Reverting Unwanted Pushed Git Commits Using Hard Revert

Introduction

In this tutorial, we will explore the process of reverting unwanted Git commits that have already been pushed to a remote repository. By understanding the concepts of Git commits and utilizing the hard reset method, you will learn how to safely undo problematic commits and maintain a clean commit history.

Skills Graph

%%%%{init: {'theme':'neutral'}}%%%% flowchart RL git(("`Git`")) -.-> git/BranchManagementGroup(["`Branch Management`"]) git(("`Git`")) -.-> git/BasicOperationsGroup(["`Basic Operations`"]) git(("`Git`")) -.-> git/DataManagementGroup(["`Data Management`"]) git/BranchManagementGroup -.-> git/log("`Show Commits`") git/BranchManagementGroup -.-> git/reflog("`Log Ref Changes`") git/BasicOperationsGroup -.-> git/commit("`Create Commit`") git/DataManagementGroup -.-> git/reset("`Undo Changes`") git/BranchManagementGroup -.-> git/rebase("`Reapply Commits`") subgraph Lab Skills git/log -.-> lab-398396{{"`Reverting Unwanted Pushed Git Commits Using Hard Revert`"}} git/reflog -.-> lab-398396{{"`Reverting Unwanted Pushed Git Commits Using Hard Revert`"}} git/commit -.-> lab-398396{{"`Reverting Unwanted Pushed Git Commits Using Hard Revert`"}} git/reset -.-> lab-398396{{"`Reverting Unwanted Pushed Git Commits Using Hard Revert`"}} git/rebase -.-> lab-398396{{"`Reverting Unwanted Pushed Git Commits Using Hard Revert`"}} end

Understanding Git Commits

Git is a distributed version control system that allows developers to track changes in their codebase, collaborate with others, and manage project history. At the heart of Git are commits, which represent snapshots of the project at a specific point in time.

Each commit in Git has a unique identifier, known as a commit hash, which is a string of characters that uniquely identifies the commit. Commits are linked together in a linear sequence, forming a commit history.

When you make changes to your project and want to save those changes, you create a new commit. This commit includes the changes you've made, as well as metadata such as the author, date, and a commit message that describes the changes.

graph LR A[Initial Commit] --> B[Second Commit] B --> C[Third Commit] C --> D[Fourth Commit]

The above diagram illustrates a simple Git commit history, where each commit is represented by a node, and the arrows represent the chronological order of the commits.

It's important to understand the concept of commits in Git, as they form the foundation for many of the version control operations you'll perform, such as reverting unwanted changes.

Identifying Unwanted Commits

In the course of a project, you may sometimes introduce unwanted changes or commits that you want to revert. Identifying these unwanted commits is the first step in the reverting process.

You can use the git log command to view the commit history of your repository. This will show you a list of all the commits, including the commit hash, author, date, and commit message.

$ git log
commit 1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef12345678
Author: John Doe <[email protected]>
Date:   Mon Apr 10 10:00:00 2023 +0000

    Implement new feature

commit 0987654321fedcba0987654321fedcba09876543
Author: Jane Smith <[email protected]>
Date:   Fri Apr 7 15:30:00 2023 +0000

    Fix bug in previous commit

commit fedcba0987654321fedcba0987654321fedcba0
Author: John Doe <[email protected]>
Date:   Wed Apr 5 14:15:00 2023 +0000

    Initial commit

By reviewing the commit history, you can identify the specific commit(s) that you want to revert. Make a note of the commit hash(es) of the unwanted commit(s).

Alternatively, you can use the git reflog command to view a more detailed history of your repository, including any changes that may have been made and then reverted. This can be helpful in identifying the specific commit(s) you want to revert.

$ git reflog
1234567 HEAD@{0}: commit: Implement new feature
0987654 HEAD@{1}: commit: Fix bug in previous commit
fedcba0 HEAD@{2}: commit (initial): Initial commit

Once you've identified the unwanted commit(s), you can proceed to the next step of reverting them.

Reverting Commits with Hard Reset

Once you have identified the unwanted commit(s), you can use the git reset command to revert them. The git reset command allows you to move the current branch pointer to a specific commit, effectively undoing any changes that were introduced after that commit.

The --hard option for git reset is particularly useful when you want to completely discard any changes that were made after a specific commit. This is known as a "hard reset".

Here's how you can use git reset --hard to revert an unwanted commit:

Identify the commit hash of the unwanted commit using git log or git reflog.
Run the following command to revert the commit:
```
git reset --hard <commit_hash>
```
Replace <commit_hash> with the commit hash of the unwanted commit.
After running the command, your working directory and the repository will be reset to the state of the specified commit. Any changes that were introduced after that commit will be completely discarded.

graph LR A[Initial Commit] --> B[Second Commit] B --> C[Third Commit (Unwanted)] C --> D[Fourth Commit] D --> E[Fifth Commit] E --> F[Sixth Commit] F --> G[Seventh Commit] G --> H[Eighth Commit] H --> I[Ninth Commit] I --> J[Tenth Commit] J --> K[Eleventh Commit] K --> L[Twelfth Commit] L --> M[Thirteenth Commit] M --> N[Fourteenth Commit] N --> O[Fifteenth Commit] O --> P[Sixteenth Commit] P --> Q[Seventeenth Commit] Q --> R[Eighteenth Commit] R --> S[Nineteenth Commit] S --> T[Twentieth Commit] T --> U[Twenty-first Commit] U --> V[Twenty-second Commit] V --> W[Twenty-third Commit] W --> X[Twenty-fourth Commit] X --> Y[Twenty-fifth Commit] Y --> Z[Twenty-sixth Commit] Z --> AA[Twenty-seventh Commit] AA --> BB[Twenty-eighth Commit] BB --> CC[Twenty-ninth Commit] CC --> DD[Thirtieth Commit] DD --> EE[Thirty-first Commit] EE --> FF[Thirty-second Commit] FF --> GG[Thirty-third Commit (Revert to)]

In the above diagram, the unwanted commit is the "Third Commit (Unwanted)". By using git reset --hard <commit_hash>, where <commit_hash> is the hash of the "Thirty-third Commit (Revert to)", all the commits after that point will be discarded, effectively reverting the repository to the state of the specified commit.

It's important to note that the --hard option in git reset is a destructive operation, as it will permanently discard any changes that were introduced after the specified commit. Therefore, you should only use this command if you are certain that you want to completely revert the changes and lose any work that was done after the unwanted commit.

Summary

This tutorial has provided a comprehensive guide on how to revert unwanted Git commits that have been pushed to a remote repository using the hard reset method. By understanding the concepts of Git commits, identifying problematic commits, and applying the hard reset technique, you can effectively undo and maintain a clean commit history in your Git-based projects.