Git squash specific commits

Question

Im using the rebase tool to squash the last 3 commits and by mistake I did with git rebase -i HEAD~4 this command open the VI interactive tool like following

d 041a84a Fix docs buil(#4)
p 8896b6d handle users
s 8759e73 add new users
s b485efd add phones

the 041a84a is not related and I mark it as d but not sure if it will remove it from the this branch only or when I submit it to the master it still remove it from the master which I DONT want, I just want to remove it from my branch … if I can exit from the VI tool and change it to git rebase -i HEAD~3 ??

Answer 1

If I understand correctly your problem your were in state such as this :

master :     --A--B 
branch :          \--C--C'--C"

Where:
B is 041a84a ;
C is 8896b6d ;
C' and C" must be squashed.

Now, if you apply

d B  Fix docs buil(#4)
p C  handle users
s C' add new users
s C" add phones

This should result in branches looking like :

master :    --A--B 
branch :       \--C*

This means that master will not be changed and only the history of the branch you are currently rebasing will be changed.

Finally, to answer "if I can exit from the VI tool and change it to git rebase -i HEAD~3".
You can exit VI without writing anything with q! and then your are free to do git rebase -i HEAD~3