Recovering from bad rebase in Git - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is a 'bad rebase' in Git?

A 'bad rebase' happens when the rebase process causes conflicts, lost commits, or an unwanted history, making the branch state incorrect or confusing.

beginner

Which Git command helps you see the previous state before the rebase started?

The command git reflog shows a log of all recent HEAD changes, including before the rebase, helping you find the commit to recover.

intermediate

How do you undo a bad rebase using Git?

Use git reflog to find the commit before the rebase, then run git reset --hard <commit-hash> to restore your branch to that state.

beginner

What does git rebase --abort do?

It stops the current rebase process and returns your branch to the state before the rebase started, useful if you realize the rebase is going wrong.

beginner

Why is it important to backup or check your branch before rebasing?

Because rebasing rewrites history, mistakes can cause lost commits or conflicts. Checking or backing up helps you recover easily if something goes wrong.

Which command shows the history of HEAD changes to help recover from a bad rebase?

A git status

B git log

C git branch

D git reflog

git reflog tracks all recent HEAD movements, including before and after rebases, making it the best tool to find previous states.

What does git rebase --abort do during a rebase?

A Completes the rebase ignoring conflicts

B Deletes the current branch

C Stops the rebase and restores the branch to its original state

D Creates a new branch

This command cancels the rebase and returns your branch to how it was before starting the rebase.

If you lost commits after a bad rebase, what is the safest way to recover them?

A Delete the branch and create a new one

B Use <code>git reset --hard</code> with a commit from <code>git reflog</code>

C Run <code>git push --force</code> immediately

D Run <code>git merge</code> without options

Using git reflog to find the last good commit and resetting hard to it recovers lost commits safely.

Why should you avoid rebasing shared branches without coordination?

A Because rebasing rewrites history and can confuse others working on the branch

B Because rebasing deletes the branch

C Because rebasing is slower than merging

D Because rebasing disables commits

Rebasing changes commit history, which can cause problems if others have based work on the original commits.

What is the first step to recover from a bad rebase?

A Check <code>git reflog</code> to find the commit before the rebase

B Run <code>git push</code>

C Delete the repository

D Run <code>git merge</code>

Finding the commit before the rebase using git reflog is essential to know where to reset your branch.

Explain how to safely undo a bad rebase using Git commands.

Think about how to find the old state and restore it.

Describe why rebasing can cause problems and how to avoid losing work.

Consider what rebasing changes and how to prepare.