Git User Scrubber

This tool helps you scrub and replace Git user information in a repository's history using Git's mailmap feature. It's useful for consolidating multiple author identities or updating author information across the entire repository history.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.x
• Git
• git-filter-repo (required for rewriting Git history)

Installation

Installing git-filter-repo

On Windows (using pip):

pip install git-filter-repo

On Linux/macOS:

# Using pip
pip install git-filter-repo

# Or using package manager
# Ubuntu/Debian:
sudo apt-get install git-filter-repo
# macOS (Homebrew):
brew install git-filter-repo

Usage

1. Run the script:

python git_user_scrubber.py

2. When prompted:

   • Enter the path to the Git repository (or press Enter for current directory)
   • Enter the target author name (the name you want to use for replacement)
   • Enter the target email (the email you want to use for replacement)

3. The script will:

   • Display a list of all unique authors in the repository
   • Allow you to select which authors to replace (by entering their numbers, comma-separated)
   • Show you the mailmap entries that will be created
   • Ask for confirmation before applying changes

4. After confirmation, the script will:

   • Create a .mailmap file
   • Apply the changes using git-filter-repo
   • Clean up temporary files

Example

Git User Scrubber
================

Enter the path to the git repository [.]: /path/to/repo
Enter the target author name: John Doe
Enter the target email: [email protected]

Current authors in repository:
1. John Smith <[email protected]>
2. J. Smith <[email protected]>
3. John Doe <[email protected]>

Enter the numbers of authors to replace (comma-separated), 'a' to apply changes, or 'q' to quit: 1,2

Important Notes

• This script will rewrite Git history, so make sure to:
  • Back up your repository before running the script
  • Push changes to a new branch first
  • Inform team members about the upcoming history rewrite
• The changes are permanent and will affect all commits in the repository
• You may need to force push the changes to remote repositories
• Make sure you have the necessary permissions to rewrite repository history

Safety Features

• The script requires explicit confirmation before applying changes
• It shows you the exact mailmap entries that will be created
• It validates the Git repository path before proceeding
• It handles errors gracefully and provides clear error messages

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues:

1. Make sure git-filter-repo is installed correctly
2. Verify you have write permissions in the repository
3. Check that the repository path is correct
4. Ensure you're not in a detached HEAD state
5. Make sure you have no uncommitted changes

License

This script is provided as-is. Use at your own risk.