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How to Update Your Lab Hub Fork Safely

This guide explains how to pull updates from the main course repository while protecting your own work from being overwritten.

Overview

The course repository is updated biweekly with:

  • New lab content
  • Bug fixes to existing code
  • Clarifications to instructions
  • Updated requirements or dependencies

You need to pull these updates while preserving your completed lab work.

Before You Start

⚠️ ALWAYS commit your work before pulling updates!

Make sure all your lab work is committed and pushed to your repository:

git add .
git commit -m "Save my lab work before pulling updates"
git push origin main

When in doubt keep a local copy of your files, and copy paste between!

Method 1: Using GitHub's Sync Fork Button (Recommended)

Step 1: Check for Updates

  1. Go to your forked repository on GitHub
  2. Look for a message like "This branch is X commits behind IRL-CT:Fall2025"

Step 2: Sync Fork

  1. Click the "Sync fork" button
  2. Review what changes will be pulled in
  3. Click "Update branch"

Sync Fork Button Synced Fork Successfully

Step 3: Handle Conflicts (if any)

If you see merge conflicts:

  1. Don't panic! This means you've modified files that were also updated upstream
  2. Click "Resolve conflicts" on GitHub's web interface
  3. Or pull the changes locally and resolve conflicts in your editor

Method 2: Using Pull Requests Within Your Fork

Alternative approach: Create a pull request within your own repository to pull updates from the course repo.

Step-by-Step Process:

  1. Go to your forked repository on GitHub (your-username/Interactive-Lab-Hub)
  2. Click on "Pull requests" tab
  3. Click "New pull request" button
  4. Set the repositories correctly:
    • Base repository: your-username/Interactive-Lab-Hub (your fork)
    • Head repository: IRL-CT/Interactive-Lab-Hub (the course repo)
  5. If needed: Click the blue "compare across forks" link to see cross-fork options

Compare Across Forks

  1. Make sure branches match: Usually both should be Fall2025 (the current semester)
  2. Click "Create pull request"
  3. Add a title: e.g., "Pull course updates - Lab 2"
  4. Click "Create pull request" again
  5. Click "Merge pull request" to complete the update
  6. Click "Confirm merge"

When to Use This Method:

  • When the "Sync fork" button isn't available
  • When you prefer more control over the merge process
  • When you want to review changes before merging
  • When working with the traditional GitHub workflow

Reference: This follows the process described in the original course documentation

Method 3: Command Line Approach

Step 1: Add Upstream Remote (One-time setup)

# Navigate to your repository
cd path/to/your/Interactive-Lab-Hub

# Add the main course repository as upstream
git remote add upstream https://github.com/IRL-CT/Interactive-Lab-Hub.git

# Verify it was added
git remote -v

Step 2: Fetch Updates

# Fetch the latest changes from upstream
git fetch upstream

# Check what's different
git log HEAD..upstream/Fall2025 --oneline

Step 3: Merge Updates

# Make sure you're on your main branch
git checkout Fall2025

# Merge upstream changes
git merge upstream/Fall2025

Avoiding Conflicts: Tips

  • Edit only in sections marked for your work.
  • Avoid changing requirements.txt, starter code, or file structure.
  • Safe to edit: README.md in lab folders, new files, and marked sections.
  • If modifying provided files, back them up first: 
    cp original-file.py my-modified-file.py

Resolving Merge Conflicts

If you encounter conflicts:

1. Identify Conflicted Files

git status
# Look for files marked as "both modified"

2. Open Conflicted Files

Look for conflict markers:

<<<<<<< HEAD
Your changes
=======
Upstream changes
>>>>>>> upstream/Fall2025

3. Resolve Conflicts

  • Keep your work: Delete the upstream section and conflict markers
  • Accept upstream: Delete your section and conflict markers
  • Combine both: Merge the changes manually

4. Commit the Resolution

git add resolved-file.py
git commit -m "Resolve merge conflicts in lab updates"

Emergency: "I Messed Up!"

If you accidentally overwrote your work:

  1. Check git history:

    git log --oneline
git show [commit-hash]

  2. Recover from a previous commit:

    git checkout [commit-hash] -- path/to/your/file.py

  3. Use GitHub's web interface:

    • Go to your repository
    • Click on the file
    • Click "History"
    • Find your previous version and copy the content

When to Update

  • Week 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12: Check for updates after class
  • Before starting a new lab: Always pull latest updates
  • If you're having issues: Updates might contain bug fixes

Getting Help

If you run into problems:

  1. Save your work first! Commit everything
  2. Create an issue in your repository with:
    • What you were trying to do
    • The error message you received
    • Screenshots of any conflicts
  3. Ask for help in class or office hours

Remember: Updates are meant to help you succeed. When in doubt, save your work and ask for help!