Reflog to Recover Lost Commits

Reflog to Recover Lost Commits

Git reflog is a powerful tool that keeps track of all reference changes in your repository. This guide will show you how to use reflog to recover lost commits and restore your work.

What You’ll Learn

• Understanding reflog
• Viewing reflog
• Recovering commits
• Best practices
• Common scenarios

Implementation Steps

1. View Reflog

   # View reflog
   git reflog
   
   # View specific reflog
   git reflog show HEAD
   
   # View branch reflog
   git reflog show branch-name
   

   • Check history
   • Find commits
   • Identify changes
   • Track actions

2. Recover Commits

   # Recover from reflog
   git checkout HEAD@{1}
   
   # Create branch from reflog
   git branch recovery-branch HEAD@{1}
   
   # Reset to reflog
   git reset --hard HEAD@{1}
   

   • Find lost commit
   • Create branch
   • Reset to commit
   • Verify recovery

3. Advanced Recovery

   # Recover specific file
   git checkout HEAD@{1} -- path/to/file
   
   # Recover with cherry-pick
   git cherry-pick HEAD@{1}
   
   # Recover with reset
   git reset --soft HEAD@{1}
   

   • Recover files
   • Use cherry-pick
   • Soft reset
   • Verify changes

4. Clean Up

   # Expire old reflog
   git reflog expire --expire=now --all
   
   # Clean reflog
   git gc --prune=now
   

   • Manage reflog
   • Clean history
   • Optimize storage
   • Maintain repo

Best Practices

1. Before Recovery

   • Check reflog
   • Identify commit
   • Plan recovery
   • Backup if needed

2. During Recovery

   • Use safe methods
   • Create branches
   • Test changes
   • Verify content

3. After Recovery

   • Test thoroughly
   • Update docs
   • Clean up
   • Monitor changes

4. Prevention

   • Regular commits
   • Clear messages
   • Safe operations
   • Backup strategy

Common Use Cases

1. Accidental Reset

   # Find reset in reflog
   git reflog
   
   # Recover from reset
   git reset --hard HEAD@{1}
   

2. Lost Branch

   # Find branch in reflog
   git reflog | grep branch-name
   
   # Recover branch
   git branch recovery-branch HEAD@{1}
   

3. Deleted Commit

   # Find commit in reflog
   git reflog
   
   # Recover commit
   git cherry-pick HEAD@{1}
   

4. Wrong Merge

   # Find pre-merge state
   git reflog
   
   # Reset to pre-merge
   git reset --hard HEAD@{1}
   

Advanced Usage

1. Selective Recovery

   # Recover specific files
   git checkout HEAD@{1} -- file1 file2
   
   # Recover with patch
   git show HEAD@{1} > recovery.patch
   git apply recovery.patch
   

2. Branch Recovery

   # Find branch tip
   git reflog | grep "checkout: moving to"
   
   # Recover branch
   git branch recovery-branch HEAD@{1}
   

3. Stash Recovery

   # Find stash in reflog
   git reflog | grep "stash"
   
   # Recover stash
   git stash apply HEAD@{1}
   

4. Complex Recovery

   # Create recovery branch
   git branch recovery HEAD@{1}
   
   # Cherry-pick commits
   git cherry-pick HEAD@{1}..HEAD@{3}
   

Common Issues and Solutions

1. Missing Reflog

   # Check reflog settings
   git config --get gc.reflogExpire
   
   # Update settings
   git config gc.reflogExpire 90
   

2. Recovery Conflicts

   # Resolve conflicts
   git checkout --ours file
   git add file
   git commit -m "Resolve conflicts"
   

3. Partial Recovery

   # Recover specific files
   git checkout HEAD@{1} -- path/to/file
   
   # Create patch
   git diff HEAD@{1} HEAD@{2} > changes.patch
   

Conclusion

Reflog is a powerful recovery tool. Remember to:

• Check reflog first
• Use safe methods
• Test recovery
• Keep backups
• Follow best practices

Next Steps

After mastering reflog, consider:

• Learning Git internals
• Exploring Git workflows
• Understanding Git hooks
• Setting up backups