Scenario library

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Each scenario is a script of commands, not a snapshot — it replays when you open it, so what you see cannot disagree with what the commands actually do. Every one stops just before the interesting command and names it.

• A feature branch left behind main

  feature-behind-main

  The commonest shape. After the rebase, watch every feature commit change its hash — not because the content changed, but because the parent did, and the parent is part of the hash.

  Then try rebase main — Two feature commits will be written as new objects; the old ones stay on the shelf, faded.

  Open in the sandbox

• A messy history to tidy up

  messy-history

  Three small commits that ought to be one. Interactive rebase folds them together — producing new objects rather than altering the old ones.

  Then try open the interactive rebase panel — Set the three steps to pick + squash + squash.

  Open in the sandbox

• A branch other people already have

  published-branch

  Here rebase is the wrong tool. Commits other people already hold must not be rewritten — use revert, which adds to the history instead of changing it.

  Then try revert HEAD~1 — Compare it with `reset --hard HEAD~2`: one is safe for collaborators, the other is not.

  Open in the sandbox

• An accidental reset --hard

  accidental-hard-reset

  The situation that causes panic. The commit went nowhere: it is still in the store, still named by the reflog, and one command brings it back.

  Then try reset --hard HEAD@{1} — Look at the reflog panel: the “lost” commit is right there, faded but whole.

  Open in the sandbox

• Rebasing a branch you already pushed

  force-push-danger

  This branch is already on origin. The rebase rewrites its commits, so the next push is rejected — and forcing it leaves the old commit on origin named by nothing. A colleague who already fetched still has it; anyone cloning today never will.

  Then try push origin main — It will be rejected, and the message names which commit would be stranded. Compare with `push origin main --force`, then look at the origin panel.

  Open in the sandbox

• A rebase that conflicts

  conflicting-rebase

  Two branches changed the same line. The rebase stops part-way without moving a ref or writing an object — and your resolution is what decides the resulting commit hash.

  Then try rebase main — Resolve it in the working-tree panel, `add konfig.txt`, then `rebase --continue`.

  Open in the sandbox