Common Mistakes and Safe Recovery¶

Git feels much less intimidating once you learn that most mistakes are recoverable. This page focuses on calm, safe actions for common situations.

General rule¶

Before trying to "fix everything," start with:

git status
git log --oneline --graph --decorate -10

Those two commands tell you where you are and what recently happened.

I changed a file but did not commit yet¶

Inspect the change first:

git diff

If the change is useful, stage and commit it. If it was accidental, decide carefully whether you want to discard it.

I committed on the wrong branch¶

If the commit is still only local, you can often create a new branch from the current state and continue there:

git switch -c correct-branch-name

That is often safer for beginners than trying to rewrite history immediately.

My branch is behind `main`¶

Update your main branch first, then bring those changes into your branch:

git checkout main
git pull
git checkout your-branch
git merge main

If the team prefers rebasing, use that workflow consistently, but do not mix strategies randomly.

I have a merge conflict¶

Conflicts mean Git needs your help deciding which changes to keep. The basic flow is:

Open the conflicted files.
Read both sides carefully.
Edit the file into the intended final version.
Stage the resolved file.
Complete the merge or rebase step.

Afterwards, test or preview the result if possible.

I pushed something and now realize it was incomplete¶

The simplest recovery is usually to make a follow-up commit that corrects the problem. That keeps history honest and avoids more advanced recovery steps.

For a course module, that is a good default:

prefer additive fixes,
prefer small corrective commits,
avoid history rewriting unless you understand the consequences.

I accidentally tracked files that should be ignored¶

First update .gitignore, then remove the files from Git tracking while keeping them locally if needed. This is a common beginner issue with:

virtual environments,
notebook checkpoints,
generated build outputs,
editor folders.

When to ask for help¶

Ask for help early if:

you are unsure whether a command rewrites history,
the branch has already been shared with others,
a conflict touches many files,
a secret may have been committed,
you are tempted to run a command you do not understand.

The most important beginner lesson¶

Git is not about never making mistakes. It is about making mistakes in a system that records enough history for recovery and collaboration.