>> use git pull --rebase
I Googled that and found 99% agreement. But there's always some git that spoils the party:
https://coderwall.com/p/jiswdq
>> or even delete your local master
As a 1-man automated web tester, no-one else uses my stuff. I use "master" for the latest "working code".
Test code needs constant refactoring, abstraction, and parameterization, otherwise many tests can fail if the developer changes a tiny bit of text on the UI.
Git is ideal for test refactoring, because I can try various experiments on various branches. Eventually, the latest "good idea" is merged into the master.
I'm not sure how I would use Git without a master. Surely I need one branch with "working code". The remote repo has a master with working code - but how do I pull that code to run a suite of tests on instant demand?
As I said in my OP, all this is new to me :)