Resolving Merge Conflicts in GitKraken with the Built‑In Conflict Editor

Goal

The objective is to finish a merge or rebase that has stalled because of conflicting changes, using GitKraken’s integrated conflict editor. Once completed, the repository should contain a clean merge commit (or a rebased branch) with all conflicts resolved and the working tree in a consistent state.

Prerequisites

• GitKraken desktop application installed (v4.0 or newer).
• Administrative or repository‑write permissions on the target repository.
• GitKraken must be connected to the repository via a local clone or remote fetch.
• Basic knowledge of Git concepts: branches, commits, merge, rebase.

Test Scenario – Create a Deliberate Conflict

# 1. Create a fresh repository
mkdir conflict-demo
cd conflict-demo
git init

# 2. Add a file and commit
printf "Line 1\nLine 2\n" > file.txt
git add file.txt
git commit -m "Initial commit"

# 3. Create two feature branches
git checkout -b feature-ours
printf "Line 2 modified by ours\n" > file.txt
git commit -am "Modify line 2 on ours"

git checkout master
git checkout -b feature-them
printf "Line 2 modified by theirs\n" > file.txt
git commit -am "Modify line 2 on theirs"

Now we have two branches that change the same line. Merging either branch into the other will trigger a conflict.

Step‑by‑Step Procedure

1. Open GitKraken and load the repository
   • Launch GitKraken and use the Open Repository dialog to navigate to the conflict-demo folder.
   • Ensure the feature-ours branch is checked out (click the branch name in the sidebar).
2. Initiate the merge or rebase
   • Click Merge in the toolbar, select feature-them as the source, and confirm. GitKraken will detect the conflict and open the conflict editor automatically.
   • Alternatively, right‑click feature-them and choose Rebase onto master to see the same editor during a rebase.
3. Understand the split view
   • The editor shows three columns: the left pane contains the current branch (ours), the right pane contains the incoming branch (theirs), and the middle pane displays the merged content with conflict markers highlighted.
   • Conflict markers look like <<<<<< HEAD and >>>>>> feature-them surrounding the conflicting lines.
4. Resolve the conflict inline
   • In the middle pane, delete the unwanted markers and edit the code to represent the desired final state. For example, replace both conflicting lines with Line 2 revised by merge.
   • Use the toolbar buttons on the right side of the conflict block:
     • Keep Ours – keeps the left side content.
     • Keep Theirs – keeps the right side content.
     • Auto‑Merge – attempts a three‑way merge; useful when the conflict spans multiple lines.
   • After editing, the editor automatically updates the index. A status indicator in the top right turns green when all conflicts are resolved.
5. Commit the resolution
   • Once the status indicator is green, click Commit Merged to finalize the merge commit.
   • GitKraken will create a merge commit with two parents, preserving the commit graph.

Expected Checks

• The status bar should display All conflicts resolved and the Commit Merged button should be enabled.
• Running git log --graph --oneline from the terminal should show a merge commit linking feature-ours and feature-them.
• Open file.txt in the editor to confirm the line contains the merged content.

Rollback Options

• GitKraken’s history panel allows you to revert the merge commit: right‑click the merge commit and choose Revert Commit. This creates a new commit that undoes the changes, leaving the original conflict state intact in the branch history.
• If you need to undo the resolution before committing, use the Undo button in the conflict editor toolbar. You can also use the Redo button to reapply the last action.
• For a full reset of the branch to its pre‑merge state, run git reset --hard HEAD~1 in the terminal (after ensuring no uncommitted work exists).

Limitations and Caveats

• Large binary files or very large diffs may cause the editor to lag. In such cases, consider using an external merge tool via git mergetool.
• Automatic merge strategies can override semantic intent. Always review the final file after a merge commit.
• Custom merge drivers defined in .gitattributes are not invoked by GitKraken’s editor. If your repository relies on a custom driver, you may see unresolved markers.
• The editor does not support resolving conflicts in submodules; those must be handled via the command line.

Practical Verification

1. After committing, double‑click the merge commit in the graph view to open its details. Verify that the commit message reads Merge branch 'feature-them' into 'feature-ours' and that the parent list contains both branches.
2. Open the file.txt file in the file panel and confirm the final content matches the expected merged state.
3. Use the History Panel to navigate back to the pre‑merge commit. The conflict markers should reappear if you revert the merge.

Conclusion

GitKraken’s built‑in merge conflict editor streamlines conflict resolution by offering a visual split view, context‑aware actions, and real‑time status feedback. By following the steps above, you can confidently resolve conflicts, verify the result, and recover if necessary, all within the same application.