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Contradictory git help rebase

From
RBRodney Bates <rodney.bates@gmx.com>
Date
Jul 21, 2025, 19:57 UTC
Message-ID
<aafa3de8-5774-4a18-86dc-37493228b044@gmx.com>

The text and an example in the output of git help rebase seem to contradict about which branch gets changed by git rebase master topic.  Here is an edited version of the output, with irrelevant stuff omitted and relationships made specific.

NAME
        git-rebase - Reapply commits on top of another base tip
SYNOPSIS
        git rebase
                                                 [<upstream> [<branch>]]
In the example command below, <upstream> is master and <branch> is topic.
        If <branch> is specified, git rebase will perform an automatic git switch <branch> before doing anything else.
        Otherwise it remains on the current branch.
Current branch is now <branch>=topic.
        If <upstream> is not specified ... (irrelevant)
        All changes made by commits in the current branch (=topic) but that are not in <=upstream> (master) are saved to a temporary area.
        The current branch is reset to <upstream>,
Current branch is now <upstream>=master.
        The commits that were previously saved into the temporary area are then reapplied to the current branch (master), one by
        one, in order.
I.e., master is changed, topic is not.
        Assume the following history exists and the current branch is "topic":
                      A---B---C topic
                     /
                D---E---F---G master
        From this point, the result of either of the following commands:
            git rebase master topic
        would be:
                              A'--B'--C' topic
                             /
                D---E---F---G master
But this diagram shows topic changed, master not.
Next: Nico Williams
Message 1 of 2 in “Contradictory git help rebase”
  1. Rodney BatesJul 21, 2025
  2. Nico WilliamsJul 21, 2025

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