Git: go back to a specific commit and discard all commits after it permanently


To permanently go back to a specific commit and discard all commits after it, you can use the following Git commands:

1) Reset to the specific commit:

git reset --hard <commit-hash>

Replace <commit-hash> with the hash of the specific commit you want to reset to. This will move your branch pointer back to that commit and discard any changes in the working directory and staging area.

2) Force push the reset (if working with a remote branch):

If you’re working on a branch that is shared with others or is pushed to a remote repository (e.g., origin), you’ll need to force push the changes to discard the later commits on the remote as well:

git push origin <branch-name> --force

Replace <branch-name> with the name of your branch.

Caution

This is a destructive operation: All the commits after the specified one will be lost permanently unless they exist in another branch or are otherwise referenced.

Make sure you’re certain before running these commands, especially when using --force, as it changes the history on the remote repository, which can affect other collaborators.

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