Git Rebase

Expert-level guidance for executing Git rebase operations safely, particularly distinguishing between interactive manual usage and automated environments.

When to Use

• When updating a feature branch with the latest changes from main to maintain a linear history.
• To squash or fix up messy, intermediate commits before opening a Pull Request (using git rebase -i --autosquash locally).
• When moving a branch's base from one commit to another to untangle dependency chains.

When Not to Use

• On shared or public branches where other developers have already pulled the commits (doing so rewrites history and causes severe integration headaches).
• For simple feature integrations where a standard merge commit is explicitly requested or preferred by the team's workflow.
• In fully automated CI/CD environments unless strictly using non-interactive scripting to handle specific autosquash patterns.

Common Pitfalls

• Interactive Terminal Hangs: Using -i in an automated agent environment, causing the system to freeze while waiting for a VIM editor input that will never happen.
• Force-Pushing Blindly: Running git push --force after a rebase instead of git push --force-with-lease, potentially destroying a teammate's recent commits.
• Conflict Panic: Encountering a merge conflict during a rebase and running chaotic commands instead of methodically resolving the files, adding them, and running git rebase --continue (or --abort if hopelessly stuck).

Interactive Rebasing (git rebase -i)

• Objective: Clean up local commit history before pushing.
• Process:
  • WARNING: Interactive modes (-i) are FORBIDDEN in runtime automation. Ensure -i is strictly scoped to local manual-only usage or fixing in the non-GitHub runtime (like in local agent or devcontainer runtime).
  • Start manual rebase: git rebase -i <base-commit-or-branch>
  • Non-interactive note: GIT_SEQUENCE_EDITOR=true only skips opening the editor; it does not rewrite the rebase todo list.
  • Scripted rewrites: For automation, set GIT_SEQUENCE_EDITOR to a script or command that edits the todo file, or prefer git rebase -i --autosquash with fixup! / squash! commits when appropriate.
  • Actions in the todo list: pick, reword, edit, squash (or s), fixup (or f), drop.

Safety Principles

• NEVER rebase commits that have already been pushed to a shared public branch unless explicitly coordinating a force-push.
• Abort: Execute git rebase --abort to safely cancel an ongoing rebase operation.

What to Avoid

• Interactive command execution (git rebase -i) in automated runtime pipelines.

Limitations

• Cannot autonomously perform interactive rebasing in restricted runtime environments.

Related Skills

• git: You MUST load this skill when performing standard Git operations.
• git-expert: You MUST load this skill when performing advanced Git operations beyond rebasing.