Undoing pushed commits in Git is a common task that developers encounter when they need to rectify mistakes or change their commit history. Depending on the specific scenario and requirements, there are different approaches to undoing pushed commits. Here, we will discuss various methods to achieve this, ensuring that you can handle any situation effectively.

Scenarios:

• Removing the most recent commit(s): You realized that the last few commits pushed to the remote repository are incorrect and need to be removed.
• Modifying the most recent commit(s): The commits contain mistakes, but instead of removing them, you want to modify and then push the corrected version.
• Undoing older commits: There are older commits in the history that you need to remove or modify without affecting the recent commits.

Approach 1. Revert the Commit

The git revert command is used to create a new commit that undoes the changes made by previous commits. This is a safe method because it doesn’t change the commit history.

Step 1: Identify the commit hash you want to revert using git log.

Run the revert command:

git revert <commit-hash>

Steps 2: Push the new commit to the remote repository:

git push origin <branch-name>

This method is ideal for public repositories where rewriting history is not recommended.

Approach 2. Reset the Commit

The git reset command can be used to move the HEAD pointer to a previous state, effectively removing commits from the history. This method changes the commit history and should be used with caution, especially on shared branches.

Step 1: Identify the commit hash to which you want to reset using git log.

Run a hard reset command:

git reset --hard <commit-hash>

Step 2: Force push the changes to the remote repository

git push --force origin <branch-name>

Note: Force pushing can overwrite changes in the remote repository, which might disrupt other developers’ work. Ensure you communicate with your team before performing this action.

Best Practices

• Coordinate with Team: Always communicate with your team before rewriting history to avoid conflicts.
• Backup Your Work: Before performing destructive operations like reset --hard, ensure you have backups of your important work.
• Use Revert for Safety: Whenever possible, use git revert for a safer approach to undoing changes without rewriting history.