GitoxideLabs/gitoxide · error

unsupported rebase todo command

Error message

unsupported rebase todo command {verb:?}

What it means

Terminal validation arm in `edit::todo::parse`: after handling the recognized verbs (`pick`, `empty`, `squash`, `reset`, etc.), any remaining unknown command word causes this bail with the offending verb quoted. The rebase-todo grammar only accepts a fixed verb set, so a typo, a git-rebase verb the tool doesn't support (e.g. `exec`, `fixup` variants), or a corrupted line triggers it. Fix by correcting the verb to one of the supported commands or deleting the line.

Solutions

1. Use only the supported verbs in the todo (e.g. pick, squash, empty)
2. Rewrite unsupported git verbs (fixup/reword/exec/drop) into supported equivalents before parsing
3. Fix typos in the command verb

Example fix

// before
fixup abc123
// after
squash abc123

const SUPPORTED: [&str; 3] = ["pick", "squash", "empty"];
for line in todo.lines() {
    if let Some(verb) = line.split_whitespace().next() {
        if !SUPPORTED.contains(&verb) {
            anyhow::bail!("unsupported verb {verb}; use pick, squash, or empty");
        }
    }
}

fn is_supported_verb(verb: &str) -> bool {
    matches!(verb, "pick" | "squash" | "empty")
}

match parse_plan(...) {
    Err(e) if e.to_string().contains("unsupported rebase todo command") => { /* rewrite unsupported verbs */ }
    other => other?,
}

When it happens

Trigger: `parse_plan` encounters a verb like `reword`, `fixup`, `exec`, `drop`, `label`, or a typo such as `pik`, in the todo text.

Common situations: Feeding a git-generated todo (which contains `pick`, `exec`, `fixup`, etc.) directly into this stricter editor API; typos; scripts emitting non-standard verbs; locale or alias differences.

Understand the failure class

Background: Invalid enum value errors: "Unknown type", "Invalid scope", "must be one of" — when a string is not on the library's allowed list — this error's family across 23 libraries.

Related errors

• the rebase todo contains more than one @ command
• a commit is picked more than once
• rebase todo requires at least one -x/--hide revision when…
• the hidden and visible revisions have no editable fork point
• the revisions have multiple editable fork points

AI-assisted analysis of GitoxideLabs/gitoxide@e73179060b (2026-09-08). Data as JSON: /api/errors/e2de58b75c132c2c. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at gix-tix/src/edit/todo.rs:992

                    anyhow::bail!("a pick is outside the editable history");
                }
                if picked.contains_key(&id) {
                    anyhow::bail!("a commit is picked more than once");
                }
                if resolved {
                    rebase::PlanCommit::Resolved(id)
                } else {
                    rebase::PlanCommit::Pick(id)
                }
            }
            "empty" => {
                let title = if value.trim().is_empty() { tail } else { value.trim() };
                if title.is_empty() {
                    anyhow::bail!("an empty commit needs a title");
                }
                rebase::PlanCommit::Empty(BString::from(title))
            }
            _ => anyhow::bail!("unsupported rebase todo command {verb:?}"),
        };
        let index = steps.len();
        if let rebase::PlanCommit::Pick(id) | rebase::PlanCommit::Resolved(id) = commit {
            picked.insert(id, index);
        }
        steps.push(rebase::PlanStep {
            parent,
            commit,
            squash: Vec::new(),
        });
        cursor = Some(rebase::PlanParent::Step(index));
        section_last_step = Some(index);
        if marked {
            let target = rebase::PlanParent::Step(index);
            if checkout_target.is_some_and(|checkout| checkout != target) {
                anyhow::bail!("the @ command and @ reference point to different results");
            }
            checkout_target = Some(target);

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