Scenario:

You have a Git repository at /home/interview/repo where the config.js file has been modified in the last two commits, but those changes introduced bugs. You need to restore only config.js to the version it had 2 commits ago without affecting any other files

Task:

Restore config.js to its state from 2 commits ago, stage and commit this change with Restore config.js message.

Step 1: Navigate to the repository

cd /home/interview/repo

Step 2: View recent commit history

git log --oneline -5

See the last 5 commits to identify HEAD~2.

Step 3: Preview the old file version

git show HEAD~2:config.js

View what the file looked like 2 commits ago before restoring.

Step 4: Restore the file from 2 commits ago

git checkout HEAD~2 -- config.js

Restores config.js to its state from HEAD~2. The -- ensures Git treats config.js as a file path, not a branch name.

Step 5: Verify the restoration

cat config.js
git status

Shows the old version content and confirms config.js is staged for commit.

Step 6: Commit the restoration

git commit -m "Restore config.js"

Creates a new commit with the restored file.