How to Revert Git Repository to Previous Commit

To revert a Git repository to a previous commit like 0d1d7fc, you can use the git reset --hard command which will completely discard all changes made after that specific commit and reset your repository to that exact state. For your example, you would run git reset --hard 0d1d7fc to revert to the commit from November 3.

Contents

• Understanding Git Reset Options
• Using Git Reset to Revert to a Specific Commit
• Alternative Methods: Git Revert vs Git Checkout
• Safety Precautions and Best Practices
• Step-by-Step Guide
• Handling Remote Repositories

Understanding Git Reset Options

Git provides several reset options that control how the repository state is changed when reverting to a previous commit. The key difference between these options lies in what happens to your working directory and staging area:

• git reset --hard: Resets both the staging area and working directory to match the specified commit. This discards all changes made after the target commit.
• git reset --mixed (default): Resets the staging area to match the specified commit but leaves the working directory unchanged. Staged changes are unstaged.
• git reset --soft: Moves the branch pointer to the specified commit but leaves both the staging area and working directory unchanged. Changes remain staged.

The Atlassian Git Tutorial explains that git reset moves the HEAD and branch ref pointers to a specified commit, effectively rewriting commit history locally.

Using Git Reset to Revert to a Specific Commit

To revert your repository to the specific commit 0d1d7fc from your example, you would use:

git reset --hard 0d1d7fc

This command will:

• Move your current branch pointer to commit 0d1d7fc
• Update your working directory to match the state at that commit
• Discard all changes made after 0d1d7fc

As mentioned in the Stack Overflow discussion, this approach completely rolls back the repository state to before commit 0d1d7fc, making your local code and history exactly as it was at that commit.

You can also use partial commit hashes. Git is smart enough to recognize the unique prefix of your commit ID, so you could use:

git reset --hard 0d1d7

However, for maximum reliability, it’s best to use the full commit hash, especially if you have many commits.

Alternative syntax using relative references:

# Go back to the 3rd previous commit
git reset --hard HEAD~3

But note that this approach doesn’t work when you need to revert to a specific commit ID like 0d1d7fc.

Alternative Methods: Git Revert vs Git Checkout

Git Revert

The git revert command creates a new commit that undoes changes from a specified commit, preserving the commit history. This is safer than git reset for shared repositories.

git revert 0d1d7fc

According to the Atlassian documentation, git revert takes a specified commit but does not move ref pointers like git reset does. Instead, it creates a new commit that reverses the changes.

Git Checkout

You can also use git checkout to temporarily view a previous commit or reset specific files:

# Checkout a specific commit (detached HEAD)
git checkout 0d1d7fc

# Reset specific file to a previous state
git checkout 0d1d7fc -- path/to/file

The Atlassian Git Tutorial notes that git checkout is used to update the repository state to a specific point in project history.

Safety Precautions and Best Practices

Before using git reset --hard, consider these important precautions:

1. Backup your work: Since --hard discards changes, make sure you’ve saved any work you might need later.

2. Check if your commits are pushed: If you’ve already pushed commits to a shared repository, using git reset --hard will cause problems for other team members.

3. Create a backup branch:

   bash

   git branch backup-before-reset
   

4. Verify the commit hash: Double-check the commit ID you’re resetting to to avoid accidental data loss.

5. Consider using --soft or --mixed if you want to keep some changes but reset the repository state.

The Sentry documentation warns that git revert is a good way to restore a previous state while retaining the repository’s edit history, but sometimes you may prefer to delete previous commits rather than reverse them.

Step-by-Step Guide

Here’s a complete step-by-step process to revert to your specific commit:

1. Verify the commit hash:

   bash

   git log --oneline
   

   This will show your commit history with abbreviated hashes, confirming that 0d1d7fc is the correct commit.

2. Create a backup branch (recommended):

   bash

   git backup-repo
   

3. Reset to the specific commit:

   bash

   git reset --hard 0d1d7fc
   

4. Verify the reset worked:

   bash

   git log --oneline
   

   Your current commit should now be 0d1d7fc.

5. If this is a shared repository, you’ll need to force push:

   bash

   git push --force
   

As the DevDiary Academy case study demonstrates, the git reset --hard <commit_id> command will reset your local branch to the specified commit, discarding all commits made after it.

Handling Remote Repositories

When working with remote repositories, additional considerations apply:

• Force pushing: After a git reset --hard, you’ll typically need to force push to update the remote repository:

  bash

  git push --force-with-lease
  

• Collaborators: If other developers have based their work on the commits you’re resetting, force pushing will cause problems for them.

• Alternative approach: Instead of git reset --hard, consider using git revert for shared repositories to avoid rewriting history that others may have used.

The Warp documentation explains that git reset is generally not recommended for use with a remote repository unless you are working on your own development branch, as it can overwrite commit history.

Sources

1. How do I revert a Git repository to a previous commit? - Stack Overflow
2. How to Use Git Reset To Revert To Previous Commit? - RunCloud
3. Revert a Git repository to a previous commit | Sentry
4. How to Revert a Commit in Git? | Atlassian Git Tutorial
5. Resetting, Checking Out & Reverting | Atlassian Git Tutorial
6. Git Reset Hard – How to Reset to Head in Git - FreeCodeCamp
7. Git Rollback: Resetting a Branch to a Specific Commit — A Case Study - Medium
8. Reverting to a specific commit based on commit id with Git? - Stack Overflow

Conclusion

Reverting a Git repository to a previous commit like 0d1d7fc is straightforward using git reset --hard, but it comes with important considerations:

• Use git reset --hard 0d1d7fc to completely revert your repository to the November 3 commit, discarding all changes made after it
• Create a backup branch before performing any irreversible operations
• Consider collaboration needs - use git revert for shared repositories to preserve history
• Force push carefully when updating remote repositories to avoid breaking other developers’ work
• Verify your commit hash before executing reset commands to prevent accidental data loss

For most local repository cleanup work, git reset --hard is the perfect tool. When working with teams, git revert provides a safer alternative that maintains the project’s commit history while still achieving your goal of undoing unwanted changes.