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Add --no-upstream flag to repo clone#12686

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BagToad merged 2 commits intocli:trunkfrom
4RH1T3CT0R7:add-no-upstream-flag
Mar 3, 2026
Merged

Add --no-upstream flag to repo clone#12686
BagToad merged 2 commits intocli:trunkfrom
4RH1T3CT0R7:add-no-upstream-flag

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@4RH1T3CT0R7 4RH1T3CT0R7 commented Feb 14, 2026

Summary

Closes #8274

When cloning a forked repository, gh repo clone automatically adds the parent repo as an upstream remote and sets it as the default repository. This can be problematic when:

  • The user lacks access to the parent repo (causing confusing permission errors)
  • The upstream fetch is expensive for large repos
  • The user simply doesn't want the upstream remote

This PR adds a --no-upstream flag that skips adding the upstream remote when cloning a fork.

Behavior

Scenario SetRemoteResolution
--no-upstream + fork origin set as base (the fork becomes the default repo)
no flag + fork upstream set as base (existing behavior, unchanged)
not a fork no SetRemoteResolution call (existing behavior, unchanged)
  • --no-upstream is mutually exclusive with --upstream-remote-name (enforced via cobra.MarkFlagsMutuallyExclusive)
  • For non-fork repos, --no-upstream is a harmless no-op

Changes

  • pkg/cmd/repo/clone/clone.go: Add NoUpstream field, register --no-upstream flag, update fork handling logic, update help text and examples
  • pkg/cmd/repo/clone/clone_test.go: Add flag parsing tests, mutual exclusion test, integration tests for fork/non-fork with --no-upstream

Test plan

  • go test ./pkg/cmd/repo/clone/... - all tests pass
  • go vet ./pkg/cmd/repo/clone/... - no issues
  • go build ./cmd/gh - builds successfully
  • Manual: gh repo clone <fork> --no-upstream clones without adding upstream remote
  • Manual: gh repo clone <fork> --no-upstream --upstream-remote-name test errors with mutual exclusion message
  • Manual: gh repo clone <non-fork> --no-upstream clones normally (no-op)

When cloning a forked repository, `gh repo clone` automatically adds the
parent repo as an `upstream` remote and sets it as the default repository.
This can be problematic when the user lacks access to the parent repo,
the upstream fetch is expensive for large repos, or the user simply
doesn't want the upstream remote.

Add a `--no-upstream` flag that skips adding the upstream remote when
cloning a fork. When used, origin (the fork) is set as the default
repository instead. The flag is mutually exclusive with
`--upstream-remote-name`. For non-fork repos the flag is a harmless
no-op.

Closes cli#8274
Copilot AI review requested due to automatic review settings February 14, 2026 17:31
@4RH1T3CT0R7 4RH1T3CT0R7 requested a review from a team as a code owner February 14, 2026 17:31
@cliAutomation cliAutomation added the external pull request originating outside of the CLI core team label Feb 14, 2026
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Pull request overview

This PR adds a --no-upstream flag to gh repo clone to address issue #8274. When cloning a forked repository, the current behavior automatically adds the parent repository as an upstream remote, which can cause permission errors or expensive fetches when the user lacks access to or doesn't need the parent repo. The new flag allows users to skip adding the upstream remote entirely, with the fork itself becoming the default repository.

Changes:

  • Added --no-upstream boolean flag that is mutually exclusive with --upstream-remote-name
  • Modified fork handling logic to conditionally set origin as the base remote when --no-upstream is true
  • Added comprehensive tests for flag parsing, mutual exclusion, and integration scenarios

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 2 out of 2 changed files in this pull request and generated no comments.

File Description
pkg/cmd/repo/clone/clone.go Adds NoUpstream field to CloneOptions, registers the flag with mutual exclusivity constraint, updates fork handling to conditionally skip upstream remote setup, and adds documentation
pkg/cmd/repo/clone/clone_test.go Adds unit tests for flag parsing, mutual exclusion validation, and integration tests for both fork and non-fork scenarios with --no-upstream

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Reviewed and tested locally — correctly sets origin as base resolution when --no-upstream is used, enforces mutual exclusion with --upstream-remote-name, and is a harmless no-op for non-forks. I pushed a small doc tweak to combine the help text lines. LGTM.

