Golden rule of rebasing (never rebase public) in Git - Interactive Code Practice

Practice - 5 Tasks

1fill in blank

easy

Complete the command to start an interactive rebase of the last 3 commits.

Git

git rebase -i HEAD~[1]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A2

B4

C3

D5

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using a number too small or too large for the intended commits.

Forgetting the -i flag for interactive rebase.

The command git rebase -i HEAD~3 starts an interactive rebase of the last 3 commits.

2fill in blank

medium

Complete the sentence: You should never rebase commits that have been {{BLANK_1}}.

Git

You should never rebase commits that have been [1].

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Apushed

Bcreated

Cstaged

Dmerged

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Choosing 'merged' or 'created' which are not the key issue.

Confusing staging with pushing.

Rebasing commits that have been pushed to a shared repository can cause problems for others.

3fill in blank

hard

Fix the error in the command to rebase the current branch onto main.

Git

git rebase [1]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Aorigin/main

Bmain

CHEAD

Dmaster

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using origin/main can cause confusion or errors.

Using HEAD does not specify the target branch.

The command git rebase main rebases the current branch onto the local main branch.

4fill in blank

hard

Fill both blanks to complete the advice: Never rebase {{BLANK_1}} branches that have been {{BLANK_2}} to a shared repository.

Git

Never rebase [1] branches that have been [2] to a shared repository.

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Apublic

Bpushed

Cprivate

Dcreated

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Mixing up 'private' and 'public'.

Using 'created' instead of 'pushed'.

Public branches that have been pushed should never be rebased to avoid conflicts for others.

5fill in blank

hard

Fill all three blanks to complete the command that safely updates your feature branch with main without rebasing public commits.

Git

git checkout [1] && git fetch origin && git merge origin/[2] && git push origin [3]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Afeature

Bmain

Ddevelop

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using rebase instead of merge on public branches.

Pushing the wrong branch name.

This sequence updates your local feature branch with the latest main branch changes by merging, avoiding rebasing public commits.

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