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Overview

Rebasing is a Git operation that moves or combines commits from one branch onto another. It’s an alternative to merging that creates a linear project history. GitHub Desktop provides a safe and intuitive interface for rebasing.

Linear History

Create a clean, linear commit history

Conflict Detection

Preview conflicts before starting the rebase

Interactive Progress

See real-time progress as commits are applied

Force Push Support

Safely force push with —force-with-lease

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Understanding Rebase

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What is Rebasing?

Rebasing rewrites commit history by:
  1. Taking commits from your current branch
  2. Temporarily removing them
  3. Updating the base branch to the target
  4. Reapplying your commits on top of the new base

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Rebase vs. Merge

Linear History:
Before:          After:
main:  A---B     main:  A---B
        \                 \
feat:    C---D   feat:      C'---D'
Characteristics:
  • Creates linear history
  • Rewrites commits (new SHAs)
  • Cleaner history
  • Requires force push if already pushed

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When to Use Rebase

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Good Use Cases

Update Feature Branch

Keep your feature branch up to date with main before merging

Clean Up History

Create a clean, linear history before creating a pull request

Local Commits

Reorganize commits that haven’t been pushed yet

Interactive Cleanup

Squash, edit, or reorder commits before pushing

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When to Avoid Rebase

Never rebase commits that have been pushed to a shared branch unless you have explicit agreement from your team.
Avoid rebasing when:
  • Commits are on a shared branch
  • Other developers have based work on your commits
  • Working on the repository’s main/default branch
  • You’re unsure about the impact
  • Multiple people are working on the same feature branch

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Rebasing in GitHub Desktop

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Basic Rebase Workflow

1

Switch to Branch

Check out the branch you want to rebase (e.g., your feature branch)
2

Open Rebase Dialog

Click Branch > Rebase current branch
3

Select Base Branch

Choose the branch to rebase onto (usually main or develop)
4

Review Information

GitHub Desktop shows:
  • Number of commits to rebase
  • Potential conflict warnings
  • Remote commit warnings (if applicable)
5

Start Rebase

Click Begin rebase
6

Monitor Progress

Watch as commits are applied one by one
7

Handle Conflicts (if any)

Resolve any conflicts that arise during the rebase

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Rebase Implementation

From the technical documentation and source code:

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Testing the Rebase

Before starting, GitHub Desktop determines: 
// 1. Identify commits that will be rebased
const commits = await getCommitsInRange(
  repository, 
  `${upstream_oid}..${branch_oid}`
)

// 2. Check for remote commits
if (tip.branch.upstreamRemoteName) {
  const remoteCommits = await getCommitsInRange(
    repository,
    `${upstream_oid}..${remote_branch_oid}`
  )
  
  // Warn if rebasing will affect remote commits
  if (remoteCommits.length > 0) {
    showForceP ushWarning()
  }
}

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Progress Tracking

// From docs/technical/rebase-flow.md
// GitHub Desktop parses Git's progress output
// Progress information from:
// - .git/rebase-merge/msgnum (current patch number)
// - .git/rebase-merge/end (total patches)

const progress = {
  currentCommit: msgnum,
  totalCommits: end,
  value: msgnum / end
}

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Rebase State Detection

GitHub Desktop detects ongoing rebases: 
// Is a rebase in progress?
const rebaseHead = await pathExists('.git/REBASE_HEAD')

if (rebaseHead) {
  // Read rebase state:
  const targetBranch = await readFile('.git/rebase-merge/head-name')
  const ontoCommit = await readFile('.git/rebase-merge/onto')
  const originalHead = await readFile('.git/rebase-merge/orig-head')
}

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Handling Conflicts During Rebase

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When Conflicts Occur

If a commit can’t be applied cleanly:
1

Rebase Pauses

GitHub Desktop stops at the conflicted commit
2

Shows Conflict Info

Displays:
  • Which commit caused the conflict
  • Conflicted files
  • Progress (e.g., “Commit 3 of 7”)
3

Resolve Conflicts

Fix conflicts in each file:
  • Open in editor
  • Choose “ours” or “theirs”
  • Manually edit conflict markers
4

Continue or Skip

After resolving:
  • Continue: Apply this commit and continue
  • Skip: Omit this commit (if it’s empty after conflicts)
  • Abort: Cancel the entire rebase

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Continue Rebase

After resolving conflicts: 
// Determine the appropriate action
if (noChangesAfterResolution) {
  // Commit is now empty - skip it
  await git(['rebase', '--skip'])
} else {
  // Commit has changes - continue
  await git(['rebase', '--continue'])
}
If a commit becomes empty after conflict resolution (all changes were already in the base), GitHub Desktop automatically runs git rebase --skip.

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Abort Rebase

To cancel the rebase:
1

Click Abort

Click Abort rebase in the rebase progress banner
2

Confirm

If you’ve resolved conflicts, confirm you want to discard that work
3

Return to Original State

Branch returns to its state before the rebase started
await git(['rebase', '--abort'], repository.path)

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Force Pushing After Rebase

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Why Force Push?

After rebasing commits that were already pushed:
  • Commit SHAs have changed
  • Remote branch has the old commits
  • You must force push to update the remote

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Safe Force Push

GitHub Desktop uses --force-with-lease for safety:
1

Complete Rebase

Finish the rebase successfully
2

Force Push Indicator

GitHub Desktop shows Force push origin button
3

Review Warning

If confirmation is enabled, review the force push warning
4

Force Push

Click Force push origin
# GitHub Desktop uses
git push --force-with-lease

# NOT
git push --force  # Dangerous!
Why --force-with-lease?
  • Fails if remote was updated by someone else
  • Prevents overwriting others’ commits
  • Safer than --force
Before force pushing, ensure no one else is working on the branch. Force pushing rewrites history and can cause problems for collaborators.

