but

name	but
version	0.19.6
description	Commit, push, branch, and manage version control with GitButler. Use for: commit my changes, check what changed, create a PR, push my branch, view diff, create branches, stage files, edit commit history, squash commits, amend commits, undo commits, pull requests, merge, stash work. Replaces git - use 'but' instead of git commit, git status, git push, git checkout, git add, git diff, git branch, git rebase, git stash, git merge. Covers all git, version control, and source control operations.
author	GitButler Team

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. Always add --json --status-after to mutation commands.
3. Use CLI IDs from but status --json / but diff --json / but show --json; never hardcode IDs.
4. Start with but status --json before mutations so IDs and stack state are current.
5. Create a branch for new work with but branch new <name> when needed.

Core Flow

Every write task should follow this sequence.

# 1. Inspect state and gather IDs
but status --json

# 2. If new branch needed:
but branch new <name>

# 3. Edit files (Edit/Write tools)

# 4. Refresh IDs if needed
but status --json

# 5. Perform mutation with IDs from status/diff/show
but <mutation> ... --json --status-after

Command Patterns

• Commit: but commit <branch> -m "<msg>" --changes <id>,<id> --json --status-after
• Commit + create branch: but commit <branch> -c -m "<msg>" --changes <id> --json --status-after
• Amend: but amend <file-id> <commit-id> --json --status-after
• Reorder commits: but move <source-commit-id> <target-commit-id> --json --status-after (commit IDs, not branch names)
• Stack branches: but branch move <branch-name> <target-branch-name> (branch names, not IDs — e.g. but branch move feature/frontend feature/backend)
• Push: but push or but push <branch-id>
• Pull: but pull --check --json then but pull --json --status-after

Task Recipes

Commit files

1. but status --json
2. Find the cliId for each file you want to commit.
3. but commit <branch> -m "<msg>" --changes <id1>,<id2> --json --status-after Use -c to create the branch if it doesn't exist. Omit IDs you don't want committed.
4. Check the --status-after output for remaining uncommitted changes. If the file still appears in unassignedChanges or assignedChanges after commit, it may be dependency-locked to another branch. See "Stacked dependency / commit-lock recovery" below.

Amend into existing commit

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

Reorder commits (not branches)

but move reorders commits within a branch. To stack branches, use but branch move instead.

1. but status --json
2. but move <commit-a> <commit-b> --json --status-after — uses commit IDs like c3, c5
3. Refresh IDs from the returned status, then run the inverse: but move <commit-b> <commit-a> --json --status-after

Stack existing branches

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

but branch 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 branch move.

To unstack (make a stacked branch independent again):

but branch new temp-unstack              # create an empty dummy branch
but branch move feature/logging temp-unstack   # move the branch to the dummy
but branch delete temp-unstack           # delete the dummy, leaving branch independent

Note: but branch move uses branch names (like feature/frontend), while but move uses commit IDs (like c3). Do not confuse them. 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 --status-after output
• The file shows as "unassigned" instead of being staged to any branch

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

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

If but branch move 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 --json to confirm both branches still exist and are applied, then retry but branch move 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": true in status):

1. but status --json — find commits with "conflicted": true.
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

git	but
git status	but status --json
git add + git commit	but commit ... --changes ...
git checkout -b	but branch new <name>
git push	but push
git rebase -i	but move, but squash, but reword
git rebase --onto	but branch move <branch> <new-base>
git cherry-pick	but pick

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.
• Read-only git inspection (git log, git blame, git show --stat) is allowed.
• After a successful --status-after, don't run a redundant but status unless you need new IDs.
• Use but show <branch-id> --json to see commit details for a branch, including per-commit file changes and line counts.
• Per-commit file counts: but status --json does NOT include per-commit file counts. Use but show <branch-id> --json 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 failed attempt.
• Run but skill check only when command behavior diverges from this skill, not as routine preflight.
• For command syntax and flags: references/reference.md
• For workspace model: references/concepts.md
• For workflow examples: references/examples.md
• For but link coordination workflow and conventions: references/link.md