Steps to clear out the history of a git/github repository

git-clearHistory

-- Remove the history from 
rm -rf .git

-- recreate the repos from the current content only
git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"

-- push to the github remote repos ensuring you overwrite history
git remote add origin git@github.com:<YOUR ACCOUNT>/<YOUR REPOS>.git
git push -u --force origin master

thanks, very usefull

Really helpful, saved my day

thanks!

Im afraid you can still reference specific "deleted" commits by hash, eventough they don't appear in history

This might be problematic with repositories with git submodules.
I believe the recipe in this SO answer is a safer way: https://stackoverflow.com/a/13102849

git checkout --orphan newBranch
git add -A  # Add all files and commit them
git commit
git branch -D master  # Deletes the master branch
git branch -m master  # Rename the current branch to master
git push -f origin master  # Force push master branch to github
git gc --aggressive --prune=all     # remove the old files

This saved my day .. an is working "nearly" automatic.

Warning : this does not delete pull request history (discussion, file changes). If you do this in order to delete sensitive data, you should better delete the github repo (along with all its pull request history etc..) and recreate a new one from scratch.

Thanks it was very useful

Above didn't work but the following worked with more attributes during the push.

git init
git add .
git commit -m 'Initial commit'
git remote add origin [repo_address]
git push --mirror --force

Perfect !!!

Just a small comment :
rm -rf .git <------ use this command from git bash.. as i was initially using dos command prompt

Thanks, man!

Great help, thanks.

Thank you!

Great help! Thank you

It works perfectly ! Thank you !

Thanks!

This did work for me, but initially I ran into problems after the two last lines (with my account and repo name, of course):

git remote add origin git@github.com:<YOUR ACCOUNT>/<YOUR REPOS>.git
git push -u --force origin master

After running the last command, which failed, I started to get error messages for every command I used. I was not allowed to push. For example:

git@github.com: Permission denied (publickey).
fatal: Could not read from remote repository.

Please make sure you have the correct access rights
and the repository exists.

In my case, the solution was to follow this guide to use HTTPS instead of SSH:
https://help.github.com/articles/changing-a-remote-s-url/

@heshanik, the mirror tag is exactly what I was looking for. Wanted to make sure Github looked like my local repo. Thanks.

that was a great help, many thanks

awesome! thanks for share it

Wonderful ! it worked

Thank you! This one works well!

I believe you need to delete and recreate the Github remote repo to completely remove the logs. See for example Recovering a commit from Githubs reflog.

Using the Github API described there, you access commits that are stored on Github don't appear in the normal commit history on Github.

With this method, you don't know have to know the SHA of a commit you are looking for.

Also, if the project in question is public, it appears the API calls to review the history are also public.

Thanks Heshanlk this worked for me, after adding

git remote rm origin

before the line

git remote add origin [repro address]

'cause I was receiving:
fatal: remote origin already exists

1. I want to do it from the github desktop. Is there any way??
2. Can some one give the final commands which worked to remove history? Are these commands need to be typed from gitbash or command prompt?

Worked great, useful!

for a gist the add orgin looks like git remote add origin git@gist.github.com:38238742938479283iuweyrwieury83472837.git

If you want an empty repom then pass the --allow-empty flag on commit:

git commit -S -m "Initial commit" --allow-empty

or else you'll get the following message:

On branch master

Initial commit

nothing to commit

This worked for me. Thanks.

Awesome. This worked for me. Thank you.

nice!

Thanks a ton, really appreciate this!

Does clearing the history in this way clear the contributions as well (i.e., reset everyone to 0/zero contributions on the Contributors page)?

Awesome thank you! I did a new git init added the origin remote and then git push -u --force origin master and this compltely wiped out my old github history and replaced it with this!

Thank you!!!
you did the trick

Thank you. I was badly needing it!

Saved my day!!! thank you!

This helped so much!!!!!!!!

so easy, thank you 😄

This might be problematic with repositories with git submodules.
I believe the recipe in this SO answer is a safer way: https://stackoverflow.com/a/13102849

git checkout --orphan newBranch
git add -A  # Add all files and commit them
git commit
git branch -D master  # Deletes the master branch
git branch -m master  # Rename the current branch to master
git push -f origin master  # Force push master branch to github
git gc --aggressive --prune=all     # remove the old files

THANK YOU , I had an issue with lfs not removing the big files correctly, this fixed it right up

thank you so much

Very useful. Thank you.

It helped me. Thanks!

Thanks. I used Gatsby starter pack with bunch of commits made before I cloned it and this worked perfectly.

Thank you!

Thank you :D

Great.

thanks!

Many kudos to you @stephenhardy

Thanks :)

This might be problematic with repositories with git submodules.
I believe the recipe in this SO answer is a safer way: https://stackoverflow.com/a/13102849

git checkout --orphan newBranch
git add -A  # Add all files and commit them
git commit
git branch -D master  # Deletes the master branch
git branch -m master  # Rename the current branch to master
git push -f origin master  # Force push master branch to github
git gc --aggressive --prune=all     # remove the old files

You are a genius!

Thank you, that helped

Thanks a lot! works perfectly

works like a charm, thank you!

really useful, thanks!!

check my gitclean bash script
https://gist.github.com/Zibri/76614988478a076bbe105545a16ee743

Exactly, what I needed. Thanks ( Its bad YADA YADA, but when testing, things happen.)

very helpful thanks!

Thank you! Perfect!

thanks!

thanks!

I LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I WORKED LIKE A DREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

very helpful! thank you!

this just came in handy. will fork!

I am not very experienced with git and am now having all kinds of problems with every local repository command I try after trying to delete the history on a repo that I had published a personal API key in. Some common errors I am encountering.

"git pull
There is no tracking information for the current branch."

"git push
fatal: The current branch master has no upstream branch."

"fatal: refusing to merge unrelated histories"

Could someone guide me through some solutions? Sorry if this is an easy fix, I have tried many different fixes on numerous forums to no avail. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Nice summary ! Thanks

This is excellent. Thank you so much. Such a time saver as it allows a total break from the original master.
Keeps the original over 1000 files safe.