git machete traverse: Manage Branch Stacks
git machete traverse walks a defined tree of branches, rebasing and pushing each onto its parent.
git-machete records parent/child branch relationships in a .git/machete file and automates keeping the whole tree rebased. traverse is the batch command that syncs every branch in order.
What it does
git machete reads a branch tree from .git/machete. git machete status shows which branches are in sync, and git machete traverse walks the tree bottom-up, rebasing each branch onto its parent and pushing, stopping to ask (or acting on flags) at each step.
Common usage
# generate the initial branch tree
git machete discover --yes
# show sync status of the tree
git machete status
# rebase and push the whole tree without prompts
git machete traverse --fetch --push --start-from=first-root --return-to=here --yesOptions
| Command / Flag | What it does |
|---|---|
| git machete discover | Infer and write the branch tree |
| git machete status | Show in-sync/out-of-sync branches |
| git machete traverse | Rebase/push each branch onto its parent |
| --fetch | Fetch from the remote before traversing |
| --push / --no-push | Push (or not) after each rebase |
| --yes | Assume yes to all prompts (non-interactive) |
In CI
Pass --yes (or a specific answer mode) so traverse does not prompt. It needs the .git/machete file present, so commit it or run git machete discover --yes first. A rebase can hit conflicts mid-traverse; check the exit code so the job stops rather than pushing a half-rebased tree.
Common errors in CI
"the current directory ... is not a git repository" means it ran outside a checkout. "no branches listed in .git/machete" means the tree file is missing; run discover. A traverse that halts with "There are some uncommitted changes" needs a clean tree. Conflicts leave a rebase in progress that the job must resolve or abort.