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atomic restore

Restore the working copy to the last recorded state.

atomic restore is the working-copy counterpart of git restore: it discards unrecorded edits and brings files back to the pristine state (the last recorded state in the current view).

Renamed from reset

This command was previously called atomic reset. The old name still works as an alias, so existing scripts keep running, but atomic restore is the canonical name. Switching views is a separate command — see atomic view switch.

Synopsis​

atomic restore [OPTIONS] [FILES]...

Description​

The restore command restores the working copy to match the pristine state. This is useful for:

  • Discarding uncommitted changes: Remove modifications you don't want to keep
  • Restoring specific files: Restore individual files while keeping others modified
  • Recovering deleted files: Bring back a tracked file you removed on disk

When you restore, Atomic:

  1. Compares the working copy with the pristine state
  2. Restores files to match the last recorded state
  3. Discards any unrecorded modifications

Warning: Restore discards uncommitted changes. They cannot be recovered unless recorded first.

Arguments​

[FILES]...​

Optional paths to restore. If provided, only these files/directories are restored. Naming files is explicit consent to discard their changes, so no --force is needed. If omitted, the entire working copy is restored, which requires --force.

# Restore a specific file
atomic restore src/main.rs

# Restore a directory
atomic restore src/

# Restore multiple files
atomic restore file1.txt file2.txt src/

Options​

--dry-run​

Print a file to standard output without modifying the repository. Works for a single file only.

# Preview what a file would look like after restore
atomic restore --dry-run src/main.rs

# Pipe to viewer
atomic restore --dry-run README.md | less

-f, --force​

Required only for a whole-tree restore (no files named), because it discards all uncommitted changes at once.

# Discard every uncommitted change
atomic restore --force

Examples​

Discard a single file's changes​

atomic restore src/main.rs

Discard all uncommitted changes​

# Preview changes that would be lost
atomic diff

# Discard all changes
atomic restore --force

Recover a deleted file​

# Accidentally deleted a tracked file
rm important.txt

# Bring it back
atomic restore important.txt

Preview file contents​

# Preview what a file would look like after restore
atomic restore --dry-run src/config.rs > /tmp/pristine.rs
diff src/config.rs /tmp/pristine.rs

Behavior by file state​

restore only touches tracked, dirty files. Untracked files are never touched.

File stateWhat restore does
ModifiedReverts content to the pristine version
Deleted (on disk)Recreates the file from pristine
Added (tracked, not recorded)Undoes tracking; the file stays on disk as untracked
UntrackedLeft alone — restore never deletes files you created

Whole-tree vs. partial​

# Whole tree — discards all uncommitted changes (requires --force)
atomic restore --force

# Partial — only the named paths; other modifications are kept
atomic restore src/main.rs

A partial restore is never blocked by unrelated dirty files: only the paths you name are affected.

restore vs. other commands​

restore vs. unrecord​

  • restore: Discards working-copy changes; does not affect recorded history
  • unrecord: Removes a change from view history; preserves the working copy
# Discard uncommitted changes
atomic restore --force

# Remove the last recorded change
atomic unrecord

Undoing a recorded change​

Atomic has no "revert" command — recorded changes are removed with unrecord:

atomic unrecord HASH...
atomic restore --force   # update the working copy afterwards if needed

Switching views​

restore does not switch views. Use atomic view switch, which materializes the working copy for the target view.

Notes​

  • Destructive: Restore discards uncommitted changes permanently
  • Working copy only: Doesn't affect recorded history
  • Selective: Can restore individual files
  • Keeps untracked files: Never deletes files you created
  • Dry run: Preview a single file's pristine content without modifying it

Exit Codes​

  • 0 - Success
  • 1 - Refused (e.g. whole-tree restore without --force)
  • 2 - Invalid arguments

See Also​

  • Working Copy - Your editable files on disk
  • Pristine - The recorded repository state
  • Views - Independent lines of development
  • Uncommitted Changes - Modifications not yet recorded