How to restore a deleted file from a Git repository
In a previous commit, you deleted a file that you now need back. How do you restore it?
The git restore command allows you to restore a deleted file from a Git repository. However, you need the commit ID of the commit from which you want to restore the file.
Let’s say you are in a clean repository.
alina
alina git:( main ) ls
README.md file1.txt
alina git:( main ) █
The git status command confirms that the repository is clean.
alina
alina git:( main ) git status
On branch main
Your branch is ahead of 'origin/main' by 5 commits.
(use "git push" to publish your local commits)
nothing to commit, working tree clean
alina git:( main ) █
You know that in the past, you had a file named file2.txt in the repository and you want to restore it.
The git rev-list command allows you to list the commits that modified a file.
alina
alina git:( main ) git rev-list HEAD -- file2.txt
44efd6005ab1cc8d7d87aefd75d05447a6fdfe6a
cd143755fd7f16d1804b27beb3a24b63cd7df627
634a01169a3b751003a33715a5983e6f1a514671
alina git:( main ) █
The output shows that 3 commits modified the file. By definition, the last commit is the one that deleted the file.
alina
alina git:( main ) git show 44efd6005ab1cc8d7d87aefd75d05447a6fdfe6a
commit 44efd6005ab1cc8d7d87aefd75d05447a6fdfe6a
Author: alina <alina@email.com>
Date: Tue Jun 27 08:10:08 2023 -0700
delete file2.txt and update file1.txt
diff --git a/file1.txt b/file1.txt
index 35d242b..3cc58df 100644
--- a/file1.txt
+++ b/file1.txt
@@ -1,2 +1 @@
-A
-B
:
alina git:( main ) █
The comment of the commit confirms that: delete file2.txt and update file1.txt, but that’s anecdotal.
You have 2 options to pick the commit ID:
- Either you pick the commit before the last commit, which is the last commit that changed the file you want to restore.
- Or you pick the parent of the last commit. Since the last commit deleted the file, the parent of that commit still has the file.
Let’s go with option 1 and use the second commit in the list:
alina
alina git:( main ) git restore --source cd143755fd7f16d1804b27beb3a24b63cd7df627 -- file2.txt
alina git:( main ) █
The file is back:
alina
alina git:( main ) ls
README.md file1.txt file2.txt
alina git:( main ) █
And you can check its content:
alina
alina git:( main ) cat file2.txt
1
2
alina git:( main ) █
The git restore command only updated the working directory, and the file is not staged.
alina
alina git:( main ) git status
On branch main
Your branch is ahead of 'origin/main' by 5 commits.
(use "git push" to publish your local commits)
Untracked files:
(use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
file2.txt
nothing added to commit but untracked files present (use "git add" to track)
alina git:( main ) █
You can now stage it.
alina
alina git:( main ) git add file2.txt
alina git:( main ) █
And commit it:
alina
alina git:( main ) git commit -m 'add again file2.txt'
[main 543887b] add again file2.txt
1 file changed, 2 insertions(+)
create mode 100644 file2.txt
alina git:( main ) █
