Documentation/git-reset.txt

   1 git-reset(1)
   2 ============
   3
   4 NAME
   5 ----
   6 git-reset - Reset current HEAD to the specified state
   7
   8 SYNOPSIS
   9 --------
  10 [verse]
  11 'git reset' [-q] [<tree-ish>] [--] <paths>...
  12 'git reset' (--patch | -p) [<tree-ish>] [--] [<paths>...]
  13 'git reset' [--soft | --mixed [-N] | --hard | --merge | --keep] [-q] [<commit>]
  14
  15 DESCRIPTION
  16 -----------
  17 In the first and second form, copy entries from `<tree-ish>` to the index.
  18 In the third form, set the current branch head (`HEAD`) to `<commit>`,
  19 optionally modifying index and working tree to match.
  20 The `<tree-ish>`/`<commit>` defaults to `HEAD` in all forms.
  21
  22 'git reset' [-q] [<tree-ish>] [--] <paths>...::
  23         This form resets the index entries for all `<paths>` to their
  24         state at `<tree-ish>`.  (It does not affect the working tree or
  25         the current branch.)
  26 +
  27 This means that `git reset <paths>` is the opposite of `git add
  28 <paths>`.
  29 +
  30 After running `git reset <paths>` to update the index entry, you can
  31 use linkgit:git-checkout[1] to check the contents out of the index to
  32 the working tree.
  33 Alternatively, using linkgit:git-checkout[1] and specifying a commit, you
  34 can copy the contents of a path out of a commit to the index and to the
  35 working tree in one go.
  36
  37 'git reset' (--patch | -p) [<tree-ish>] [--] [<paths>...]::
  38         Interactively select hunks in the difference between the index
  39         and `<tree-ish>` (defaults to `HEAD`).  The chosen hunks are applied
  40         in reverse to the index.
  41 +
  42 This means that `git reset -p` is the opposite of `git add -p`, i.e.
  43 you can use it to selectively reset hunks. See the ``Interactive Mode''
  44 section of linkgit:git-add[1] to learn how to operate the `--patch` mode.
  45
  46 'git reset' [<mode>] [<commit>]::
  47         This form resets the current branch head to `<commit>` and
  48         possibly updates the index (resetting it to the tree of `<commit>`) and
  49         the working tree depending on `<mode>`. If `<mode>` is omitted,
  50         defaults to `--mixed`. The `<mode>` must be one of the following:
  51 +
  52 --
  53 --soft::
  54         Does not touch the index file or the working tree at all (but
  55         resets the head to `<commit>`, just like all modes do). This leaves
  56         all your changed files "Changes to be committed", as `git status`
  57         would put it.
  58
  59 --mixed::
  60         Resets the index but not the working tree (i.e., the changed files
  61         are preserved but not marked for commit) and reports what has not
  62         been updated. This is the default action.
  63 +
  64 If `-N` is specified, removed paths are marked as intent-to-add (see
  65 linkgit:git-add[1]).
  66
  67 --hard::
  68         Resets the index and working tree. Any changes to tracked files in the
  69         working tree since `<commit>` are discarded.
  70
  71 --merge::
  72         Resets the index and updates the files in the working tree that are
  73         different between `<commit>` and `HEAD`, but keeps those which are
  74         different between the index and working tree (i.e. which have changes
  75         which have not been added).
  76         If a file that is different between `<commit>` and the index has
  77         unstaged changes, reset is aborted.
  78 +
  79 In other words, `--merge` does something like a `git read-tree -u -m <commit>`,
  80 but carries forward unmerged index entries.
  81
  82 --keep::
  83         Resets index entries and updates files in the working tree that are
  84         different between `<commit>` and `HEAD`.
  85         If a file that is different between `<commit>` and `HEAD` has local
  86         changes, reset is aborted.
  87 --
  88
  89 If you want to undo a commit other than the latest on a branch,
  90 linkgit:git-revert[1] is your friend.
  91
  92
  93 OPTIONS
  94 -------
  95
  96 -q::
  97 --quiet::
  98 --no-quiet::
  99         Be quiet, only report errors. The default behavior is set by the
 100         `reset.quiet` config option. `--quiet` and `--no-quiet` will
 101         override the default behavior.
 102
 103
 104 EXAMPLES
 105 --------
 106
 107 Undo add::
 108 +
 109 ------------
 110 $ edit                                     <1>
 111 $ git add frotz.c filfre.c
 112 $ mailx                                    <2>
 113 $ git reset                                <3>
 114 $ git pull git://info.example.com/ nitfol  <4>
 115 ------------
 116 +
 117 <1> You are happily working on something, and find the changes
 118     in these files are in good order.  You do not want to see them
 119     when you run `git diff`, because you plan to work on other files
 120     and changes with these files are distracting.
