Day 32 · Git

Git Rebase

By Published Git / Linux~1h to complete

Technical Overview

When working in collaborative environments with feature branches, branches inevitably diverge. To integrate upstream updates from a main branch (like master) into a feature branch, Git offers two primary strategies: git merge and git rebase. While git merge preserves histories exactly as they happened, it can clutter log files with non-functional "merge commits". Git Rebase resolves this by moving the base of a branch, keeping history clean and linear.

What is Git Rebase and Why is it Required?

git rebase is the process of moving or combining a sequence of commits to a new base commit. Internally, Git temporarily shelves your branch's commits, resets the branch head to the target base branch, and then reapplies your commits one-by-one in the same order.

Why is it Required?

  1. Clean Project History: By removing intermediate merge commits, developers can read project logs as a linear sequence of events.
  2. Easier Code Review: Rebasing your feature branch against the latest upstream branch tip ensures your review diffs contain only your changes.
  3. Linear Bug Tracking: Debugging utilities like git bisect work significantly faster and more reliably when the commit log is linear.

How Does Git Rebase Work?

Let's visualize the commit graph before and after rebasing a feature branch onto master:

graph TD subgraph "Before Rebase" M1["Commit M1"] --> M2["Commit M2 (master tip)"] M1 --> F1["Commit F1 (feature start)"] F1 --> F2["Commit F2 (feature tip)"] end subgraph "After git rebase master feature" M1_2["Commit M1"] --> M2_2["Commit M2 (master)"] M2_2 --> F1_2["Commit F1' (Rebased F1)"] F1_2 --> F2_2["Commit F2' (Rebased F2) (feature tip)"] end style M2 fill:#bbf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px style M2_2 fill:#bbf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px style F2_2 fill:#4ade80,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px

Git Merge vs. Git Rebase

Feature / Criteria git merge git rebase
Mechanics Joins branch tips, creating a new "Merge Commit" Replays feature commits on top of the target branch tip
Commit Log Preserves original branch architecture (non-linear) Rewrites branch history into a clean, single line (linear)
Traceability Keeps exact historical context of branch timelines Simplifies logs; commits look like they were written sequentially
Conflict Resolution Resolved once during the merge commit creation Resolved commit-by-commit during the replay process
History Rewriting Safe; does not alter existing commits Rewrites history; changes commit hashes of replayed commits

The Golden Rule of Git Rebase

CAUTION

Never rebase public, shared branches. Because rebasing rewrites commit hashes, rebasing a branch that other developers have pulled and worked on will desynchronize their commit trees, creating massive conflict headaches. Only rebase private feature branches before they are merged.

Infrastructure & Configuration Requirements

  • Target Host: Nautilus Storage Server (ststor01)
  • SSH User: natasha
  • Local Repo Path: /usr/src/kodekloudrepos/media
  • Target Branch: feature (rebase onto master)
  • Remote Repository: origin

Step-by-Step Implementation

Step 1: Connect to the Storage Server

From the Jump Host, SSH into the Nautilus storage server as natasha:

ssh natasha@ststor01

Step 2: Navigate to the Repository

Switch directory to the designated local Git repository:

cd /usr/src/kodekloudrepos/media

Step 3: Inspect Branch and History Status

Verify the active branch and review the current commit logs:

git branch
git log --oneline --graph --all

(Confirms that the feature branch is diverged from the master branch tip).

Step 4: Perform the Rebase

Rebase the feature branch onto master. This command automatically checkouts the feature branch and replays its commits on top of master:

git rebase master feature

Expected output:

First, rewinding head to replay your work on top of it...
Applying: Add design templates for media layouts
Applying: Configure media assets processor pipeline

Handling Conflicts (If they occur)

If a conflict is encountered during commit application, Git will pause the rebase. You must:

  1. Open the conflicted files and resolve marked sections.
  2. Stage the resolved files: git add <conflicted-file>
  3. Continue the rebase:
    git rebase --continue

(Do not run git commit to resolve conflicts during a rebase).

Step 5: Force Push the Rebased Branch to Remote

Because rebasing rewrites the commit hashes, the local branch history diverges from the remote branch tip. Update the remote repository by force pushing:

git push origin feature --force

Expected output:

Counting objects: 5, done.
Delta compression using up to 4 threads.
Compressing objects: 100% (3/3), done.
Writing objects: 100% (5/5), 482 bytes | 482.00 KiB/s, done.
Total 5 (delta 1), reused 0 (delta 0)
To /opt/media.git
 + f8e9d2c...4e8f9a2 feature -> feature (forced update)

Post-Deployment Verification

1. Verify Linear Commit Tree

Confirm that the feature branch commits are now positioned directly on top of the master branch tip without any merge commits:

git log --oneline --graph --all

Expected output showing a linear history:

* 4e8f9a2 (HEAD -> feature, origin/feature) Configure media assets processor pipeline
* 7f8e9fa Add design templates for media layouts
* a2b3c4d (master, origin/master) Update upstream production styles
* 1d2f3e4 Initial commit

2. Verify Repository State

Ensure your workspace is clean and matching the remote:

git status

Expected output:

On branch feature
Your branch is up to date with 'origin/feature'.

nothing to commit, working tree clean

Log out of the Storage Server:

exit

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