How to delete all the commits and add a commit with all the files to the remote repository? - *nix

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How to delete all the commits and add a commit with all the files to the remote repository?

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निरंजन

I have a GitLab repository which can be found [here](https://gitlab.com/niranjanvikastambe/marathi). I am very new to git. I want to perform a simple task. Removing all the commits from my remote repository and adding a new commit with all the files from my local repository. How to achieve it?

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transcript

PeterVandivier

😜

PeterVandivier replying to Pistos

::: quote 1106 50355 6da41129661867ded98757f884fbbd8151b27a31e604efc79bce2d85a6953da5 179,191,215 71,86,116
PeterVandivier[ *— a month ago*](#c50355)  
>It sounds like you want to delete the .git folder from the base of your repo and re-run `git init`
:::

Pistos

It seems like you were trying to "start over" with a repository.  If that's the case, have you considered simply creating a new repository?

निरंजन

Okay. That sounds good.

PeterVandivier

the example there being that you don't want the commit messages in D&E, but you want the file changes. so you squash merge from `feature` into `master` with a new commit message (F)

PeterVandivier

![](https://help.github.com/assets/images/help/pull_requests/commit-squashing-diagram.png)

PeterVandivier replying to निरंजन

incorrect, the commits will be created - but they will be isolated from your master branch. when you're happy with the final state, you can choose which commits you want to keep (cherry-pick) back to master, and which commits you want to discard (with a squash merge)

निरंजन replying to PeterVandivier

Okay :) I need to learn about cherry picking commits.

निरंजन replying to PeterVandivier

So if I work like this, new commits won't be created. Is that what you mean?

PeterVandivier

you can cherry-pick individual commits as you like and/or squash merge with a different commit message as you like then

PeterVandivier

consider working on branches and then merging back to master when you're happy

निरंजन

Thanks :) Git is very powerful though. I like using it.

Jack Douglas

glad you found a solution :)

Jack Douglas

oh ok

निरंजन

No specific reason. I just thought that it would look nice. Actually I have per se no problem with multiple commits, it's just that some commits were irrelevant for general audience. Hence I was trying to reduce the number to only relevant ones.

Jack Douglas replying to निरंजन

out of curiosity, what is the reason for not adding the readme, license and files in a single commit?

निरंजन

This is what I did with my new repo.

```
git add readme.txt
git commit -m "add readme"
git push -u origin master
git add license
git commit -m "add license"
git push -u origin master
git add material/
git commit -m "add material"
git push -u origin master
```

निरंजन

I managed to do one simple trick. I changed the path of my (unwanted) repository from `marathi` to `marathixyz` then created a new project. with path `marathi`.  Committed my files very carefully this time and deleted the (unwanted) project. Now it will take time for its deletion, but I don't care :P. The link `https://gitlab.com/niranjanvikastambe/marathi` directly refers to my brand new project. That's what I want.

Jack Douglas replying to निरंजन

have you tried raising a support ticket with them? That sounds like the best option at this point.

निरंजन

That was the best way IMO

निरंजन replying to Jack Douglas

I have done that before for the same repo twice :P. Now GitLab is not allowing me to do that. It says till next 7, 8 days this project will be stored on GitLab in read only mode.

Jack Douglas

but that seems to be the simplest

Jack Douglas

there are other ways by deleting the history and force pushing I think

Jack Douglas

(which will need to be a proper Git repo of course)

Jack Douglas

you *should* be able to simply delete the repo on GitLab and push a new one from your local

Jack Douglas

interesting thread: https://forum.gitlab.com/t/how-can-i-delete-a-repository-and-push-a-new-one/690 (doesn't inspire tremendous confidence you can do it without a support ticket)

निरंजन replying to PeterVandivier

Oh, then I don't understand how to achieve what you said.

निरंजन replying to Jack Douglas

Yes. That's good. The new repo should only show one commit, with all the latest files and a good commit message :)

PeterVandivier replying to निरंजन

If you delete the .git folder, then there is no remote repo any more. It’s a whole new thing

PeterVandivier

Not sure how gitlab implements it, but iirc, there’s a command line implementation

Jack Douglas

@PeterVandivier I think you were right that @निरंजन just wants to completely overwrite the GitLab repo with a new clean repo with no history based on his local folder

निरंजन replying to PeterVandivier

Is this what you mean? clone my remote repository > delete the .git folder from it > issue git init > push to my remote repo?

PeterVandivier

Perhaps you’re thinking of a squash merge? https://help.github.com/en/github/collaborating-with-issues-and-pull-requests/about-pull-request-merges#squash-and-merge-your-pull-request-commits

निरंजन

So I don't have a proper local repo

निरंजन

Actually it was not a planned git project. I created it on my system and uploaded files manually on the website.

Jack Douglas replying to निरंजन

> Commits show all the small changes done by me from the beginning  
  
yes but don't they also show in `git log` in your *local* repo? Or was the local repo not from the same base as the remote?

PeterVandivier

this does delete _everything_ though (history, remotes, branches, local changes) and makes it a plain-Jane directory. Maybe make a copy of the repo first if you’re not 100% sure if that’s what you want

PeterVandivier

It sounds like you want to delete the .git folder from the base of your repo and re-run `git init`

निरंजन

I have some minor corrections like correcting typos which are not necessary to be displayed publicly. Commits show all the small changes done by me from the beginning. I would like to shorten all the commits to **one** single commit with correct files.

Jack Douglas

@निरंजन what do you mean by "Removing all the commits" — you don't normally remove a commit, you just commit your changes (which may include deleting files) and push.

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