@BagToad BagToad merged commit 6e979c6 into cli:trunk Mar 3, 2026
11 checks passed
tmeijn pushed a commit to tmeijn/dotfiles that referenced this pull request Mar 24, 2026
This MR contains the following updates:

| Package | Update | Change |
|---|---|---|
| [cli/cli](https://github.com/cli/cli) | minor | `v2.87.3` → `v2.88.1` |

MR created with the help of [el-capitano/tools/renovate-bot](https://gitlab.com/el-capitano/tools/renovate-bot).

**Proposed changes to behavior should be submitted there as MRs.**

---

### Release Notes

<details>
<summary>cli/cli (cli/cli)</summary>

### [`v2.88.1`](https://github.com/cli/cli/releases/tag/v2.88.1): GitHub CLI 2.88.1

[Compare Source](cli/cli@v2.88.0...v2.88.1)

#### Fix `pr` commands failing with `read:project` scope error

v2.88.0 introduced a regression where `pr` commands would fail with the error:

```
error: your authentication token is missing required scopes [read:project]
To request it, run:  gh auth refresh -s read:project
```

Previously, missing read:project scope was gracefully handled, and project data was silently skipped. A change inadvertently broke the error matching that enabled this graceful degradation. v2.88.1 reverts these changes so that `pr` commands work correctly without requiring the `read:project` scope.

#### What's Changed

- Migrate Windows code signing from client secret to OIDC by [@&#8203;BagToad](https://github.com/BagToad) in [#&#8203;12911](cli/cli#12911)
- Revert "refactor: deduplicate scope error handling between api/client.go and project queries" by [@&#8203;williammartin](https://github.com/williammartin) in [#&#8203;12914](cli/cli#12914)
- Revert "fix: clarify scope error while creating issues for projects" by [@&#8203;williammartin](https://github.com/williammartin) in [#&#8203;12915](cli/cli#12915)

**Full Changelog**: <cli/cli@v2.88.0...v2.88.1>

### [`v2.88.0`](https://github.com/cli/cli/releases/tag/v2.88.0): GitHub CLI 2.88.0

[Compare Source](cli/cli@v2.87.3...v2.88.0)

#### :copilot: Request Copilot Code Review from `gh`

<img width="80%" height="80%" alt="image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c9b86700-5934-44b6-9210-227495a18d8e" />

`gh pr create` and `gh pr edit` now support [Copilot Code Review](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/using-github-copilot/code-review/using-copilot-code-review) as a reviewer. Request a review with `--add-reviewer @&#8203;copilot`, or select Copilot interactively from the searchable reviewer prompt.

Create a pull request and request review from Copilot:

```
gh pr create --reviewer @&#8203;copilot
```

Edit a pull request and request review from Copilot:

```
gh pr edit --add-reviewer @&#8203;copilot
```

#### Close issues as duplicates with `gh issue close --duplicate-of`

You can now close issues as duplicates and link to a duplicate issue directly from the CLI. The new `--duplicate-of` flag accepts an issue number or URL and marks the closed issue as a duplicate of the referenced one. You can also use `--reason duplicate` to set the close reason without linking a specific issue.

```

# Close as duplicate, linking to the original issue
gh issue close 123 --duplicate-of 456

# Close with duplicate reason only
gh issue close 123 --reason duplicate
```

#### JSON support for `gh agent-task`

`gh agent-task list` and `gh agent-task view` now support `--json`, `--jq`, and `--template` flags, consistent with other `gh` commands.

```
gh agent-task list --json id,name,state
gh agent-task view <id> --json state --jq '.state'
```

