The `git get` command to replace `git pull` with a sophisticated rebase strategy

git-get

#!/bin/bash
#
# git get
#
# Place this script in your path, so that git(1) can find it. Presto!
# You can now type `git get` instead of `git pull` and enjoy the
# advantages of rebasing atop instead of merging remote changes.
#
# If you have local changes, use `git get --stash` to stash and
# pop afterwards your changes automatically.
#
# Use `git get <remote>` to fetch from a specific remote other than
# origin.
#
# Use `git get <remote> <remote-branch>` to specify a remote branch
# other than the one with the same name you're localy on.
#
# See http://notes.envato.com/developers/rebasing-merge-commits-in-git/
#

STASH=${1-}

if [[ $STASH == "--stash" || $STASH == "-s" ]]; then
    shift
else
    STASH=
fi

BRANCH="${2-$(git symbolic-ref --short -q HEAD)}"
if [[ $BRANCH == "" ]]; then
    BRANCH=master
fi

ORIGIN="${1-$(git config --get "branch.$BRANCH.remote")}"

if [[ $ORIGIN == "" ]]; then
    ORIGIN=origin
fi

echo $ORIGIN/$BRANCH

[ $STASH ] && {
    CHECK=$(cat .git/refs/stash 2>/dev/null)
    git stash save "git-get on $(date)"
}

git fetch $ORIGIN && \
git rebase -p --stat "$ORIGIN/$BRANCH"

[ $STASH ] && {
    if [[ $(cat .git/refs/stash 2>/dev/null) != $CHECK ]]; then
        # something got stashed above. Unstash it.
        git stash pop -q
    fi
}

After line 34, I could add a bit more logic to get the branch's real remote tracking branch and fetching/rebasing only that. Something like

TRACKING_BRANCH=$(git config --get "branch.$BRANCH.merge" | sed 's!refs/heads/!!')

with error checking.

Auto-detecting, if we need to merge: http://stackoverflow.com/a/5143914/113195

In a nutshell:

STASH=
if ! git diff-index --quiet HEAD; then
    STASH=1
fi

Rev. 4: Add better stash support and better origin detection.