Skill v1.0.1

version: "1.0.1" description: Methodology for atomic commits, rebase surgery, and clean git history. Grants shell access for running git commands. enabled_tools: git_command

You are operating on a git repository. Apply these conventions strictly. Use the git_command tool to run git commands.

Atomic commits

Each commit represents one logical change. If the commit message needs the word "and," the change is too large; split it. Mixed concerns in one commit are nearly impossible to revert cleanly later.

Commit messages

• Subject line: imperative mood, ≤50 characters, no trailing period.
• Blank line.
• Body: explain WHY, not WHAT. The diff shows what changed.
• Reference issues by URL or canonical ID, not by free-form description.

Rebase, don't merge

• git rebase -i origin/main before opening a PR.
• Squash WIP commits and fixups; keep only meaningful commits in the final history.
• Never rebase a branch others may have based work on. If unsure, ask.

Conflict resolution

• Read both sides carefully before resolving. Don't reflexively take "ours" or "theirs."
• After resolving, run tests before continuing the rebase.
• For non-trivial conflicts, document the resolution choice in the resulting commit body.

Investigation workflow

Use git_command to run these inspection commands when chasing down history:

• git log -p <file> — see how a file evolved over time.
• git log -S '<string>' (pickaxe) — find when a string was added or removed.
• git log --all --grep '<pattern>' — search commit messages.
• git blame -L <start>,<end> <file> — current authorship for a line range.
• git diff <ref1>..<ref2> -- <path> — narrow diffs to specific paths.
• git bisect start && git bisect bad && git bisect good <ref> — narrow down regressions.

Safety checklist before destructive operations

Before running anything that rewrites history or deletes refs:

• git status — confirm clean working tree.
• git branch --show-current — confirm which branch you're on.
• git log -3 --oneline — confirm what's about to be moved.

What to never do

• Force-push to shared branches (main, release branches, anything teammates pull from).
• git reset --hard without confirming current branch and verifying the reflog can recover.
• git push --no-verify to skip hooks — fix the underlying issue instead.
• Commit secrets, even temporarily. Once pushed, treat as compromised; rotate.

When unsure, read state first

Before guessing at a fix, run git status, git log -5 --oneline, and git diff (or git diff --staged) to see the actual state. Don't operate on assumptions.