How do I revert a Git repo to a previous commit?

Learn how to view the history of a branch using the “git log” command and perform a checkout in Git.

By Chad Thompson
January 12, 2017
Screen from "How do I revert a Git repo to a previous commit?" Screen from "How do I revert a Git repo to a previous commit?" (source: O'Reilly)

Creating new branches in Git based on prior states of development will enable developers to carry out tasks such as applying hotfixes or backporting new features to prior deployments. In this video Chad Thompson outlines the foundational skill of reverting a Git repo to a previous commit using the command line. Git beginners will learn how to view the history of a branch using the “git log” command and perform a checkout to revert the working copy to a specific point in time.

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Chad Thompson is a software developer and DevOps specialist with nearly 20 years of experience creating web applications and supporting web infrastructure. Recently, Chad has been embracing and implementing “infrastructure as code” applications and supporting customer facing web, API, and mobile apps. Chad has devoted his expertise to leading organizations in transforming applications and processes, first for the web and now the cloud. Holding a master’s degree in physics from the University of Iowa, Chad has been creating web applications since the early days of HTML and is certified in Puppet, Oracle, and Amazon Web Services technologies.

Post topics: Software Engineering
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