#### What's Changed

##### ✨ Features

- `gh pr create`: login-based reviewer requests and search-based interactive selection by [@&#8203;BagToad](https://github.com/BagToad) in [#&#8203;12627](cli/cli#12627)
- `gh pr view` and `gh issue view`: show friendly display names for all actors by [@&#8203;BagToad](https://github.com/BagToad) in [#&#8203;12854](cli/cli#12854)
- `gh issue close`: add `--duplicate-of` flag and duplicate reason by [@&#8203;tksohishi](https://github.com/tksohishi) in [#&#8203;12811](cli/cli#12811)
- `gh pr diff`: add `--exclude` flag to filter files from diff output by [@&#8203;yuvrajangadsingh](https://github.com/yuvrajangadsingh) in [#&#8203;12655](cli/cli#12655)
- `gh pr view/list`: add `changeType` field to files JSON output by [@&#8203;yuvrajangadsingh](https://github.com/yuvrajangadsingh) in [#&#8203;12657](cli/cli#12657)
- `gh repo clone`: add `--no-upstream` flag by [@&#8203;4RH1T3CT0R7](https://github.com/4RH1T3CT0R7) in [#&#8203;12686](cli/cli#12686)
- `gh repo edit`: add `--squash-merge-commit-message` flag by [@&#8203;yuvrajangadsingh](https://github.com/yuvrajangadsingh) in [#&#8203;12846](cli/cli#12846)
- `gh browse`: add `--blame` flag by [@&#8203;masonmcelvain](https://github.com/masonmcelvain) in [#&#8203;11486](cli/cli#11486)
- `gh agent-task list`: add `--json` support by [@&#8203;maxbeizer](https://github.com/maxbeizer) in [#&#8203;12806](cli/cli#12806)
- `gh agent-task view`: add `--json` support by [@&#8203;maxbeizer](https://github.com/maxbeizer) in [#&#8203;12807](cli/cli#12807)
- `gh copilot`: set `COPILOT_GH` env var when launching Copilot CLI by [@&#8203;devm33](https://github.com/devm33) in [#&#8203;12821](cli/cli#12821)

##### 🐛 Fixes

- Fix `gh project item-edit` error when editing Draft Issue with only one (`--title`/`--body`) flag by [@&#8203;ManManavadaria](https://github.com/ManManavadaria) in [#&#8203;12787](cli/cli#12787)
- Fix extension install error message showing raw struct instead of `owner/repo` by [@&#8203;Copilot](https://github.com/Copilot) in [#&#8203;12836](cli/cli#12836)
- Fix incorrect integer conversion from int to uint16 in port forwarder by [@&#8203;BagToad](https://github.com/BagToad) in [#&#8203;12831](cli/cli#12831)
- Fix invalid ANSI SGR escape code in JSON and diff colorization by [@&#8203;BagToad](https://github.com/BagToad) in [#&#8203;12720](cli/cli#12720)
- Fix assignees `databaseId` always being `0` in `--json` output by [@&#8203;srt32](https://github.com/srt32) in [#&#8203;12783](cli/cli#12783)
- Fix error when `--remote` flag used with repo argument by [@&#8203;majiayu000](https://github.com/majiayu000) in [#&#8203;12375](cli/cli#12375)
- Fix redundant API call in `gh issue view --comments` by [@&#8203;VishnuVV27](https://github.com/VishnuVV27) in [#&#8203;12652](cli/cli#12652)
- Clarify scope error while creating issues for projects by [@&#8203;elijahthis](https://github.com/elijahthis) in [#&#8203;12596](cli/cli#12596)
- Reject pull request-only search qualifiers in `gh issue list` by [@&#8203;LouisLau-art](https://github.com/LouisLau-art) in [#&#8203;12623](cli/cli#12623)
- Prevent `.git/config` corruption on repeated `issue develop --name` invocation by [@&#8203;gunadhya](https://github.com/gunadhya) in [#&#8203;12651](cli/cli#12651)
- Use pre-compiled regexp for matching Content-Type by [@&#8203;itchyny](https://github.com/itchyny) in [#&#8203;12781](cli/cli#12781)
- Isolate generated licenses per platform (os/arch) by [@&#8203;babakks](https://github.com/babakks) in [#&#8203;12774](cli/cli#12774)

##### 📚 Docs & Chores

- Add examples to `gh issue close` help text by [@&#8203;BagToad](https://github.com/BagToad) in [#&#8203;12830](cli/cli#12830)
- Customizable install `prefix` in Makefile by [@&#8203;scarf005](https://github.com/scarf005) in [#&#8203;11714](cli/cli#11714)
- Deduplicate scope error handling between `api/client.go` and project queries by [@&#8203;yuvrajangadsingh](https://github.com/yuvrajangadsingh) in [#&#8203;12845](cli/cli#12845)
- Remove unnecessary `StateReason` and `StateReasonDuplicate` feature detection by [@&#8203;BagToad](https://github.com/BagToad) in [#&#8203;12838](cli/cli#12838)
- Update Go version requirement to 1.26+ by [@&#8203;BagToad](https://github.com/BagToad) in [#&#8203;12864](cli/cli#12864)
- Add monthly pitch surfacing workflow by [@&#8203;tidy-dev](https://github.com/tidy-dev) in [#&#8203;12894](cli/cli#12894)

