Git: The Double Agent

Open source without the shame.

2025-12-03

Your code works, but your commit history looks like a crime scene.

You want to go open source, but you don’t want the world to see your 45 commits labeled “fix”, “wip”, and “fuck this”. The solution isn’t to code better; it’s to lie better.

“Perfection is just a series of mistakes you didn’t commit.”

The Setup

Keep your trash in the dark. Your local repo will talk to two servers: one for the backup (dirty), one for the public (clean).

Rename your current remote and add the new destination:

git remote rename origin private
git remote add public https://github.com/you/repo-opensource.git

The Purge

Create a clean branch that has no memory of your past sins. When you are ready to release, squash your chaos into a single, composed update.

# Move to your clean branch
git checkout public-release

# Smash everything from your dirty branch into one change
git merge --squash main

# Commit the lie
git commit -m "v1.0.0: Initial Release"

# Push the perfection
git push public public-release:main

The public sees a genius. Only you know the truth.