Pragmatic Guide to Git

9	Undoing Uncommitted Changes

Git’s two-step process for tracking a commit means you can have files that are staged for commit that you’re not ready to commit. You use git reset HEAD or git rm --cached depending on the circumstance.

Scenario 1: You staged a change to a file and want to unstage it—use git reset HEAD. This is the most common use. You’re telling Git, “Change the index—the staging area—to the latest version of this file.”

Scenario 2: You have a new file that’s been staged that you don’t want to commit now—use git rm --cached. Normally, git rm is used to remove files from your repository, but adding the --cached option tells Git to leave your working tree alone.

Another common problem is making changes ...