git-reset − Reset current HEAD to the specified state
git reset
[−q] [<tree−ish>] [−−]
<pathspec>...
git reset [−q]
[−−pathspec−from−file=<file>
[−−pathspec−file−nul]]
[<tree−ish>]
git reset (−−patch | −p)
[<tree−ish>] [−−]
[<pathspec>...]
git reset [−−soft | −−mixed
[−N] | −−hard | −−merge |
−−keep] [−q] [<commit>]
In the first three forms, copy entries from <tree−ish> to the index. In the last form, set the current branch head (HEAD) to <commit>, optionally modifying index and working tree to match. The <tree−ish>/<commit> defaults to HEAD in all forms.
git reset [−q] [<tree−ish>] [−−] <pathspec>..., git reset [−q] [−−pathspec−from−file=<file> [−−pathspec−file−nul]] [<tree−ish>]
These forms reset the index entries for all paths that match the <pathspec> to their state at <tree−ish>. (It does not affect the working tree or the current branch.)
This means that git reset <pathspec> is the opposite of git add <pathspec>. This command is equivalent to git restore [−−source=<tree−ish>] −−staged <pathspec>....
After running git reset <pathspec> to update the index entry, you can use git-restore(1) to check the contents out of the index to the working tree. Alternatively, using git-restore(1) and specifying a commit with −−source, you can copy the contents of a path out of a commit to the index and to the working tree in one go.
git reset (−−patch | −p) [<tree−ish>] [−−] [<pathspec>...]
Interactively select hunks in the difference between the index and <tree−ish> (defaults to HEAD). The chosen hunks are applied in reverse to the index.
This means that git reset −p is the opposite of git add −p, i.e. you can use it to selectively reset hunks. See the “Interactive Mode” section of git-add(1) to learn how to operate the −−patch mode.
git reset [<mode>] [<commit>]
This form resets the current branch head to <commit> and possibly updates the index (resetting it to the tree of <commit>) and the working tree depending on <mode>. Before the operation, ORIG_HEAD is set to the tip of the current branch. If <mode> is omitted, defaults to −−mixed. The <mode> must be one of the following:
−−soft
Does not touch the index file or the working tree at all (but resets the head to <commit>, just like all modes do). This leaves all your changed files "Changes to be committed", as git status would put it.
−−mixed
Resets the index but not the working tree (i.e., the changed files are preserved but not marked for commit) and reports what has not been updated. This is the default action.
If −N is specified, removed paths are marked as intent−to−add (see git-add(1)).
−−hard
Resets the index and working tree. Any changes to tracked files in the working tree since <commit> are discarded. Any untracked files or directories in the way of writing any tracked files are simply deleted.
−−merge
Resets the index and updates the files in the working tree that are different between <commit> and HEAD, but keeps those which are different between the index and working tree (i.e. which have changes which have not been added). If a file that is different between <commit> and the index has unstaged changes, reset is aborted.
In other words, −−merge does something like a git read−tree −u −m <commit>, but carries forward unmerged index entries.
−−keep
Resets index entries and updates files in the working tree that are different between <commit> and HEAD. If a file that is different between <commit> and HEAD has local changes, reset is aborted.
−−[no−]recurse−submodules
When the working tree is updated, using −−recurse−submodules will also recursively reset the working tree of all active submodules according to the commit recorded in the superproject, also setting the submodules' HEAD to be detached at that commit.
See "Reset, restore and revert" in git(1) for the differences between the three commands.
−q, −−quiet
Be quiet, only report errors.
−−refresh, −−no−refresh
Refresh the index after a mixed reset. Enabled by default.
−−pathspec−from−file=<file>
Pathspec is passed in <file> instead of commandline args. If <file> is exactly − then standard input is used. Pathspec elements are separated by LF or CR/LF. Pathspec elements can be quoted as explained for the configuration variable core.quotePath (see git-config(1)). See also −−pathspec−file−nul and global −−literal−pathspecs.
−−pathspec−file−nul
Only meaningful with −−pathspec−from−file. Pathspec elements are separated with NUL character and all other characters are taken literally (including newlines and quotes).
−−
Do not interpret any more arguments as options.
<pathspec>...
Limits the paths affected by the operation.
For more details, see the pathspec entry in gitglossary(7).
Undo add
$ edit
(1)
$ git add frotz.c filfre.c
$ mailx (2)
$ git reset (3)
$ git pull git://info.example.com/ nitfol (4)
Undo a commit and redo
$ git commit
...
$ git reset −−soft HEADˆ (1)
$ edit (2)
$ git commit −a −c ORIG_HEAD (3)
Undo a commit, making it a topic branch
$ git branch
topic/wip (1)
$ git reset −−hard HEAD˜3 (2)
$ git switch topic/wip (3)
Undo commits permanently
$ git commit
...
$ git reset −−hard HEAD˜3 (1)
Undo a merge or pull
$ git pull
(1)
Auto−merging nitfol
CONFLICT (content): Merge conflict in nitfol
Automatic merge failed; fix conflicts and then commit the
result.
