANCHNAME

i.e git fetch origin merge-requests/18/head:file_upload && git checkout file_upload

Answer 3

This is also documented in GitLab online documentation : https://gitlab.com/help/user/project/merge_requests/index.md#checkout-merge-requests-locally

They supply this script (git alias) :

[alias]
    mr = !sh -c 'git fetch $1 merge-requests/$2/head:mr-$1-$2 && git checkout mr-$1-$2' -

Then you can use this command :

git mr origin 4

So a new local branch mr-origin-4 will be created.

Answer 4

You can also add the line

fetch = +refs/merge-requests/*/head:refs/remotes/origin/merge-requests/*

to your .git/config to have git fetch fetch all merge requests.