How can I correct my git commit history where I've used an incorrect email / username

[Ulrond]

The following commands require force push, check with your git repo admin to perform the fixes.

1. Interactive Rebase (Recommended for Fewer Commits)

• Identify Commits: Use git log to find the hash of the commit you want to modify.
• Start Rebase: Run git rebase -i <commit-hash>^, where <commit-hash>^ is the parent of the commit you want to change.
• Edit Commit: Change pick to edit for the commit you want to modify. Save and exit the editor.

git commit --amend --author="New Author Name <[email protected]>"
git rebase --continue

• Force Push (Caution): If you've already pushed these commits, you'll need to force push to overwrite the remote history. Use with extreme caution:

git push --force 

Example (Interactive Rebase):

Let's say you want to change the author of the commit with hash abcdefg:

• git rebase -i abcdefg^
• Change pick to edit for the commit abcdefg.
• Save and exit the editor.
• git commit --amend --author="New Author Name <[email protected]>"
• git rebase --continue
• (If applicable) git push --force

2. Filter Branch (For More Commits or Complex Changes)

• Backup: Create a backup branch before proceeding.
• Filter:

git filter-branch --env-filter '
if [ "$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL" = "[email protected]" ];
then
     GIT_COMMITTER_NAME="New Author Name";
     GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL="[email protected]";
fi
if [ "$GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL" = "[email protected]" ];
then
     GIT_AUTHOR_NAME="New Author Name";
     GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL="[email protected]";
fi' --tag-name-filter cat -- --branches --tags

• Replace "[email protected]" with the incorrect email and set the desired name and email.

• Force Push (Caution

git push --force --tags origin 'refs/heads/*'

3. BFG Repo-Cleaner (For Removing Sensitive Data)

• BFG is a tool designed for cleaning up unwanted data in Git history (like large files or passwords). It can also be used to change author information.
• Download BFG from: https://rtyley.github.io/bfg-repo-cleaner/
• Run:

bfg --replace-text passwords.txt  # Replace sensitive information if needed
bfg --replace-email [email protected] [email protected] 

• Force push after the cleanup is complete.