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Force Push State Tracking

GitHub Desktop tracks branches eligible for force push: 
// From app/src/lib/rebase.ts
export enum ForcePushBranchState {
  NotAvailable,     // Branch hasn't diverged
  Available,        // Can force push, but not recommended
  Recommended,      // Should force push (after rebase/amend)
}

export function getCurrentBranchForcePushState(
  branchesState: IBranchesState,
  aheadBehind: IAheadBehind | null
): ForcePushBranchState {
  // Check if branch is ahead and behind (diverged)
  if (aheadBehind === null || behind === 0 || ahead === 0) {
    return ForcePushBranchState.NotAvailable
  }
  
  // Check if this branch was rebased in Desktop
  const { tip, forcePushBranches } = branchesState
  if (tip.kind === TipState.Valid) {
    const foundEntry = forcePushBranches.get(localBranchName)
    const canForcePushBranch = foundEntry === sha
  }
  
  return canForcePushBranch
    ? ForcePushBranchState.Recommended
    : ForcePushBranchState.Available
}

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Rebase Confirmation Dialog

If enabled in preferences, GitHub Desktop shows a warning when:

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Remote Commits Detected

When rebasing a branch with pushed commits: Warning shows:
  • Number of commits that will be rewritten
  • Explanation of force push requirement
  • Impact on collaborators
  • Option to continue or cancel
From the source: 
// Check for remote commits in the range
const remoteCommits = await getCommitsInRange(
  repository,
  `${upstreamOid}..${remoteBranchOid}`
)

if (remoteCommits.length > 0 && showConfirmation) {
  const result = await showRebaseConfirmationDialog(
    remoteCommits.length
  )
  
  if (result === 'cancel') {
    return // Don't start rebase
  }
}

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Rebase vs. Merge: Choosing the Right Tool

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Use Rebase When:

  1. Cleaning Up Local Commits
    • Before creating a pull request
    • Commits haven’t been pushed
    • Want a clean, linear history
  2. Updating Feature Branches
    • Bringing latest changes from main
    • Before merging via PR
    • No one else is on the branch
  3. Maintaining Clean History
    • Project prefers linear history
    • Team understands rebase workflow
    • Following agreed conventions

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Use Merge When:

  1. Shared Branches
    • Multiple people working on the branch
    • Commits are public
    • Want to preserve exact history
  2. Main/Default Branch
    • Never rebase the main branch
    • Merge feature branches into it
    • Keep stable history
  3. Unsure About Impact
    • When in doubt, merge is safer
    • Can always rebase later locally
    • Easier to undo

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Best Practices

Communicate before rebasing: If there’s any chance someone else is using your branch, ask before rebasing and force pushing.
  1. Rebase Often
    • Keep feature branches updated with main
    • Rebase frequently to avoid large conflicts
    • Makes final merge easier
  2. Test After Rebasing
    • Run tests after completing a rebase
    • Conflicts can introduce bugs
    • Verify everything still works
  3. One Commit at a Time
    • Resolve conflicts commit-by-commit
    • Don’t rush through conflicts
    • Test between conflict resolutions if possible
  4. Use Descriptive Commit Messages
    • Makes rebasing easier to follow
    • Helps identify which commits to keep/skip
    • Useful when resolving conflicts
  5. Enable Force Push Confirmation
    • Requires explicit confirmation before force pushing
    • Prevents accidental overwrites
    • Enabled by default in Preferences > Git
  6. Understand the Consequences
    • Know that rebase rewrites history
    • Be prepared to force push
    • Communicate with team

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Common Rebase Scenarios

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Update Feature Branch from Main

Goal: Bring latest main changes into your feature branch

1. Switch to feature branch
2. Branch > Rebase current branch
3. Select 'main'
4. Complete rebase
5. Force push if previously pushed

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Clean Up Before Pull Request

Goal: Create clean history before PR

1. Ensure feature branch is current
2. Rebase onto main to update
3. Force push feature branch
4. Create pull request with clean history

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Rebase After Main Updated

Scenario: Main branch moved forward during PR review

1. Fetch latest changes
2. Switch to feature branch  
3. Rebase onto updated main
4. Resolve any new conflicts
5. Force push to update PR

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Troubleshooting

The rebase option is disabled when:
  • Repository has uncommitted changes (commit or stash first)
  • Currently in a merge, rebase, or cherry-pick state
  • On a detached HEAD (checkout a branch first)
  • No commits to rebase
If you encounter overwhelming conflicts:
  • Abort the rebase: Better to merge than fight conflicts
  • Update more frequently: Smaller, frequent rebases have fewer conflicts
  • Consider merge instead: Merging might be more appropriate
  • Ask for help: Consult the commit authors
If commits seem lost after aborting:
  • They’re not actually lost
  • Check git reflog to find them
  • Branch pointer was just moved back
  • Can recover with git reset --hard <sha>
If force push fails:
  • Branch is protected: Check branch protection rules
  • No force push permission: You may not have rights
  • Someone pushed: Another commit was pushed (fetch first)
  • Wrong branch: Verify you’re on the correct branch
If rebase appears stuck:
  • Check for hook scripts that are running
  • Look for prompts in terminal
  • Verify disk space available
  • Try aborting and restarting

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Advanced: Interactive Rebase

While GitHub Desktop doesn’t provide a GUI for interactive rebase, you can use the terminal: 
# In the repository directory
git rebase -i HEAD~5

# Options in the editor:
pick    = use commit
reword  = use commit, but edit message
edit    = use commit, but stop to amend
squash  = meld into previous commit
fixup   = like squash, but discard message
drop    = remove commit
Then return to GitHub Desktop to see the results.

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