git-abort

Abort a Git rebase, merge, or cherry-pick

$ git abort

git <command> --abort

--abort
    Discards the current in-progress operation and returns the repository to its state before the operation began. The specific behavior varies depending on the command it's used with.

The --abort option is a crucial mechanism within Git that allows users to gracefully exit from an interrupted or problematic operation, such as a merge, rebase, cherry-pick, or revert.

Many Git commands that modify the repository's history or apply changes can leave the repository in a 'mid-operation' state if they are interrupted, for instance, by conflicts, manual intervention, or errors. In such cases, Git typically leaves behind internal state files (e.g., .git/MERGE_HEAD, .git/REBASE_HEAD) that indicate an operation is pending.

By invoking the original command with the --abort flag (e.g., git merge --abort), Git attempts to revert the repository to its exact state prior to the start of that specific operation. This includes discarding any partial changes in the working directory and index related to the aborted operation, ensuring a clean slate to restart or choose a different approach. It's an essential tool for recovering from complex scenarios or unintended actions without manual cleanup.

The --abort option only works if an operation is genuinely in progress; otherwise, it will typically report an error.

It discards all uncommitted changes and progress related to the interrupted operation, so ensure you do not need them.

It does not undo commits that were already successfully applied during a multi-step operation (e.g., a rebase might have applied several commits before hitting a conflict; --abort would only undo the current conflicting step, not previously applied commits).

The exact behavior and cleanup vary slightly across different Git commands.

git merge --abort: Use when a merge results in complex conflicts you wish to resolve differently or if you decide not to proceed with the merge.

git rebase --abort: Essential for exiting an interactive rebase session if you encounter issues, make a mistake, or decide to abandon the rebase operation entirely.

git cherry-pick --abort: Allows stopping a cherry-pick operation after a conflict, discarding the partial changes.

When Git enters an interruptible state (e.g., during a merge conflict), it often records the state by creating special files in the .git/ directory (e.g., .git/MERGE_HEAD, .git/REBASE_HEAD, .git/CHERRY_PICK_HEAD). The --abort command typically cleans up these internal state files and often performs a git reset --hard to the commit before the operation began, effectively restoring the repository to its previous clean state.

The concept of aborting operations has been integral to Git's design since its early days, as complex history manipulation and conflict resolution are core features. While not a standalone command, the --abort option for various subcommands has evolved alongside the commands themselves, becoming a standardized way to handle interruptions and provide robust recovery mechanisms for users. It represents a fundamental aspect of Git's user-friendly error handling for complex workflows.

git-merge(1), git-rebase(1), git-cherry-pick(1), git-revert(1), git-am(1), git-bisect(1), git-reset(1)