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I have this

* [cf0149e] (HEAD, branch_2) more editing * [8fcc106] some edit | | * [59e643e] (branch_2b) branch 2b | / |/ | * [0f4c880] (branch_2_a) branch 2a | / |/ * [a74eb2a] checkout 1 * [9a8dd6a] added branch_2 line | | | * [bb903de] (branch_3) branch 3 |/ | | * [674e08c] (branch_1) commit 1 | * [7d3db01] added branch_1 line |/ * [328454f] (0.0.0) test

I would like to combine these two:

* [a74eb2a] checkout 1 * [9a8dd6a] added branch_2 line

Into one

* [a74eb2a] This is old [a74eb2a] + [9a8dd6a]

I've tried more permutations that I care to mention: reset, rebase, squash, edit. Can't seem to pull it off. Whenever I have succeeded in merging them the merge only exists for one branch. For example, "branch_2" will end-up with a the desired combination located at HEAD~2. However, "branch_2b" and "branch_2_a" still point to the two commits I want to consolidate. In other words, I end-up with a new commit that is the consolidation of the two original commits. What I want is to have all branches coming out of those two commits to now refer to the new consolidated commit.

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1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2

After squashing these two commits, you'll end up with a brand new commit and history since the squash, called something else entirely:

* [cf0149e] (HEAD, branch_2) more editing * [8fcc106] some edit | | * [59e643e] (branch_2b) branch 2b | / |/ | * [0f4c880] (branch_2_a) branch 2a | / |/ * [a74eb2a] checkout 1 * [9a8dd6a] added branch_2 line | | * [cf0149e'] (HEAD', branch_2') more editing (post-squash rebase) | * [8fcc106'] some edit (post-squash rebase) | * [SQUASHED] "checkout 1" + "added branch_2 line" |/ | | * [bb903de] (branch_3) branch 3 |/ | | * [674e08c] (branch_1) commit 1 | * [7d3db01] added branch_1 line |/ * [328454f] (0.0.0) test

Notice that the other extant branches are unaffected; that's because all you've done is made a new squashed commit—it doesn't change the history of anything else.

Your HEAD is now pointing to cf0149e', which will have a new SHA1 hash, because you've altered its history.

Now, you can rebase the other branches, one by one, on SQUASHED, since that's the point where they branched off, to produce:

* [cf0149e] (HEAD, branch_2) more editing * [8fcc106] some edit | | * [59e643e] (branch_2b) branch 2b | / |/ | * [0f4c880] (branch_2_a) branch 2a | / |/ * [a74eb2a] checkout 1 * [9a8dd6a] added branch_2 line | | * [cf0149e'] (HEAD', branch_2') more editing (post-squash rebase) | * [8fcc106'] some edit (post-squash rebase) | | | | * [59e643e] (branch_2b') branch 2b (rebased on SQUASHED) | | / | |/ | | * [0f4c880'] (branch_2_a') branch 2a (rebased on SQUASHED) | | / | |/ | * [SQUASHED] "checkout 1" + "added branch_2 line" |/ | | * [bb903de] (branch_3) branch 3 |/ | | * [674e08c] (branch_1) commit 1 | * [7d3db01] added branch_1 line |/ * [328454f] (0.0.0) test

The old history is now irrelevant, so really we have:

* [cf0149e'] (HEAD', branch_2') more editing (post-squash rebase) * [8fcc106'] some edit (post-squash rebase) | | * [59e643e] (branch_2b') branch 2b (rebased on SQUASHED) | / |/ | * [0f4c880'] (branch_2_a') branch 2a (rebased on SQUASHED) | / |/ * [SQUASHED] "checkout 1" + "added branch_2 line" | | * [bb903de] (branch_3) branch 3 |/ | | * [674e08c] (branch_1) commit 1 | * [7d3db01] added branch_1 line |/ * [328454f] (0.0.0) test
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2 Comments

OK, I get it. That's what I was starting to suspect after a whole day playing with various ideas. What would be the best way to clear out the old (irrelevant) history after doing this?
You don't have to! As long as there are no branches pointing to any part of that history, it's as good as gone, and eventually Git will garbage collect it.

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