GitButler CLI Skill

Use GitButler CLI (but) as the default version-control interface.

Non-Negotiable Rules

1. Use but for all write operations. Never run git add, git commit, git push, git checkout, git merge, git rebase, git stash, or git cherry-pick. If the user says a git write command, translate it to but and run that.
2. After mutations, read the returned output for the updated workspace state — it replaces a follow-up but status -fv.
3. Never chain but mutations with && or ;. Each mutation can reassign CLI IDs, so the second command may silently target the wrong file or commit. Run one mutation, read the returned workspace state, and take fresh IDs from it.
4. Use CLI IDs from but diff / but status -fv / but show; never hardcode IDs.
5. Do not run but status or but status -fv as routine preflight for selected dirty-file or hunk commits. Start with but diff; use but status -fv when existing branch, stack, commit, conflict, or history state matters.
6. For "commit these selected changes on a new branch", prefer one command: but commit <branch> -c -m "<msg>" --changes <ids>.

Choose Inspection By Task

Start with the narrowest inspection that answers the task. Avoid ritual status checks.

# Selected dirty files/hunks:
but diff

# Branch/stack/commit/conflict/history state:
but status -fv

# Details for one known branch or commit:
but show <id>

Do not run plain but status and then but status -fv; that is usually a redundant round-trip.

Perform mutations with IDs from diff, status -fv, or show:

but <mutation> ...

Command Patterns

• Commit: but commit <branch> -m "<msg>" --changes <id>,<id>
• but commit -a is accepted as a no-op compatibility flag; GitButler already includes uncommitted changes by default.
• Commit + create branch: but commit <branch> -c -m "<msg>" --changes <id>
• Amend: but amend <file-or-hunk-id> <commit-id>
• Reorder commits: but move <source-commit-id> <target-commit-id> (commit IDs, not branch names)
• Stack branches: but move <branch-name-or-id> <target-branch-name-or-id> (branch names or branch CLI IDs)
• Tear off a branch: but move <branch-name-or-id> zz (zz = unassigned; branch name or branch CLI ID)
• Push: but push <branch-name> — always specify the branch; bare but push pushes ALL branches when run non-interactively
• Pull: but pull --check then but pull

Task Recipes

Update workspace from main

For "get latest from main", "update/sync this workspace", or "pull main":

1. but status -fv
2. but pull --check
3. If clean, but pull
4. but status -fv

but pull updates applied branches onto the latest target branch (usually main). Do not use raw git pull or git rebase.

Commit selected files or hunks

1. but diff — use this first for selective dirty commits. It shows file and hunk IDs for uncommitted changes.
2. Use file IDs when whole files belong in the commit. Use hunk IDs when only part of a file belongs. Do not run plain but status first.
3. For a new branch, use one command: but commit <branch> -c -m "<msg>" --changes <id1>,<id2>. For an existing branch, omit -c: but commit <branch> -m "<msg>" --changes <id1>,<id2>. Omit IDs you don't want committed. Creating a new branch with -c does not require a prior but branch or but status -fv.
4. Check the returned status for remaining uncommitted changes. If the file still appears as unassigned or assigned to another branch after commit, it may be dependency-locked. See "Stacked dependency / commit-lock recovery" below.

Edge case: if wanted and unwanted edits are in the same diff hunk, GitButler cannot split that hunk by ID. Only when the task requires keeping part of that hunk uncommitted, temporarily edit the working tree to isolate the wanted lines, commit with --changes, then restore the leftover lines so they remain uncommitted.

Amend into existing commit

1. but status -fv (or but show <branch-id>)
2. Locate file ID and target commit ID.
3. but amend <file-or-hunk-id> <commit-id>

Reorder commits

but move supports both commit reordering and branch stack operations. Use commit IDs when reordering commits.

1. but status -fv
2. but move <commit-a> <commit-b> — uses commit IDs like c3, c5
3. Refresh IDs from the returned status if you need to keep editing history.

Stack existing branches

To make one existing branch depend on (stack on top of) another, use top-level move:

but move feature/frontend feature/backend

This moves the frontend branch on top of the backend branch in one step.

DO NOT use uncommit + branch delete + branch new -a to stack existing branches. That approach fails because git branch names persist even after but branch delete. Always use but move <branch> <target-branch>.

To unstack (make a stacked branch independent again):

but move feature/logging zz

Note: branch stack/tear-off operations use branch names (like feature/frontend) or branch CLI IDs, while commit reordering uses commit IDs (like c3). Do NOT use but undo to unstack — it may revert more than intended and lose commits.

Stacked dependency / commit-lock recovery

A dependency lock occurs when a file was originally committed on branch A, but you're trying to commit changes to it on branch B. Symptoms:

• but commit succeeds but the file still appears in unassignedChanges in the returned status
• The file still shows as "unassigned" in the status output

Recovery: Stack your branch on the dependency branch, then commit:

1. but status -fv — identify which branch originally owns the file (check commit history).
2. but move <your-branch-name> <dependency-branch-name> — stack your branch on the dependency. Uses full branch names, not CLI IDs.
3. but status -fv — the file should now be committable. Commit it.
4. but commit <branch> -m "<msg>" --changes <id>

If but move <branch> <target-branch> fails: Do NOT try uncommit, squash, or undo to work around it — these will leave the workspace in a worse state. Instead, re-run but status -fv to confirm both branches still exist and are applied, then retry with exact branch names from the status output.

Resolve conflicts after reorder/move

NEVER use git add, git commit, git checkout --theirs, git checkout --ours, or any git write commands during resolution. Only use but resolve commands and edit files directly with the Edit tool.

If but move causes conflicts (conflicted commits in status):

1. but status -fv — find commits marked as conflicted.
2. but resolve <commit-id> — enter resolution mode. This puts conflict markers in the files.
3. Read the conflicted files to see the <<<<<<< / ======= / >>>>>>> markers.
4. Edit the files to resolve conflicts by choosing the correct content and removing markers.
5. but resolve finish — finalize. Do NOT run this without editing the files first.
6. Repeat for any remaining conflicted commits.

Common mistakes: Do NOT use but amend on conflicted commits (it won't work). Do NOT skip step 4 — you must actually edit the files to remove conflict markers before finishing.

Git-to-But Map

Notes

• Prefer explicit IDs over file paths for mutations.
• --changes accepts comma-separated values (--changes a1,b2) or repeated flags (--changes a1 --changes b2), not space-separated.
• Avoid plain but status in write flows. It is a compact human overview; agents usually need but diff or but status -fv next, so starting with plain status adds a redundant round-trip.
• Read-only git inspection (git log, git blame, git show --stat) is allowed.
• After a successful mutation, trust the workspace state it printed. Re-run but status -fv only if that output lacks the ID you need or files changed since.
• Use but show <branch-id> to see commit details for a branch, including per-commit file changes and line counts.
• Per-commit file counts: but status does NOT include per-commit file counts. Use but show <branch-id> or git show --stat <commit-hash> to get them.
• Avoid --help probes; use this skill and references/reference.md first. Only use --help after a command fails or required syntax is missing from the installed references.
• Run but skill check only when command behavior diverges from this skill, not as routine preflight.
• If but prints an AGENT ACTION REQUIRED skill warning, run the suggested command once, then reload/use the GitButler skill. If it repeats, report it instead of retrying.
• For command syntax and flags: references/reference.md
• For workspace model: references/concepts.md
• For workflow examples: references/examples.md