How to revert to origin's master branch's version of file

Assuming you did not commit the file, or add it to the index, then:

git checkout -- filename

Assuming you added it to the index, but did not commit it, then:

git reset HEAD filename
git checkout -- filename

Assuming you did commit it, then:

git checkout origin/master filename

Assuming you want to blow away all commits from your branch (VERY DESTRUCTIVE):

git reset --hard origin/master

I've faced same problem and came across to this thread but my problem was with upstream. Below git command worked for me.

Syntax

git checkout {remoteName}/{branch} -- {../path/file.js}

Example

git checkout upstream/develop -- public/js/index.js

For the sake of adding an alternative (not necessarily a better one, of course), if you have already committed the file before, but now you need to undo the change, here's what you can do:

git diff HEAD..master -- path/to/file.ext | git apply -

This generates a diff to restore the file to the version in the master branch, and then applies it. The minus after git apply tells git to read the patch from standard input.

You can then commit the file as usual.

Here is the same command expressed as a shell function:

# Git Reset File
function grf() {
  git diff HEAD..master -- $1 | git apply -
}

# for example: grf ./someChangedFile.txt

If you didn't commit it to the master branch yet, its easy:

• get off the master branch (like git checkout -b oops/fluke/dang)
• commit your changes there (like git add -u; git commit;)
• go back the master branch (like git checkout master)

Your changes will be saved in branch oops/fluke/dang; master will be as it was.