git_filter_branch

git filter-branch

Rewrite Git history (use with caution).

⚠️ Warning

🔧 Modern Alternative

Use git-filter-repo (Recommended)

pip install git-filter-repo

Install the modern alternative (faster, safer).

✉️ Change Author Info

Filter-repo: Change Email

git filter-repo --email-callback '
    return email.replace(b"old@email.com", b"new@email.com")
'

Changes email throughout history.

Classic: Update Author

git filter-branch --env-filter '
if [ "$GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL" = "old@email.com" ]; then
    export GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL="new@email.com"
fi
' -- --all

Legacy way to change author email.

🗑️ Remove Files

Filter-repo: Remove File

git filter-repo --path secrets.txt --invert-paths

Removes file from entire history.

Remove Folder

git filter-repo --path config/ --invert-paths

Removes entire folder from history.

BFG Cleaner (Alternative)

bfg --delete-files secrets.txt

Fast file removal tool.

BFG: Remove Large Files

bfg --strip-blobs-bigger-than 100M

Removes files larger than 100MB.

📁 Subdirectory to Root

Extract Subdirectory

git filter-repo --subdirectory-filter src/

Makes src/ the new root.

✏️ Rewrite Messages

Filter-repo: Replace Text

git filter-repo --message-callback '
    return message.replace(b"old-text", b"new-text")
'

Replaces text in all commit messages.

🧹 After Rewriting

Force Push

git push --force --all

⚠️ Push rewritten history.

Push Tags

git push --force --tags

Push rewritten tags.

Clean Up

git reflog expire --expire=now --all

Expire old reflog entries.

git gc --prune=now

Remove old objects.

📊 Comparison

💡 Tips

git clone --mirror repo backup

🔗 Related

• Bisect
• Reflog

#git #filter #history #rewrite #advanced