Great question—let's break this down clearly since you're managing your project entirely locally.

Do I need git push for a local-only repo? #

Nope, you don't need git push at all. The push command is only for sending your commits to a remote repository (like GitHub, GitLab, or a private server). For a local-only setup, running git init, git add, and git commit is 100% sufficient to track all your project's versions over time.

• git init: Creates the hidden .git folder that stores all your repo's version history and configuration.
• git add: Stages the changes you want to save (think of it as marking files for inclusion in the next permanent snapshot).
• git commit: Saves the staged changes as a timestamped, labeled snapshot in your local history.

How to restore a previous version later? #

Restoring old versions is straightforward once you know your way around Git's history tools. Here's what you need to do:

1. First, view your commit history
   Run this command to see all your past commits, each with a unique hash (long string of letters/numbers), author, date, and commit message:

   git log
   

   For a more concise, scannable view (one line per commit), use:

   git log --oneline
   

2. Restore to a specific commit
   You have two common options depending on your goal:

   • Option 1: Checkout the commit (safe, non-destructive)
     This lets you view the state of your project at that commit without altering your current branch. If you want to keep this old state as a new branch to work on, add -b <new-branch-name>:

     # Just view the old version (switch back to your main branch with git checkout main)
     git checkout <commit-hash>
     
     # Create a new branch from the old version to continue working on it
     git checkout -b old-feature-branch <commit-hash>
     

   • Option 2: Reset your current branch to the old commit (permanent change, use carefully)
     If you want to completely roll back your current branch to the state of that commit (and discard all changes made after it), use git reset. The --hard flag overwrites your working directory to match the commit:

     git reset --hard <commit-hash>
     

     ⚠️ Warning: This will erase any uncommitted changes and commits made after the target hash. Only use this if you're absolutely sure you don't need that later work.

3. Restore a single file from an old commit
   If you only need to bring back one specific file from a past commit (instead of the whole project), use:

   git checkout <commit-hash> -- path/to/your/file.ext
   

   This replaces the current version of the file with the one from the specified commit.

Step-by-Step Workflow for Your Local Repo #

Since you're already in your project's directory via bash, follow these steps to set up and manage your local repo:

1. Initialize the local repository

   git init
   

2. Stage all initial files

   git add .  # The dot stages all files in the current directory
   # Or stage specific files: git add src/app.js styles/theme.css
   

3. Make your first commit

   git commit -m "Initial commit: Set up core project structure"
   

   Always use a clear, descriptive message so you can easily identify what each commit does later.

4. For future changes

   • After editing files, stage the updated changes: git add . (or specific files)
   • Commit the changes with a meaningful message: git commit -m "Add user profile page", git commit -m "Fix form validation bug", etc.

5. When you need to restore an old version

   • Run git log --oneline to copy the commit hash of the version you want
   • Use one of the restore commands from the section above (checkout or reset)

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者KontrCode