Checking out a remote branch (that does not exist locally) in Git

$ git branch -a -v

* master                           f81a844 ~ ensures bin/factorrs works on Windows

  remotes/origin/HEAD              -> origin/master

  remotes/origin/coalescing-common ad0cc13 bin/find_unused_header_files : + uses libCLImate and provides standard and custom flags

  remotes/origin/master            f81a844 ~ ensures bin/factorrs works on Windows

$ git checkout -b coalescing-common origin/coalescing-common

Branch coalescing-common set up to track remote branch coalescing-common from origin.

Switched to a new branch 'coalescing-common'

$ git branch -a -v

* coalescing-common                ad0cc13 bin/find_unused_header_files : + uses libCLImate and provides standard and custom flags

  master                           f81a844 ~ ensures bin/factorrs works on Windows

  remotes/origin/HEAD              -> origin/master

  remotes/origin/coalescing-common ad0cc13 bin/find_unused_header_files : + uses libCLImate and provides standard and custom flags

  remotes/origin/master            f81a844 ~ ensures bin/factorrs works on Windows

$