$ git checkout -b v2
+Remote repository and remote branches
+=====================================
+
+Git terminology can be a bit misleading. Take, for example, terms
+"remote repository" and "remote branches". A remote repository is
+really remote, you access it via network (well, a remote repository
+can be on your local disk, but it's still remote because it's not the
+current repo).
+
+Remote branches, on the other hand, are pointers to commits in your
+local repository. They are there for git to remember what branches and
+commits have been pushed from and pulled to what remote repos (you can
+pull from and push to many remotes).
+
+To see the status of remote branches::
+
+ $ git branch -rv
+
+To see local and remote branches (and tags) pointing to commits run::
+
+ $ git log --decorate
+
+You never do your own development on remote branches. You create a
+local branch that has a remote branch as an upstream and do
+development on that local branch. On push git updates remote branches,
+and on pull git updates remote branches and fast-forwards, merges or
+rebases local branches.
+
+When you do an initial clone like this::
+
+ $ git clone -b v1 http://git.python.org/python.git
+
+git clones remote repository ``http://git.python.org/python.git`` to
+directory ``python``, creates remote branches and checks out branch
+``v1`` into the working directory.
+
+
Commit editing and caveats
==========================