git - How do you remove a branch and all of its history locally and remotely? -

i have git branch need nuke traces of. think need like

git filter-branch --index-filter 'git -d <branch>' --tag-name-filter cat -- --all 

or maybe

git filter-branch --index-filter 'git rm --cached *' --tag-name-filter cat -- <branch> 

then would

git push -f origin :<branch> 

i'm hesitant try them without knowing sure they'll or if they'll work.

let's want nuke evilbranch.

you want delete of branch's history. technically includes initial commit, more commits want. first, identify commit consider first commit of branch. let's it's 666bad. need find references it. run

git branch -a --contains 666bad git tag --contains 666bad 

now delete them all. can either use git commands, or go .git/refs.

do on every computer might have file.

make sure not in detached head.

now can kill commits, , therefore code, no longer referenceable (from this github link):

git for-each-ref --format='delete %(refname)' refs/original | git update-ref --stdin git reflog expire --expire=now --all git gc --prune=now 

again, should done on each computer.

finally, use this on each computer.

note: 666bad first commit after evilbranch split wherever came from, i.e., first commit evilbranch.