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Q&A What is the point of triggering CI/CD with an empty git commit?

I read posts (e.g., 1, 2, 3) that recommend triggering a CI build process by pushing an empty git commit. I don't understand how this is a good idea as the commit history will be peppered with mea...

3 answers  ·  posted 6mo ago by toraritte‭  ·  last activity 6mo ago by matthewsnyder‭

Question git ci/cd
#1: Initial revision by user avatar toraritte‭ · 2023-11-08T13:24:18Z (6 months ago)
What is the point of triggering CI/CD with an empty git commit?
I read posts (e.g., [1][1], [2][2], [3][3]) that recommend triggering a CI build process by pushing an empty git commit. 

I don't understand how this is a good idea as the commit history will be peppered with meaningless entries, and they can't be removed without re-writing the hashes (e.g., `git rebase --interactive`,  [anything from this list](https://stackoverflow.com/a/46049102/1498178)), so any clean-up will require a force push (which should be avoided if others also work on that branch).

For example,

```text
BEFORE REBASE:

* c074c70 (HEAD -> master) yet another major item
* bd8e835 trigger CI
* 49ddd75 trigger CI
* f895e9f this is important
* a7da744 trigger CI
* cec6a60 trigger CI
* 96e84f7 init

$ git rebase --interactive 96e84f7

AFTER DROPPING ALL EMPTY COMMITS:

* e441b17 (HEAD -> master) yet another major item
* fc67d54 this is important
* 96e84f7 init

THE ONLY COMMIT THAT RETAINED IT'S ORIGINAL HASH IS "init".
```

  [1]: https://developerinsider.co/how-to-create-empty-commits-to-test-ci-cd-or-anything-else/
  [2]: https://punitd.dev/tips/2020-06-06-empty-git-commits-for-CI/
  [3]: https://web.archive.org/web/20210924003139/https://jhache.me/2020/05/06/trigger-ci-cd-rebuild-without-trivial-changes/