Git Reset -- Hard: Test Documentation

1. Initial Setup

Cloning the Repository

git clone https://github.com/RScrafted/test.git --progress
cd test

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2. First Commit: Addition

Editing the Script

vi calculator.sh
a=5
b=5

echo "ADDITION: $((a + b))"
:wq

Staging and Committing

git add calculator.sh
git commit -m "Addition"

Checking Status and Log

git status
git log

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3. Second Commit: Hello World

Editing the Script Again

vi calculator.sh
a=5
b=5

echo "ADDITION: $((a + b))"
echo "Hello World"
:wq

Staging and Reviewing Changes

git add calculator.sh
git diff

Committing the Second Version

git commit -m "Second Version"
git push origin main

Checking Status and Log

git status
git log

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4. Resetting --hard to Previous Commit (locally)

Performing the Reset

git reset --hard ab4408dce770c028f96c1dfaf83f2f17e3731475

Output:

HEAD is now at ab4408d Addition

Verifying the Reset

git log

Result: Only the "Addition" commit is visible.

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5. Pushing to GitHub After Reset

Attempting to Push

git push -u origin main

Error Message:

To https://github.com/RScrafted/test.git
 ! [rejected]        main -> main (non-fast-forward)
error: failed to push some refs to 'https://github.com/RScrafted/test.git'
hint: Updates were rejected because the tip of your current branch is behind
hint: its remote counterpart. If you want to integrate the remote changes,
hint: use 'git pull' before pushing again.

Explanation

The error occurs because the local branch was reset to an earlier commit (ab4408d), causing it to diverge from origin/main. Git rejects the push to prevent overwriting remote history.

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6. Resolving the Push Conflict

Option 1: Pull First (Not Recommended for Hard Reset)

git pull --rebase
git push -u origin main

Note: This undoes the effect of git reset --hard, as it reintroduces remote commits.

Option 2: Force Push (Recommended for Hard Reset)

git push origin main --force

Warnings:

• This action overwrites the remote branch to match your local history.

• It may affect collaborators who have pulled the discarded commits.

• Safe for solo projects or coordinated resets.

Summary: This tells GitHub to replace the remote main branch with the local version.

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7. Additional Testing: Branch Versions

Scenario

Created three commits: "First", "Second", and "Third".

Reset to Second Version

After resetting the third version to the second:

git reset --hard <second-commit-id>
git log

Result: Only "First" and "Second" commits are visible.

Reset to First Version

After resetting to the first commit:

git reset --hard <first-commit-id>
git log

Result: Changes from "Second" and "Third" are removed.