Undo git commit how to#
Undo git commit update#

The command is more radical than revert and works by removing commits entirely from the repository’s commit history. Git’s reset command can also be used to revert the last commit. In this case, that is example-file-2.txt: cat example-file-2.txt You can even check the modified file to see that the changes have been reversed. Use the log command again, and you can see that there is now a new commit to revert the previous commit: git log -onelineĮ86542a (HEAD -> master) Revert 'Added text to second file.' When you are satisfied with the description, exit the text editor to complete the reversion. It may present you with a text editor allowing you to edit the description for the new commit. Git starts a new commit to revert the changes. The line at the top of the screen, with an ID of f4391b2 in this example, represents the last commit.įrom there, you can revert that commit using the revert command with that commit’s ID, as in: git revert f4391b2 Here, the command is used with the -oneline option to make each commit display on a single line: git log -oneline Thus, to use revert to undo the last commit, you first need the ID for that commit. The command then creates a new commit that reverts the changes. Git’s revert command undoes a commit by comparing the changes made in that commit to the repository’s previous state. You now have a Git repository with a couple of files and several commits, which you can see listed with: git log -onelineį4391b2 (HEAD -> master) Added text to second file. Git commit -m 'Added text to second file.' Git commit -m 'Added text to first file.'ĭo the same for the second file: echo 'Some example text for the second file.' > example-file-2.txt Then stage and commit those changes: echo 'Some example text for the first file.' > example-file-1.txt Make some changes to the first file, adding some content to it. Use the touch command to create some new empty files: touch example-file-1.txtĪdd the files to the Git staging area, then commit the staged changes: git add. Initialize the new Git repository: git init Here, the new directory, git-example is created in the current user’s home directory: mkdir ~/git-exampleįrom here on, you should execute the given commands while working in this directory.

Undo git commit how to#

If you have not done this yet, you can learn how in our guide How to Install Git and Clone a GitHub Repository.Ĭreate a new directory for your Git repository, and change into that directory. The steps presume you have already installed Git and done basic configuration (e.g. The commit IDs may be different, but the contents of the repository should otherwise be the same. These next few steps set you up with an example Git repository similar to the one used for the examples in this tutorial.

To get the best effect, you can follow along using a similar Git repository. This guide gives example output for the commands it describes. Learn more about Git generally in our guide Git vs SVN: Pros and Cons of Each Version Control System.įor a more general, and thorough, coverage of reverting Git commits, take a look at our guide on How to Undo a Git Commit. It covers methods using both the revert and reset commands, and explains the differences. Git has the ability to revert the last commit, and this tutorial shows you exactly how. You might need that recoverability after an inadvertent commit, or to undo the most recent commit for any reason. It also keeps track of all the committed changes along the way, so things are readily recoverable. Git utilizes local clones of central repositories to bring more effective collaboration. 4.2.Git is a widely used Version Control System (VCS) known for its versatility. This data loss is irreversible, so it’s critical that we understand how –hard works with Git’s three trees. Looking at the contents of test_file shows us that our latest text additions aren’t present, and our new_test_file no longer exists. Git will tell us that the HEAD is now at the commit hash specified. Let’s say we then decide to revert to the first commit in the repository. Git commit -m 'More text added to test_file, added new_test_file' We’ll lose a ny pending or uncommitted work in the staging index and working index.Īdding on to the example above, let’s commit some more content to the file, and also commit a brand new file to the repository: echo 'Text to be committed' > test_file Any previously pending changes to the staging index and working directory reset to match the state of the commit tree. After this, the staging index and working index reset to match that of the specified commit.

Undo git commit update#

The most dangerous and frequently used option with this invocation is commit history, as ref pointers update to the specified commit.