 121 <2> Somebody asks you to pull, and the changes sound worthy of merging.
 122 <3> However, you already dirtied the index (i.e. your index does
 123     not match the `HEAD` commit).  But you know the pull you are going
 124     to make does not affect `frotz.c` or `filfre.c`, so you revert the
 125     index changes for these two files.  Your changes in working tree
 126     remain there.
 127 <4> Then you can pull and merge, leaving `frotz.c` and `filfre.c`
 128     changes still in the working tree.
 129
 130 Undo a commit and redo::
 131 +
 132 ------------
 133 $ git commit ...
 134 $ git reset --soft HEAD^      <1>
 135 $ edit                        <2>
 136 $ git commit -a -c ORIG_HEAD  <3>
 137 ------------
 138 +
 139 <1> This is most often done when you remembered what you
 140     just committed is incomplete, or you misspelled your commit
 141     message, or both.  Leaves working tree as it was before "reset".
 142 <2> Make corrections to working tree files.
 143 <3> "reset" copies the old head to `.git/ORIG_HEAD`; redo the
 144     commit by starting with its log message.  If you do not need to
 145     edit the message further, you can give `-C` option instead.
 146 +
 147 See also the `--amend` option to linkgit:git-commit[1].
 148
 149 Undo a commit, making it a topic branch::
 150 +
 151 ------------
 152 $ git branch topic/wip     <1>
 153 $ git reset --hard HEAD~3  <2>
 154 $ git checkout topic/wip   <3>
 155 ------------
 156 +
 157 <1> You have made some commits, but realize they were premature
 158     to be in the `master` branch.  You want to continue polishing
 159     them in a topic branch, so create `topic/wip` branch off of the
 160     current `HEAD`.
 161 <2> Rewind the master branch to get rid of those three commits.
 162 <3> Switch to `topic/wip` branch and keep working.
 163
 164 Undo commits permanently::
 165 +
 166 ------------
 167 $ git commit ...
 168 $ git reset --hard HEAD~3   <1>
 169 ------------
 170 +
 171 <1> The last three commits (`HEAD`, `HEAD^`, and `HEAD~2`) were bad
 172     and you do not want to ever see them again.  Do *not* do this if
 173     you have already given these commits to somebody else.  (See the
 174     "RECOVERING FROM UPSTREAM REBASE" section in linkgit:git-rebase[1]
 175     for the implications of doing so.)
 176
 177 Undo a merge or pull::
 178 +
 179 ------------
 180 $ git pull                         <1>
 181 Auto-merging nitfol
 182 CONFLICT (content): Merge conflict in nitfol
 183 Automatic merge failed; fix conflicts and then commit the result.
 184 $ git reset --hard                 <2>
 185 $ git pull . topic/branch          <3>
 186 Updating from 41223... to 13134...
 187 Fast-forward
 188 $ git reset --hard ORIG_HEAD       <4>
 189 ------------
 190 +
 191 <1> Try to update from the upstream resulted in a lot of
 192     conflicts; you were not ready to spend a lot of time merging
 193     right now, so you decide to do that later.
 194 <2> "pull" has not made merge commit, so `git reset --hard`
 195     which is a synonym for `git reset --hard HEAD` clears the mess
 196     from the index file and the working tree.
 197 <3> Merge a topic branch into the current branch, which resulted
 198     in a fast-forward.
 199 <4> But you decided that the topic branch is not ready for public
 200     consumption yet.  "pull" or "merge" always leaves the original
 201     tip of the current branch in `ORIG_HEAD`, so resetting hard to it
 202     brings your index file and the working tree back to that state,
 203     and resets the tip of the branch to that commit.
 204
 205 Undo a merge or pull inside a dirty working tree::
 206 +
 207 ------------
 208 $ git pull                         <1>
 209 Auto-merging nitfol
 210 Merge made by recursive.
 211  nitfol                |   20 +++++----
 212  ...
 213 $ git reset --merge ORIG_HEAD      <2>
 214 ------------
 215 +
 216 <1> Even if you may have local modifications in your
 217     working tree, you can safely say `git pull` when you know
 218     that the change in the other branch does not overlap with
 219     them.
 220 <2> After inspecting the result of the merge, you may find
 221     that the change in the other branch is unsatisfactory.  Running
 222     `git reset --hard ORIG_HEAD` will let you go back to where you
 223     were, but it will discard your local changes, which you do not
 224     want.  `git reset --merge` keeps your local changes.
 225
 226
 227 Interrupted workflow::
 228 +
 229 Suppose you are interrupted by an urgent fix request while you
 230 are in the middle of a large change.  The files in your
 231 working tree are not in any shape to be committed yet, but you
 232 need to get to the other branch for a quick bugfix.
