remote branch - Git - Change tracking configuration of branches -

i have following branches (local , remote):

origin/master origin/alter origin/alter_old master alter alter_old

if git branch -vv get:

master     6aec3b5 [origin/master] blam alter      8c32a03 blaa1 alter_old  1669af7 [origin/alter: ahead n, behind m] blaa2

i want alter track origin/alter , alter_old track origin/alter_old. how can it? tried following:

git checkout alter_old git branch -u origin/alter_old

but get:

error: unknown switch `u'

and same --set-upstream-to.

edit: strangely, think when push, alterpushes origin/master , alter_old pushed origin/alter_old. why this?

for git 1.8.0 onwards

git branch alter_old -u origin/alter_old

git branch alter_old --set-upstream-to origin/alter_old

for git 1.7.0 : use --set-upstream instead of --set-upstream-to

git branch --set-upstream alter_old origin/alter_old

Crty