How to abort 'git commit --amend'?

Git

Git Problem Overview

I accidentally used git commit --amend. My text editor is open and waiting for input. I know, that when I close it now (not changing the existing commit message) the commit will be amended. What can I do to abort the process?

This blog article says that I can simply delete the commit message and the commit will then not be valid and ignored. Is that correct? Are there alternatives?

Git Solutions

Solution 1 - Git

That is correct. Saving the file with no contents will abort the amend.

Solution 2 - Git

Adding another answer to this, you can also do

:cq

to abort the amend in Vim which tells it to quit with an error code, causing Git to abort with:

error: There was a problem with the editor 'Vim'.
Please supply the message using either -m or -F option.

From Vim's documentation:

:cq[uit][!]             Quit Vim with an error code, so that the compiler
                        will not compile the same file again.
                        WARNING: All changes in files are lost!  Also when the
                        [!] is not used.  It works like ":qall!" :qall,
                        except that Vim returns a non-zero exit code.

Solution 3 - Git

delete the message. an empty message will abort any commit (amend is just a 'special' commit)

Solution 4 - Git

If you delete the commit message (no need to delete the ones starting with #) you will abort the git commit --amend command. You will get output like this:

Aborting commit due to empty commit message.

Solution 5 - Git

Point to note:
Deleting the content and doing :q! still commits. I don't understand ViM totally, so, can't say why.

You have to write the final empty/remaining content to file as well, so to speak. So, :wq it is.

Solution 6 - Git

Yes, delete message and quit with :wq. The line begin with #, you can leave it.

the final editor showing


# Please enter the commit message for your changes. Lines starting
# with '#' will be ignored, and an empty message aborts the commit.
#
# Date:      Sun Sep 5 17:09:09 2021 +0800
#
# On branch main
#
# Initial commit
#
# Changes to be committed:
#       new file:   b
#
# Changes not staged for commit:
#       modified:   b
#

output after quit

Aborting commit due to empty commit message.

Solution 7 - Git

Agree that saving the contents of the file as empty will abort the commit, but I want to add to delete all lines in vi/vim run:

> :1,$d

then do

> :wq

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