How to restart your GIT repository

If for some reason you want to restart your git repostory (delete all old commits), this is “tutorial” for you. This will create a fresh starting point in your Git repository while preserving the current state of your project (files and content), but discarding all previous commit history.

Steps

Create a New Orphan Branch:
```
git checkout --orphan new_old
```
This command creates a new branch named new_old which is not based on any existing branch, effectively having no commit history. After running this command, you’ll be on the new_old branch.
Stage All Changes:
```
git add -A
```
This command stages all changes in your project (new, modified, and deleted files). It prepares all your current project files to be committed as a new initial commit on the new_old branch.
Commit the Changes:
```
git commit -m "Initial commit"
```
This creates a new commit in the new_old branch with the message “Initial commit”. This commit will act as the new starting point for your project history.
Switch Back to Main Branch:
```
git checkout main
```
Switches your working directory back to the main branch. The main branch still contains the old commit history at this point.
Replace Main Branch History:
```
git reset --hard new_old
```
This command resets the main branch to match the state of the new_old branch. All the commit history in main is replaced with the single commit from new_old.
Delete the Temporary Orphan Branch:
```
git branch -D new_old
```
Deletes the new_old branch as it’s no longer needed. The main branch now contains the current state of your project with a clean history.
Force Push to Remote Repository:
```
git push origin main --force
```
Forcefully updates the main branch on the remote repository. Warning: This step rewrites history on the remote. It’s a potentially destructive operation and can impact collaborators.

Important Notes

Always communicate with your team before rewriting the project’s history if you’re working collaboratively.
It’s a good practice to backup your repository before performing operations that rewrite history.
This process is often used to clean up a repository or to reduce its size by removing old and unnecessary commit history.