##### :dependabot: Dependencies

- Bump Go from 1.25.7 to 1.26.1 by [@&#8203;BagToad](https://github.com/BagToad) in [#&#8203;12860](cli/cli#12860)
- chore(deps): bump golang.org/x/sync from 0.19.0 to 0.20.0 by [@&#8203;dependabot](https://github.com/dependabot)\[bot] in [#&#8203;12886](cli/cli#12886)
- chore(deps): bump google.golang.org/grpc from 1.79.1 to 1.79.2 by [@&#8203;dependabot](https://github.com/dependabot)\[bot] in [#&#8203;12851](cli/cli#12851)
- chore(deps): bump github.com/docker/cli from 29.0.3+incompatible to 29.2.0+incompatible by [@&#8203;dependabot](https://github.com/dependabot)\[bot] in [#&#8203;12842](cli/cli#12842)
- chore(deps): bump google.golang.org/grpc from 1.78.0 to 1.79.1 by [@&#8203;dependabot](https://github.com/dependabot)\[bot] in [#&#8203;12759](cli/cli#12759)
- chore(deps): bump goreleaser/goreleaser-action from 6.4.0 to 7.0.0 by [@&#8203;dependabot](https://github.com/dependabot)\[bot] in [#&#8203;12760](cli/cli#12760)
- chore(deps): bump actions/upload-artifact from 6 to 7 by [@&#8203;dependabot](https://github.com/dependabot)\[bot] in [#&#8203;12797](cli/cli#12797)
- chore(deps): bump actions/download-artifact from 7 to 8 by [@&#8203;dependabot](https://github.com/dependabot)\[bot] in [#&#8203;12796](cli/cli#12796)
- chore(deps): bump actions/attest-build-provenance from 3.2.0 to 4.1.0 by [@&#8203;dependabot](https://github.com/dependabot)\[bot] in [#&#8203;12795](cli/cli#12795)
- chore(deps): bump github.com/gabriel-vasile/mimetype from 1.4.11 to 1.4.13 by [@&#8203;dependabot](https://github.com/dependabot)\[bot] in [#&#8203;12615](cli/cli#12615)

#### New Contributors

- [@&#8203;srt32](https://github.com/srt32) made their first contribution in [#&#8203;12783](cli/cli#12783)
- [@&#8203;itchyny](https://github.com/itchyny) made their first contribution in [#&#8203;12781](cli/cli#12781)
- [@&#8203;VishnuVV27](https://github.com/VishnuVV27) made their first contribution in [#&#8203;12652](cli/cli#12652)
- [@&#8203;elijahthis](https://github.com/elijahthis) made their first contribution in [#&#8203;12596](cli/cli#12596)
- [@&#8203;ManManavadaria](https://github.com/ManManavadaria) made their first contribution in [#&#8203;12787](cli/cli#12787)
- [@&#8203;maxbeizer](https://github.com/maxbeizer) made their first contribution in [#&#8203;12806](cli/cli#12806)
- [@&#8203;LouisLau-art](https://github.com/LouisLau-art) made their first contribution in [#&#8203;12623](cli/cli#12623)
- [@&#8203;4RH1T3CT0R7](https://github.com/4RH1T3CT0R7) made their first contribution in [#&#8203;12686](cli/cli#12686)
- [@&#8203;yuvrajangadsingh](https://github.com/yuvrajangadsingh) made their first contribution in [#&#8203;12657](cli/cli#12657)
- [@&#8203;masonmcelvain](https://github.com/masonmcelvain) made their first contribution in [#&#8203;11486](cli/cli#11486)
- [@&#8203;scarf005](https://github.com/scarf005) made their first contribution in [#&#8203;11714](cli/cli#11714)
- [@&#8203;tksohishi](https://github.com/tksohishi) made their first contribution in [#&#8203;12811](cli/cli#12811)
- [@&#8203;tidy-dev](https://github.com/tidy-dev) made their first contribution in [#&#8203;12894](cli/cli#12894)

**Full Changelog**: <cli/cli@v2.87.3...v2.88.0>

</details>

---

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---

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---

This MR has been generated by [Renovate Bot](https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate).
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