Create a recovery branch for a recently moved commit.
Git: The reflog can identify a previous local HEAD position while its entry and objects remain available.
set -euo pipefail
git reset --soft HEAD~1
git branch recovered "HEAD@{1}"
git log -1 --format=%s recoveredExpected output EXAMPLE
Expand notes
Details
Requires Git and Bash. Run in a disposable practice repository. The test setup below creates the starting files and commits. The reflog can identify a previous local HEAD position while its entry and objects remain available. The input setup creates a disposable practice repository with a fictional local author identity. Run these examples only in that repository.
Reflogs are local and expire; this is not a replacement for backups or a remote.
Tested on Ubuntu 24.04.5 LTS · · git version 2.43.0 · git 1:2.43.0-1ubuntu7.3
Test inputs, results and environment
The exact published code ran in a dedicated Linux test container with prepared inputs. Snippet process uid 65534 with a read-only root filesystem and temporary working files. Networking disabled. Fixtures and output records are isolated from the application database. Testing covers this example and its stated checks, not every input, operating system, or runtime version. The Linux container shares its host's kernel; this is not a native Windows test.
- Architecture / host kernel
- x86_64 / 6.18.54.1-microsoft-standard-WSL2
- Snippet identity / locale
- uid=65534, gid=65534 (unprivileged process) / C.UTF-8
- Interpreter invocation
bash -euo pipefail -c <published code>- Container image ID
sha256:ec91410a8f6ec3e985830b5e3a0560306d36f8c1c5ccd91a6699abe707123fa3- Code SHA-256
b67f4b7d49e990471aa07c2557488af28409639f30ef2c9be5e332f0f7d2b3bb- Dependencies
- git 1:2.43.0-1ubuntu7.3
Test input setup
These are the prepared inputs used by the test harness. See Details above for the prerequisites and how to run this example.
git init -q -b main git config user.name 'Example Developer' git config user.email 'developer@example.invalid' git config commit.gpgsign false git config tag.gpgsign false git config color.ui false printf 'first ' > note.txt git add note.txt git commit -qm 'Initial notes' printf 'second\n' >> note.txt; git add note.txt; git commit -qm 'Expand notes'
Observed standard output
Expand notes
Exit code: 0. Standard error: empty. Validation: Exact stdout comparison. System-dependent values above are one recorded run.