rebase-assistant

---
name: rebase-assistant
description: Use when the user asks to rebase or update a Git branch onto another ref, handle rebase conflicts, or verify rewritten history. Protects dirty worktrees, resolves conflicts by intent, and keeps force-push as a separate authorized action.
license: MIT
---

# 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.