rebase-assistant

Rebase assistant

Workflow

1. Resolve the current branch, remote, and target. Preserve an explicitly requested target. Otherwise query the current remote default with hosting metadata or git ls-remote --symref <remote> HEAD, derive <remote>/<default-branch>, and stop if it cannot be verified. Do not trust a cached refs/remotes/<remote>/HEAD unless it was just refreshed from the remote.
2. Record the current HEAD and inspect git status -sb. Stop on a detached HEAD or dirty worktree rather than stashing or discarding changes automatically.
3. Fetch and prune the target remote, confirm the target ref exists, and record the old series base with git merge-base <target> <old-head>.
4. Run git rebase <target>. A direct rebase request authorizes this command; do not add an extra confirmation when the target is unambiguous.
5. For conflicts:
   • list unresolved paths with git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U;
   • inspect the conflict, the replayed commit, and stages :1:, :2:, and :3: when useful;
   • remember that during rebase, ours is the target/upstream side and theirs is the commit being replayed;
   • resolve content by intended behavior, not by blanket side selection;
   • make delete/modify, rename, generated-file, and binary choices explicit;
   • stage resolved paths and continue with git rebase --continue.
6. If intent cannot be established safely, stop in the conflict state and report the exact decision needed. Do not abort or discard resolutions automatically.
7. Verify:
   • clean git status -sb and no rebase state;
   • target ancestry with git merge-base --is-ancestor <target> HEAD;
   • commit equivalence with git range-diff <old-base>..<old-head> <target>..HEAD when the branch had commits to replay;
   • changed-file scope and the smallest relevant tests.
8. Do not push unless requested. Rewritten published history requires separate explicit approval for git push --force-with-lease.

Safety

• Never use git reset --hard, git clean, automatic stash, or blanket ours/theirs resolution.
• Preserve unrelated worktrees and user changes.
• Treat generated files according to repository instructions and regenerate them when required.

Deliverable

Report the exact target and command, old and new HEAD, conflicts and resolutions, verification results, and whether a force-push would be required.