405 — Troubleshooting Git Problems

Learn to recover from common Git mistakes and problems. Master techniques for fixing detached HEAD, recovering deleted branches, undoing commits, resolving conflicts, and handling other Git emergencies.

Learning Objectives

Recover from detached HEAD state

Restore deleted branches using reflog

Fix commits made to wrong branches

Undo pushed commits safely

Handle merge conflicts effectively

Clean up untracked files

Resolve unrelated histories

Step 1

Set up troubleshooting practice repository

Create a repository where we'll practice fixing common problems.

Commands to Run

mkdir -p ~/git-practice/lesson-405

cd ~/git-practice/lesson-405

git init

echo "# Bug Tracker" > README.md

git add README.md

git commit -m "Initial commit"

echo "const version = '1.0.0';" > app.js

git add app.js

git commit -m "Add application file"

git log --oneline

What This Does

This repository will be our testing ground for common Git problems and their solutions. Don't worry - nothing we do here will break anything outside this directory!

Expected Outcome

Repository initialized with two commits. Safe environment for learning.

Pro Tips

1
Practice these techniques in a test repo first
2
Understanding recovery techniques gives you confidence
3
Most Git 'disasters' are recoverable