Golden rule of rebasing (never rebase public) in Git - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the golden rule of rebasing in Git?

Never rebase public branches that others might be using or have pulled.

beginner

Why should you avoid rebasing public branches?

Because rebasing rewrites history, it can cause conflicts and confusion for others who have the original history.

intermediate

What happens if you rebase a public branch that others have pulled?

Others will have to manually fix their history, which can lead to errors and lost work.

beginner

When is it safe to use git rebase?

When working on local or private branches that no one else is using yet.

beginner

What is a safer alternative to rebasing public branches?

Use git merge to combine changes without rewriting history.

What does the golden rule of rebasing advise?

A Never rebase public branches

B Always rebase public branches

C Rebase only after merging

D Rebase only on remote branches

Rebasing public branches can cause problems for others who have the original history.

Why is rebasing public branches risky?

A It deletes the branch

B It rewrites commit history

C It merges changes automatically

D It creates new branches

Rebasing rewrites commit history, which can confuse collaborators.

Which command is safer for public branches?

A git rebase

B git reset

C git merge

D git stash

git merge combines changes without rewriting history.

When is it okay to use git rebase?

A On local private branches

B On public branches

C On remote branches

D On merged branches

Rebasing is safe on local branches that no one else uses.

What problem can rebasing public branches cause for others?

A They cannot push changes

B They lose access to the repository

C They get automatic updates

D They must fix their history manually

Others must fix their history manually if you rebase public branches.

Explain why the golden rule of rebasing says 'never rebase public'.

Think about what happens when history changes after others have copied it.

Describe a safe workflow for using git rebase without breaking collaboration.

Consider when rewriting history is safe and when it is not.

Practice

1. What is the main reason for the golden rule of rebasing: never rebase public?

easy

A. Rebasing public branches speeds up the repository cloning process.

B. Rebasing public branches can rewrite shared history and confuse collaborators.

C. Rebasing public branches automatically merges all conflicts.

D. Rebasing public branches deletes all previous commits permanently.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand what rebasing does

   Rebasing rewrites commit history by moving commits to a new base.

2. Step 2: Consider the effect on public branches

   If you rebase a branch others use, their history conflicts with the rewritten one, causing confusion and errors.

3. Final Answer:

   Rebasing public branches can rewrite shared history and confuse collaborators. -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Rebasing public = rewrite shared history = confusion [OK]

Hint: Never rebase branches others already use to avoid conflicts [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking rebasing speeds cloning
• Believing rebasing auto-resolves conflicts
• Assuming rebasing deletes commits permanently

2. Which of the following is the correct git command to rebase your current branch onto main?

easy

A. git rebase main

B. git rebase -m main

C. git rebase --merge main

D. git rebase --onto main

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall basic rebase syntax

   The command to rebase the current branch onto another is git rebase <branch>.

2. Step 2: Check options given

   Only git rebase main matches the correct syntax to rebase onto main.

3. Final Answer:

   git rebase main -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Basic rebase syntax = git rebase branch [OK]

Hint: Use 'git rebase branchname' to rebase current branch [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Adding unnecessary flags like -m or --merge
• Using --onto incorrectly without extra arguments
• Confusing rebase with merge commands

3. You have a local branch feature that you rebased onto main. What happens if you try to push it to a remote where feature was already shared without force?

medium

A. Push merges remote changes automatically.

B. Push succeeds and overwrites remote history automatically.

C. Push deletes the remote branch.

D. Push is rejected because history has diverged.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand rebasing effect on commit history

   Rebasing rewrites commits, so local branch history differs from remote.

2. Step 2: Consider git push behavior

   Git refuses to push if histories diverge to prevent overwriting others' work unless forced.

3. Final Answer:

   Push is rejected because history has diverged. -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Rebase + push without force = rejected [OK]

Hint: Push after rebase needs --force or fails [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming push overwrites remote without force
• Thinking push merges automatically
• Believing push deletes remote branch

4. You accidentally rebased a public branch and now collaborators have conflicts. What is the best way to fix this?

medium

A. Delete the remote branch and recreate it from scratch.

B. Tell collaborators to reset their branches to the new history.

C. Force push the rebased branch and ask collaborators to rebase or reset.

D. Merge the rebased branch into main to fix conflicts.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the problem caused by rebasing public branch

   Rebasing rewrites history, so collaborators' copies conflict with the new history.

2. Step 2: Fix by force pushing and coordinating with collaborators

   Force push updates remote with new history; collaborators must rebase or reset to sync.

3. Final Answer:

   Force push the rebased branch and ask collaborators to rebase or reset. -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Fix rebase public = force push + collaborator reset [OK]

Hint: Force push and coordinate resets after rebasing public branch [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Expecting collaborators to fix without reset
• Deleting remote branch unnecessarily
• Merging rebased branch to fix history

5. You want to keep your commit history clean by rebasing, but your branch feature is already pushed and shared. What is the safest workflow to update your branch without breaking the golden rule?

hard

A. Create a new local branch from main, cherry-pick your commits, then push as a new branch.

B. Rebase the shared feature branch directly and force push.

C. Merge main into feature instead of rebasing.

D. Delete the remote feature branch and push your rebased branch with the same name.

Solution

1. Step 1: Avoid rebasing a shared branch directly

   Rebasing shared branches breaks history for others, so avoid it.

2. Step 2: Use a new local branch and cherry-pick commits

   Create a fresh branch from main, apply your commits cleanly, then push as new branch to avoid rewriting shared history.

3. Final Answer:

   Create a new local branch from main, cherry-pick your commits, then push as a new branch. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Keep history clean = new branch + cherry-pick + push new [OK]

Hint: Use new branch + cherry-pick to avoid rebasing shared branches [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Force pushing rebased shared branch
• Merging instead of rebasing when clean history needed
• Deleting remote branch unnecessarily