Git Remove an Empty Commit - Shell/Bash

Introduction

Git is a powerful version control system that allows developers to track changes to their codebase and collaborate with other team members. However, sometimes mistakes can be made when committing changes to a repository. One common mistake is creating an empty commit, which adds no meaningful changes to the codebase. While empties commits in Git are not inherently harmful, they can clutter up the commit history and make it more difficult to understand the repository's history. In this guide, we will explore how to remove an empty commit using Shell/Bash commands.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, there are a few prerequisites that you will need to have installed on your system:

• Git: You must have Git installed on your system.;
• Shell/Bash: You must have access to a Shell/Bash terminal on your system.

Steps

1. Identify the commit: The first step in removing an empty commit is to identify which commit is empty. You can use the following Git command to display the commit log:

git log

2. Copy the SHA of the commit: Once you have identified the empty commit, you will need to copy the SHA of the commit. The SHA is a unique identifier for the commit in Git. You can copy the SHA by using your mouse to select the SHA in the terminal output and then pressing Ctrl+C.
3. Remove the commit: With the SHA of the empty commit copied to your clipboard, you can now remove the commit by using the following Git command:

git rebase -i <SHA OF PARENT COMMIT>

This command will open an interactive rebase window, allowing you to modify the history of your repository. In the window, you should see a list of all the commits in your repository, starting with the oldest at the top. 4. Edit the commits: Within the interactive rebase window, use your editor's functionality to delete the line corresponding to the empty commit. Save your changes. 5. Finish the rebase: After removing the empty commit from the list, you must exit the interactive rebase window. This will cause Git to modify the commit history of your repository, removing the empty commit from its history. Execute the command:

git rebase --continue

6. Push the changes: Once you have completed the rebase, you must push the changes to the remote repository using the following command:

git push --force

Conclusion

In summary, removing an empty commit from your Git history is a straightforward process that can be completed using Shell/Bash commands. By removing empty commits, you can keep your Git history clean and easy to understand.