Synchronizing a local Git repository with a remote one

Question

I want to synchronize my local repository with a remote one so that my local repository becomes a 100% copy of the remote one - meaning that if certain files differ in these

Answer 1

These steps will do it:

git reset --hard HEAD
git clean -f -x -d -n

then without -n

This will take care of all local changes. Now the commits...

git status

and note the line such as:

Your branch is ahead of 'xxxx' by N commits.

Take a note of number 'N' now:

git reset --hard HEAD~N
git pull

and finally:

git status

should show nothing to add/commit. All clean.

However, a fresh clone can do the same (but is much slow).

===Updated===

As my git knowledge slightly improved over the the time, I have come up with yet another simpler way to do the same. Here is how (#with explanation). While in your working branch:

git fetch # This updates 'remote' portion of local repo. 
git reset --hard origin/
# this will sync your local copy with remote content, discarding any committed
# or uncommitted changes.

Although your local commits and changes will disappear from sight after this, it is possible to recover committed changes, if necessary.