git rebase -i HEAD~n opens a "todo" list of the last n commits, oldest first. Rearranging those lines rewrites history in that order.
Workflow:
git rebase -i HEAD~5 — opens editor- Swap lines to reorder.
- Save & quit. Git replays commits in the new order.
Conflicts can pop up if a later commit depended on the rearranged one — Git pauses, you resolve, then git rebase --continue.
Use cases:
- Move a refactor to before the feature that uses it — easier review.
- Group related changes together so reviewers see one story per commit.
- Push security fixes earlier in the sequence so they land first.
Always rebase before sharing the branch. Reordering commits already pushed forces collaborators to reset.
Rearranging lines needs the editor, which this terminal doesn't have. The step before it does work here: read the current order and decide what you would move.