git-rebase-patch

Find the commit the patch applies to and do a rebase

$ git rebase-patch [patch_file]

git-rebase-patch <patch-file>
(Note: This command is an internal helper and is not meant for direct user invocation.)

<patch-file>
    The path to the patch file (e.g., a diff or mbox format) to be applied. This is typically an internally generated patch representing a commit being rebased.

git-rebase-patch is an internal helper script used by the git rebase command. It is not intended for direct invocation by end-users. Its primary purpose is to apply individual patches generated during a rebase session, particularly when git rebase is configured to use the am (apply-mbox) backend for patch application or during interactive rebase operations involving am or apply actions.
It ensures that patches are applied consistently, handling details like whitespace, sign-off lines, and merge conflicts in a manner suitable for rebase's incremental application of commits. This script forms a crucial part of how git rebase reconstructs commit history by replaying changes.

This command is an internal helper script for git rebase and is not designed for direct user interaction. Its interface and behavior can change without notice between Git versions. Direct invocation by users is strongly discouraged, as it may lead to an inconsistent repository state or unexpected behavior outside the controlled environment of git rebase. Users experiencing issues with patch application during rebase should consult git rebase documentation and troubleshoot through its mechanisms, rather than attempting to debug git-rebase-patch directly.

git-rebase-patch is typically invoked by git rebase when it needs to apply a single commit from the original series onto the new base. Depending on the rebase mode (e.g., interactive rebase with am action, or standard rebase that internally uses am machinery), git rebase extracts a commit as a patch and passes it to git-rebase-patch for application.

When git-rebase-patch encounters conflicts or other issues during patch application, it typically signals this back to the git rebase process, which then pauses the rebase, allowing the user to resolve the conflict (e.g., via git status, git diff, git add, git rebase --continue).

The git-rebase-patch script emerged as part of the internal implementation details of the git rebase command. Its existence is tied to the mechanism by which git rebase 'replays' commits by generating and applying patches. While a specific version number for its introduction is not easily pinpointed without deep Git source archaeology, its function has been integral to git rebase's patch application process for a long time, evolving alongside the rebase command itself.

git-rebase(1), git-apply(1), git-am(1)