tools-only Rebase Workflow
Reapply commits on top of another base.
Prerequisites
- Git repository initialized
- Understanding of rebase implications
- Never rebase public/shared branches
Understanding Rebase
Rebase rewrites commit history by:
- Taking your commits
- Temporarily removing them
- Applying target branch commits
- Replaying your commits on top
Result: Linear history without merge commits.
Basic Rebase
Rebase onto Branch
# On feature branch
git checkout feature/my-feature
# Rebase onto main
git rebase main
Rebase onto Remote
# Fetch latest
git fetch origin
# Rebase onto remote main
git rebase origin/main
Rebase Workflow Steps
Step 1: Prepare
# Ensure clean working directory
git status
# Switch to branch to rebase
git checkout feature/my-feature
# Fetch latest from remote
git fetch origin
Step 2: Execute Rebase
# Rebase onto main
git rebase main
Step 3: Handle Conflicts (if any)
# Git pauses at conflicts
# Edit files to resolve
# After resolving:
git add <resolved-files>
git rebase --continue
# Or abort:
git rebase --abort
Step 4: Force Push (if already pushed)
DANGER: Only do this on YOUR branch:
# Force push rebased branch
git push --force-with-lease origin feature/my-feature
Interactive Rebase
Rewrite, reorder, squash, or drop commits.
Start Interactive Rebase
# Rebase last N commits
git rebase -i HEAD~5
# Rebase onto branch interactively
git rebase -i main
Interactive Commands
pick - Use commit as-is
reword - Use commit but edit message
edit - Stop for amending
squash - Meld into previous commit (keep message)
fixup - Meld into previous commit (discard message)
drop - Remove commit
Common Interactive Operations
Squash multiple commits:
git rebase -i HEAD~3
# In editor:
pick abc1234 First commit
squash def5678 Second commit
squash ghi9012 Third commit
# Save, then edit combined message
Reword commit message:
git rebase -i HEAD~2
# Change 'pick' to 'reword'
reword abc1234 Old message
# Save, then edit message in next editor
Reorder commits:
git rebase -i HEAD~3
# Simply reorder the lines
pick ghi9012 Third commit
pick abc1234 First commit
pick def5678 Second commit
Drop a commit:
git rebase -i HEAD~3
# Change 'pick' to 'drop' or delete the line
pick abc1234 First commit
drop def5678 Second commit
pick ghi9012 Third commit
Rebase vs Merge
| Aspect | Rebase | Merge |
|---|---|---|
| History | Linear | Preserves branches |
| Conflicts | Per commit | Once |
| Safety | Rewrites history | Safe for shared |
| Use case | Clean up before merge | Integrate branches |
Golden rule: Only rebase commits that haven't been pushed/shared.
Common Scenarios
Update Feature Branch with Main
# On feature branch
git checkout feature/my-feature
# Fetch and rebase
git fetch origin
git rebase origin/main
# Force push if needed
git push --force-with-lease origin feature/my-feature
Clean Up Before PR
# Squash WIP commits
git rebase -i main
# Make commits logical units
# Force push cleaned branch
git push --force-with-lease origin feature/my-feature
Split a Commit
git rebase -i HEAD~2
# Mark commit as 'edit'
edit abc1234 Large commit
# When stopped:
git reset HEAD~
git add <first-part>
git commit -m "first change"
git add <second-part>
git commit -m "second change"
git rebase --continue
Handling Conflicts
During Rebase
# Git pauses at conflict
# Files shown in git status
# Resolve conflicts in files
# Remove conflict markers
# Stage resolved files
git add <file>
# Continue rebase
git rebase --continue
Abort Rebase
# Return to pre-rebase state
git rebase --abort
Skip Problematic Commit
# Skip current commit
git rebase --skip
Safety Rules
- NEVER rebase public branches (main, develop)
- NEVER rebase commits others have based work on
- Use
--force-with-leasenot--force - Backup before complex rebases:
git branch backup-branch - Understand the commits before rebasing
Error Handling
Nothing to Rebase
Current branch is up to date.
Already rebased or no new commits to apply.
Conflicts During Rebase
CONFLICT (content): Merge conflict in <file>
Resolve:
1. Edit file
2. git add <file>
3. git rebase --continue
Or abort: git rebase --abort
Diverged After Force Push
Error: Others have pulled the old version.
Solutions:
1. Coordinate with team to reset
2. Never rebase shared branches again
Autosquash
Automatically squash fixup commits:
# Create fixup commit
git commit --fixup=<commit-hash>
# Rebase with autosquash
git rebase -i --autosquash main
Git automatically arranges fixup commits.