repo-remove-history - Remove entire commit history from the current Git repo and push to origin

#!/usr/bin/env bash
help_text="
NAME
    repo-remove-history - Remove entire commit history from the current Git repo and push to origin.

USAGE
    repo-remove-history [options]

OPTIONS
    -h|--help
        Show help text.

DESCRIPTION
    Remove entire commit history from the current Git repo and push to origin.

AUTHOR
    Martin N 2025
"
help_line="Remove entire commit history from the current Git repo and push to origin"
web_desc_line="Remove entire commit history from the current Git repo and push to origin"

try="Try ${0##*/} -h for more information"
tmp="${help_text##*USAGE}"
usage=$(echo "Usage: ${tmp%%OPTIONS*}" | tr -d "
" | sed "s/  */ /g")

while [[ "$1" != "" ]]; do
    case $1 in
        -h|--help)
            echo "$help_text"
            exit
            ;;
        ?*)
            break
            ;;
    esac
    shift
done

echo "This removes the history from the current repo and pushes/commits this to the origin"
echo

read -p "Are you sure you want to continue [yN]? " yn

if [[ ${yn^^} != Y ]]; then
    exit
fi

echo Resetting
echo

# 1. Create a new orphan branch (no history)
git checkout --orphan new-main

# 2. Stage all files
git add -A

# 3. Create a fresh initial commit
git commit -m "Initial commit"

# 4. Delete the old main branch
git branch -D main

# 5. Rename new-main to main
git branch -m main

# 6. Force push to overwrite the remote
git push --force origin main

# 7. Delete all other remote branches (keeps only main)
git branch -r | grep -v 'origin/main' | grep -v 'origin/HEAD' | sed 's/origin\///' | xargs -I {} git push origin --delete {}

# 8. Prune remote references
git remote prune origin