Git State Recovery

When to Use

Use this skill when git state is confusing, commits seem lost, or you need to recover from a problematic git situation.

First Response: STOP and Assess

Do NOT run any git commands until you understand the current state. In particular, do not run any command that discards changes (git restore, git checkout --), especially in bulk.

git status
git log --oneline -10
git branch -vv
scripts/git/writer-lock.sh status

Share this output with the user before proceeding.

Recovery Scenarios

Scenario 1: Lost Uncommitted Work

If work was lost due to reset --hard or similar:

1. Check reflog (saves commits for ~30 days):

   bashCopy

   git reflog
   

2. Find the lost commit:

   bashCopy

   git reflog | grep -i "commit message keyword"
   

3. Recover by creating a branch:

   bashCopy

   git branch recovery-branch <commit-hash>
   

Scenario 2: Detached HEAD

If git status shows "HEAD detached":

1. Check what you have:

   bashCopy

   git log --oneline -5
   

2. If you have work you want to keep, create a branch to attach it:

   bashCopy

   git checkout -b recovery-branch
   

Scenario 3: Merge Conflict Overwhelm

If conflicts are too complex:

1. Abort the merge (safe, no data loss):

   bashCopy

   git merge --abort
   

2. Don’t “fix” this by rewriting history. Prefer a plain merge (or ask for human guidance):

   bashCopy

   git fetch origin --prune
   git merge <target-branch>
   

Scenario 4: Wrong Commits on Branch

If commits ended up on wrong branch:

1. Note the commit hashes:

   bashCopy

   git log --oneline -5
   

2. Cherry-pick to correct branch:

   bashCopy

   git checkout correct-branch
   git cherry-pick <commit-hash>
   

3. Clean up the wrong branch safely:

   • Prefer abandoning the wrong branch and continuing on the correct one, or
   • Revert the commits on the wrong branch:
     bashCopy

     git checkout wrong-branch
     git revert <commit-hash>
     

Safe Commands (Always OK)

Dangerous Commands (Agents: Never)

Never run these as an agent in Base-Shop. If one seems necessary, STOP and ask for human guidance.

Common Pitfalls

• Don't panic and run commands without understanding state
• Don't use reset --hard to "fix" things
• Don't force push to fix local issues
• Do run git status and share output first
• Do create a recovery branch (or checkpoint commit) to protect work
• Do check git reflog for recovery options