$ git reset −−hard (2)
$ git pull . topic/branch (3)
Updating from 41223... to 13134...
Fast−forward
$ git reset −−hard ORIG_HEAD (4)
Undo a merge or pull inside a dirty working tree
$ git pull
(1)
Auto−merging nitfol
Merge made by recursive.
nitfol | 20 +++++−−−−
...
$ git reset −−merge ORIG_HEAD (2)
Interrupted workflow
Suppose you are interrupted by an urgent fix request while you are in the middle of a large change. The files in your working tree are not in any shape to be committed yet, but you need to get to the other branch for a quick bugfix.
$ git switch
feature ;# you were working in "feature" branch
and
$ work work work ;# got interrupted
$ git commit −a −m "snapshot WIP"
(1)
$ git switch master
$ fix fix fix
$ git commit ;# commit with real log
$ git switch feature
$ git reset −−soft HEADˆ ;# go back to WIP
state (2)
$ git reset (3)
Reset a single file in the index
Suppose you have added a file to your index, but later decide you do not want to add it to your commit. You can remove the file from the index while keeping your changes with git reset.
$ git reset
−− frotz.c (1)
$ git commit −m "Commit files in index"
(2)
$ git add frotz.c (3)
Keep changes in working tree while discarding some previous commits
Suppose you are working on something and you commit it, and then you continue working a bit more, but now you think that what you have in your working tree should be in another branch that has nothing to do with what you committed previously. You can start a new branch and reset it while keeping the changes in your working tree.
$ git tag start
$ git switch −c branch1
$ edit
$ git commit ... (1)
$ edit
$ git switch −c branch2 (2)
$ git reset −−keep start (3)
Split a commit apart into a sequence of commits
Suppose that you have created lots of logically separate changes and committed them together. Then, later you decide that it might be better to have each logical chunk associated with its own commit. You can use git reset to rewind history without changing the contents of your local files, and then successively use git add −p to interactively select which hunks to include into each commit, using git commit −c to pre−populate the commit message.
$ git reset
−N HEADˆ (1)
$ git add −p (2)
$ git diff −−cached (3)
$ git commit −c HEAD@{1} (4)
... (5)
$ git add ... (6)
$ git diff −−cached (7)
$ git commit ... (8)
The tables below show what happens when running:
git reset −−option target
to reset the HEAD to another commit (target) with the different reset options depending on the state of the files.
In these tables, A, B, C and D are some different states of a file. For example, the first line of the first table means that if a file is in state A in the working tree, in state B in the index, in state C in HEAD and in state D in the target, then git reset −−soft target will leave the file in the working tree in state A and in the index in state B. It resets (i.e. moves) the HEAD (i.e. the tip of the current branch, if you are on one) to target (which has the file in state D).
working index
HEAD target working index HEAD
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−
A B C D −−soft A B D
−−mixed A D D
−−hard D D D
−−merge (disallowed)
−−keep (disallowed)
working index
HEAD target working index HEAD
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−
A B C C −−soft A B C
−−mixed A C C
−−hard C C C
−−merge (disallowed)
−−keep A C C
working index
HEAD target working index HEAD
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−
B B C D −−soft B B D
−−mixed B D D
−−hard D D D
−−merge D D D
−−keep (disallowed)
working index
HEAD target working index HEAD
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−
B B C C −−soft B B C
−−mixed B C C
−−hard C C C
−−merge C C C
−−keep B C C
working index
HEAD target working index HEAD
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−
B C C D −−soft B C D
−−mixed B D D
−−hard D D D
−−merge (disallowed)
−−keep (disallowed)
working index
HEAD target working index HEAD
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−
B C C C −−soft B C C
−−mixed B C C
−−hard C C C
−−merge B C C
−−keep B C C
reset −−merge is meant to be used when resetting out of a conflicted merge. Any mergy operation guarantees that the working tree file that is involved in the merge does not have a local change with respect to the index before it starts, and that it writes the result out to the working tree. So if we see some difference between the index and the target and also between the index and the working tree, then it means that we are not resetting out from a state that a mergy operation left after failing with a conflict. That is why we disallow −−merge option in this case.
reset −−keep is meant to be used when removing some of the last commits in the current branch while keeping changes in the working tree. If there could be conflicts between the changes in the commit we want to remove and the changes in the working tree we want to keep, the reset is disallowed. That’s why it is disallowed if there are both changes between the working tree and HEAD, and between HEAD and the target. To be safe, it is also disallowed when there are unmerged entries.
The following tables show what happens when there are unmerged entries:
working index
HEAD target working index HEAD
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−
X U A B −−soft (disallowed)
−−mixed X B B
−−hard B B B
−−merge B B B
−−keep (disallowed)
working index
HEAD target working index HEAD
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−
X U A A −−soft (disallowed)
−−mixed X A A
−−hard A A A
−−merge A A A
−−keep (disallowed)
X means any state and U means an unmerged index.
Part of the git(1) suite