I just cloned a git repository and checked out a branch. I worked on it, and then decided to remove all my local changes, as I wanted the original copy.
In short, I had to do the following two commands to remove my local changes
git checkout .
git clean -f
My question is,
(1) Is this the correct approach in getting rid of local changes, or else please let me know the correct approach.
(2) when do we use git reset --hard as i am able to reset even without this command
Thanks
*Solution : Major Edit(s): 03/26 : *
Replaced many of vague terms with git specific terminology
[tracked/untracked/staged/unstaged]
There could be only three categories of files when we make local changes:
Type 1. Staged Tracked files
Type 2. Unstaged Tracked files
Type 3. Unstaged UnTracked files a.k.a UnTracked files
- Staged – Those that are moved to staging area/ Added to index
- Tracked – modified files
- UnTracked – new files. Always unstaged. If staged, that means they are tracked.
What each commands do:
-
git checkout .– Removes Unstaged Tracked files ONLY [Type 2] -
git clean -f– Removes Unstaged UnTracked files ONLY [Type 3] -
git reset --hard– Removes Staged Tracked and UnStaged Tracked files ONLY[Type 1, Type 2] -
git stash -u– Removes all changes [Type 1, Type 2, Type 3]
Conclusion:
It’s clear that we can use either
(1) combination of `git clean -f` and `git reset --hard`
OR
(2) `git stash -u`
to achieve the desired result.
Note: Stashing, as the word means ‘Store (something) safely and secretly in a specified place.’ This can always be retrieved using git stash pop.
So choosing between the above two options is developer’s call.
Thank you Christoph and Frederik Schøning.
Edit: 03/27
I thought it’s worth putting the ‘beware‘ note to git clean -f
git clean -f
There is no going back. Use -n or --dry-run to preview the damage you’ll do.
If you want to also remove directories, run git clean -f -d
If you just want to remove ignored files, run git clean -f -X
If you want to remove ignored as well as non-ignored files, run git clean -f -x
reference : more on git clean : How to remove local (untracked) files from the current Git working tree?
Edit: 05/20/15
Discarding all local commits on this branch [Removing local commits]
In order to discard all local commits on this branch, to make the local branch identical
to the “upstream” of this branch, simply run git reset --hard @{u}
Reference: http://sethrobertson.github.io/GitFixUm/fixup.html
or do git reset --hard origin/master [if local branch is master]
Note: 06/12/2015
This is not a duplicate of the other SO question that’s marked as duplicate. This question address how to remove local GIT changes [remove a file added, remove changes added to existing file etc and the various approaches; Where in the other SO thread only address how to remove local commit. If you added a file, and you want to remove that alone, then the other SO thread doesn’t discuss about it. Hence this is not a duplicate of the other one]
Edit: 06/23/15
How to revert a commit already pushed to a remote repository?
$ git revert ab12cd15
Edit: 09/01/2015
Delete a previous commit from local branch and remote branch
Case: You just commited a change to your local branch and immediately pushed to the remote branch,
Suddenly realized , Oh no! I dont need this change. Now do what?
git reset --hard HEAD~1 [for deleting that commit from local branch]
git push origin HEAD --force [both the commands must be executed. For deleting from remote branch]
Whats the branch ? Its the currently checked out branch.
Edit 09/08/2015 – Remove local git merge:
I am on master branch and merged master branch with a newly working branch phase2
$ git status
# On branch master
$ git merge phase2
$ git status
# On branch master
# Your branch is ahead of 'origin/master' by 8 commits.
Q: How to get rid of this merge?
Tried git reset --hard and git clean -d -f
Both didn’t work.
The only thing that worked are any of the below ones:
$ git reset --hard origin/master
or
$ git reset --hard HEAD~8
or
$ git reset --hard 9a88396f51e2a068bb7 [sha commit code – this is the one that was present before all your merge commits happened]