 233 +
 234 ------------
 235 $ git checkout feature ;# you were working in "feature" branch and
 236 $ work work work       ;# got interrupted
 237 $ git commit -a -m "snapshot WIP"                 <1>
 238 $ git checkout master
 239 $ fix fix fix
 240 $ git commit ;# commit with real log
 241 $ git checkout feature
 242 $ git reset --soft HEAD^ ;# go back to WIP state  <2>
 243 $ git reset                                       <3>
 244 ------------
 245 +
 246 <1> This commit will get blown away so a throw-away log message is OK.
 247 <2> This removes the 'WIP' commit from the commit history, and sets
 248     your working tree to the state just before you made that snapshot.
 249 <3> At this point the index file still has all the WIP changes you
 250     committed as 'snapshot WIP'.  This updates the index to show your
 251     WIP files as uncommitted.
 252 +
 253 See also linkgit:git-stash[1].
 254
 255 Reset a single file in the index::
 256 +
 257 Suppose you have added a file to your index, but later decide you do not
 258 want to add it to your commit. You can remove the file from the index
 259 while keeping your changes with git reset.
 260 +
 261 ------------
 262 $ git reset -- frotz.c                      <1>
 263 $ git commit -m "Commit files in index"     <2>
 264 $ git add frotz.c                           <3>
 265 ------------
 266 +
 267 <1> This removes the file from the index while keeping it in the working
 268     directory.
 269 <2> This commits all other changes in the index.
 270 <3> Adds the file to the index again.
 271
 272 Keep changes in working tree while discarding some previous commits::
 273 +
 274 Suppose you are working on something and you commit it, and then you
 275 continue working a bit more, but now you think that what you have in
 276 your working tree should be in another branch that has nothing to do
 277 with what you committed previously. You can start a new branch and
 278 reset it while keeping the changes in your working tree.
 279 +
 280 ------------
 281 $ git tag start
 282 $ git checkout -b branch1
 283 $ edit
 284 $ git commit ...                            <1>
 285 $ edit
 286 $ git checkout -b branch2                   <2>
 287 $ git reset --keep start                    <3>
 288 ------------
 289 +
 290 <1> This commits your first edits in `branch1`.
 291 <2> In the ideal world, you could have realized that the earlier
 292     commit did not belong to the new topic when you created and switched
 293     to `branch2` (i.e. `git checkout -b branch2 start`), but nobody is
 294     perfect.
 295 <3> But you can use `reset --keep` to remove the unwanted commit after
 296     you switched to `branch2`.
 297
 298 Split a commit apart into a sequence of commits::
 299 +
 300 Suppose that you have created lots of logically separate changes and committed
 301 them together. Then, later you decide that it might be better to have each
 302 logical chunk associated with its own commit. You can use git reset to rewind
 303 history without changing the contents of your local files, and then successively
 304 use `git add -p` to interactively select which hunks to include into each commit,
 305 using `git commit -c` to pre-populate the commit message.
 306 +
 307 ------------
 308 $ git reset -N HEAD^                        <1>
 309 $ git add -p                                <2>
 310 $ git diff --cached                         <3>
 311 $ git commit -c HEAD@{1}                    <4>
 312 ...                                         <5>
 313 $ git add ...                               <6>
 314 $ git diff --cached                         <7>
 315 $ git commit ...                            <8>
 316 ------------
 317 +
 318 <1> First, reset the history back one commit so that we remove the original
 319     commit, but leave the working tree with all the changes. The -N ensures
 320     that any new files added with `HEAD` are still marked so that `git add -p`
 321     will find them.
 322 <2> Next, we interactively select diff hunks to add using the `git add -p`
 323     facility. This will ask you about each diff hunk in sequence and you can
 324     use simple commands such as "yes, include this", "No don't include this"
 325     or even the very powerful "edit" facility.
 326 <3> Once satisfied with the hunks you want to include, you should verify what
 327     has been prepared for the first commit by using `git diff --cached`. This
 328     shows all the changes that have been moved into the index and are about
 329     to be committed.
 330 <4> Next, commit the changes stored in the index. The `-c` option specifies to
 331     pre-populate the commit message from the original message that you started
 332     with in the first commit. This is helpful to avoid retyping it. The
 333     `HEAD@{1}` is a special notation for the commit that `HEAD` used to be at
 334     prior to the original reset commit (1 change ago).
 335     See linkgit:git-reflog[1] for more details. You may also use any other
 336     valid commit reference.
 337 <5> You can repeat steps 2-4 multiple times to break the original code into
 338     any number of commits.
 339 <6> Now you've split out many of the changes into their own commits, and might
 340     no longer use the patch mode of `git add`, in order to select all remaining
 341     uncommitted changes.
