Tech Notes

Rebase

Batch Rename Commit Messages with VS Code

Contents

• Quick Setup
• The Process
• Commands

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Quick Setup

git config --global core.editor "code --wait"

This lets Git use VS Code for rebase editing instead of vim.

Contents

The Process

1. Start rebase from first commit

   git rebase -i --root
   

2. Mark commits to change
   In VS Code: change pick → reword on target commits. Save & close tab.

3. Edit each message
   VS Code opens for each commit. Edit message (e.g., post → note). Save & close.

4. Push rewritten history

   git push origin main --force
   

Contents

Commands

# Set editor
git config --global core.editor "code --wait"

# Interactive rebase from root
git rebase -i --root

# Force push after rebase
git push origin main --force

Key Points

• reword stops at each commit, lets you edit message, then continues
• Save + close VS Code tab after each edit to proceed
• Use --force-with-lease instead of --force on shared branches
• All commit SHAs change after rebase

Contents