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Manuals / Git & GitHub / Ch 8

C · RecoverAdvanced40 min read

8. reflog, reset & recovery

Git & GitHub · 48 pages source format

reflog records HEAD movements — undo "disasters." reset --soft/mixed/hard — know blast radius before using.

What you'll learn

  • git reflog
  • reset --soft/mixed/hard
  • Recovering "lost" commits
  • cherry-pick lite

reflog is your safety net

git reflog shows where HEAD was. git reset --hard HEAD@{1} goes back — if you act before GC.

git commit -m "important work"
git reset --hard HEAD~1
git reflog
# find lost commit hash
git reset --hard abc1234

Do this now

Make commit, reset --hard HEAD~1, panic, reflog, recover.

Clear?

Reset modes

--soft: keep staging and working tree. --mixed (default): keep working tree. --hard: destroy changes.

Do this now

Try --soft reset: commit undone but changes still staged.

Pro tip. --hard is destructive — use only in throwaway repos or when certain.

Clear?

cherry-pick

git cherry-pick <hash> applies one commit elsewhere. Useful for hotfixes.

Do this now

Cherry-pick a commit from feature branch onto main in practice repo.

Clear?

Checklist