[GIT] How do I delete a Git branch on a remote server?

source: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2003505/how-do-i-delete-a-git-branch-both-locally-and-remotely

As of Git v1.7.0, you can delete a remote branch using

git push origin --delete <branchName>

which is easier to remember than

git push origin :<branchName>

which was added in Git v1.5.0 "to delete a remote branch or a tag."

Therefore, the version of Git you have installed will dictate whether you need to use the easier or harder syntax.

Original Answer from 5-Jan-2010

From Chapter 3 of Pro Git by Scott Chacon:

Deleting Remote Branches

Suppose you’re done with a remote branch — say, you and your collaborators are finished with a feature and have merged it into your remote’s master branch (or whatever branch your stable codeline is in). You can delete a remote branch using the rather obtuse syntax git push [remotename] :[branch]. If you want to delete your serverfix branch from the server, you run the following:

$ git push origin :serverfix
To git@github.com:schacon/simplegit.git
 - [deleted]         serverfix

Boom. No more branch on your server. You may want to dog-ear this page, because you’ll need that command, and you’ll likely forget the syntax. A way to remember this command is by recalling the git push [remotename] [localbranch]:[remotebranch] syntax that we went over a bit earlier. If you leave off the [localbranch] portion, then you’re basically saying, “Take nothing on my side and make it be [remotebranch].”

I issued git push origin :bugfix and it worked beautifully. Scott Chacon was right—I will want todog ear that page (or virtually dog ear by answering this on Stack Overflow).