using git-flow with github

We've decided to use nvie's "Git Branching Model" for a work project using github as a "central" repository (by convention). The gitflow documentation is aimed at people running their own local repositories and using the default git-flow settings for branch names.

I want to make some branch naming changes from the original model. First I was going to swap develop and master with master and production. I've gone a step further and done away with master. I want my branches to be develop, qa, and production.

First, how to initialize this in a new repo:

% mkdir fakerepo
% cd fakerepo
% git init fakerepo
Initialized empty Git repository in /Users/andrew/src/fakerepo/.git/

% git flow init
No branches exist yet. Base branches must be created now.
Branch name for production releases: [master] production
Branch name for "next release" development: [develop] 

How to name your supporting branch prefixes?
Feature branches? [feature/] 
Release branches? [release/] qa
Hotfix branches? [hotfix/] 
Support branches? [support/] 
Version tag prefix? [] 

% git branch
* develop
  production

#git flow saves elements to the local repo configuration, .git/config
% git config -l | grep gitflow
gitflow.branch.master=production
gitflow.branch.develop=develop
gitflow.prefix.feature=feature/
gitflow.prefix.release=qa
gitflow.prefix.hotfix=hotfix/
gitflow.prefix.support=support/
gitflow.prefix.versiontag=

Now, how to push to the matching github repository, spazm/fakerepo? Normally I'd use:

 git remote add origin git@github.com:spazm/fakerepo.git
 git push -u origin master

But now I don't have a local master. Should I be using the publish features? #Add manually, rather than via git flow * publish

%  git remote add origin git@github.com:spazm/fakerepo.git

% git push --set-upstream origin develop
Counting objects: 2, done.
Writing objects: 100% (2/2), 173 bytes, done.
Total 2 (delta 0), reused 0 (delta 0)
To git@github.com:/spazm/fakerepo.git
 * [new branch]      develop -> develop
Branch develop set up to track remote branch develop from origin.

% git push --set-upstream origin production
Total 0 (delta 0), reused 0 (delta 0)
To git@github.com:/spazm/fakerepo.git
 * [new branch]      production -> production
Branch production set up to track remote branch production from origin.

% git branch
* develop
  production

% git branch -r
  origin/develop
  origin/production

Now, what does the next user need to do after he clones the remote repo?

% git clone git@github.com:spazm/fakerepo.git
% cd fakerepo
% git status
# On branch develop
nothing to commit (working directory clean)

% git branch
* develop

% git branch -r 
  origin/HEAD -> origin/develop
  origin/develop
  origin/production

% git config -l | grep gitflow

#blank, the gitflow configuration items aren't present in the checkout.
% git flow init

Which branch should be used for bringing forth production releases?
   - develop
Branch name for production releases: [] production
Local branch 'production' does not exist.

#manually bring over tracking branches
% git branch --track production origin/production
Branch production set up to track remote branch production from origin.

% git flow init
Which branch should be used for bringing forth production releases?
   - develop
   - production
Branch name for production releases: [production] 

Which branch should be used for integration of the "next release"?
   - develop
Branch name for "next release" development: [develop] 

How to name your supporting branch prefixes?
Feature branches? [feature/] 
Release branches? [release/] qa
Hotfix branches? [hotfix/] 
Support branches? [support/] 
Version tag prefix? [] 

% git config -l |grep gitflow
gitflow.branch.master=production
gitflow.branch.develop=develop
gitflow.prefix.feature=feature/
gitflow.prefix.release=qa
gitflow.prefix.hotfix=hotfix/
gitflow.prefix.support=support/
gitflow.prefix.versiontag=

Question: Do I really have to manually set up the tracking branches when I clone, prior to running git-init? That seems messy. I'll keep digging and let you know.