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rebase: do not try to fixup a skipped commit #1321
Description
When running an interactive rebase, it is possible that the target commit of a fixup! commit could not be applied due to merge conflicts (or because it has been upstreamed). In this instance, going forward with a fixup will amend the wrong commit.
Let's prevent that.
The specifics how to prevent that are not set in stone. The easiest solution would probably be to refuse to even start with the fixup command, to complain loudly, and to re-issue the command for the user to edit.
The tricky part will be to detect that situation because the target commit might have failed to apply cleanly, requiring manual fixing up followed by git add -u && git rebase --continue, but those manual fixups might have resulted in no more changes to be committed, either.
Activity
dscho commentedon Aug 12, 2022
See git-for-windows#3981 (comment) for a real-world scenario where this bug caused real problems.
derrickstolee commentedon Aug 12, 2022
By "refusing to start the
fixup!" do you instead mean to keep the commit as apickand not reorder it?dscho commentedon Aug 14, 2022
No, at the time we could reorder it, we won't have the information whether its target
pickcaused problems and was skipped by the user.samkergachu commentedon Oct 29, 2022
Hey dscho. Is anyone working on this, I would like to take it up as my outreachy microproject
dscho commentedon Nov 3, 2022
@samkergachu I am unaware of anybody else working on this, so go right ahead!
vinayakdsci commentedon Feb 7, 2023
Hey @dscho! Could you help me take up this issue as my GSoC microproject?
I would be very grateful.
dscho commentedon Feb 7, 2023
Unfortunately, I am pressed for time. You could reach out to the Git mailing list for guidance, though. You can maximize your chances by being specific about your needs.
vinayakdsci commentedon Feb 7, 2023
Absolutely, I can understand. I will ask on the mailing list. Thanks!
vinayakdsci commentedon Feb 8, 2023
AyuSharma176 commentedon Aug 30, 2025
Can i get information about this issue i am new contributor want some information about this issue
GontuSujithReddy commentedon Oct 23, 2026
Hello @dscho , I’m new to contributing to Git and would appreciate some guidance on this draft PR.
I used ChatGPT to generate substantial parts of the code, tests, and commit message. I applied the changes and ran the tests, but I’m still working through the implementation to understand it fully. I haven’t added a sign-off or submitted the patch to the mailing list.
After reading the project’s AI guidance, I’d like to check the appropriate way forward. Is it reasonable to keep this PR as a draft and seek technical feedback, or would you recommend a different approach before proceeding?
Thank you for your time. I’d appreciate any advice on how to contribute responsibly and build the skills needed to work more independently.
sequencer: stop fixups when their target was not applied- git#2465
I have raised a PR but currently kept in draft.
dscho commentedon Oct 25, 2026
@GontuSujithReddy there is at least one quite outspoken contributor on the Git mailing list who is currently lobbying to ban all AI-assisted contributions. I envy them for their time, but if I had that much time at my disposal, I sure would spend it differently. The relevant part of that for you is that you need to make sure that your contribution will be indistinguishable from one you could have come up yourself without AI assistance. In the least, you need to understand the logic, you will need to be able to answer questions about it and defend design decisions. I would also highly recommend to ensure that the commit messages sound like you wrote them, not AI, and likewise the code should reflect your personal style, not AI's.
It might make sense to hold off for a bit until the currently on-going discussion settles.
GontuSujithReddy commentedon Oct 26, 2026
Hi @dscho, thank you for taking the time to respond to me. I will definitely hold off for a bit until the current discussion settles.