 342 <7> Once again, check to verify that you've included what you want to. You may
 343     also wish to verify that git diff doesn't show any remaining changes to be
 344     committed later.
 345 <8> And finally create the final commit.
 346
 347
 348 DISCUSSION
 349 ----------
 350
 351 The tables below show what happens when running:
 352
 353 ----------
 354 git reset --option target
 355 ----------
 356
 357 to reset the `HEAD` to another commit (`target`) with the different
 358 reset options depending on the state of the files.
 359
 360 In these tables, `A`, `B`, `C` and `D` are some different states of a
 361 file. For example, the first line of the first table means that if a
 362 file is in state `A` in the working tree, in state `B` in the index, in
 363 state `C` in `HEAD` and in state `D` in the target, then `git reset --soft
 364 target` will leave the file in the working tree in state `A` and in the
 365 index in state `B`.  It resets (i.e. moves) the `HEAD` (i.e. the tip of
 366 the current branch, if you are on one) to `target` (which has the file
 367 in state `D`).
 368
 369 ....
 370 working index HEAD target         working index HEAD
 371 ----------------------------------------------------
 372  A       B     C    D     --soft   A       B     D
 373                           --mixed  A       D     D
 374                           --hard   D       D     D
 375                           --merge (disallowed)
 376                           --keep  (disallowed)
 377 ....
 378
 379 ....
 380 working index HEAD target         working index HEAD
 381 ----------------------------------------------------
 382  A       B     C    C     --soft   A       B     C
 383                           --mixed  A       C     C
 384                           --hard   C       C     C
 385                           --merge (disallowed)
 386                           --keep   A       C     C
 387 ....
 388
 389 ....
 390 working index HEAD target         working index HEAD
 391 ----------------------------------------------------
 392  B       B     C    D     --soft   B       B     D
 393                           --mixed  B       D     D
 394                           --hard   D       D     D
 395                           --merge  D       D     D
 396                           --keep  (disallowed)
 397 ....
 398
 399 ....
 400 working index HEAD target         working index HEAD
 401 ----------------------------------------------------
 402  B       B     C    C     --soft   B       B     C
 403                           --mixed  B       C     C
 404                           --hard   C       C     C
 405                           --merge  C       C     C
 406                           --keep   B       C     C
 407 ....
 408
 409 ....
 410 working index HEAD target         working index HEAD
 411 ----------------------------------------------------
 412  B       C     C    D     --soft   B       C     D
 413                           --mixed  B       D     D
 414                           --hard   D       D     D
 415                           --merge (disallowed)
 416                           --keep  (disallowed)
 417 ....
 418
 419 ....
 420 working index HEAD target         working index HEAD
 421 ----------------------------------------------------
 422  B       C     C    C     --soft   B       C     C
 423                           --mixed  B       C     C
 424                           --hard   C       C     C
 425                           --merge  B       C     C
 426                           --keep   B       C     C
 427 ....
 428
 429 `reset --merge` is meant to be used when resetting out of a conflicted
 430 merge. Any mergy operation guarantees that the working tree file that is
 431 involved in the merge does not have a local change with respect to the index
 432 before it starts, and that it writes the result out to the working tree. So if
 433 we see some difference between the index and the target and also
 434 between the index and the working tree, then it means that we are not
 435 resetting out from a state that a mergy operation left after failing
 436 with a conflict. That is why we disallow `--merge` option in this case.
 437
 438 `reset --keep` is meant to be used when removing some of the last
 439 commits in the current branch while keeping changes in the working
 440 tree. If there could be conflicts between the changes in the commit we
 441 want to remove and the changes in the working tree we want to keep,
 442 the reset is disallowed. That's why it is disallowed if there are both
 443 changes between the working tree and `HEAD`, and between `HEAD` and the
 444 target. To be safe, it is also disallowed when there are unmerged
 445 entries.
 446
 447 The following tables show what happens when there are unmerged
 448 entries:
 449
 450 ....
 451 working index HEAD target         working index HEAD
 452 ----------------------------------------------------
 453  X       U     A    B     --soft  (disallowed)
 454                           --mixed  X       B     B
 455                           --hard   B       B     B
 456                           --merge  B       B     B
 457                           --keep  (disallowed)
 458 ....
 459
 460 ....
 461 working index HEAD target         working index HEAD
 462 ----------------------------------------------------
 463  X       U     A    A     --soft  (disallowed)
 464                           --mixed  X       A     A
 465                           --hard   A       A     A
 466                           --merge  A       A     A
 467                           --keep  (disallowed)
 468 ....
 469
 470 `X` means any state and `U` means an unmerged index.
 471
 472 GIT
 473 ---
 474 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite