gsd-reapply-patches

To reapply local modifications after an update wipes files, use a three-way merge to compare a pristine baseline, user backups, and the new install. This preserves custom changes while applying upstream updates and flags conflicts for review.

A three-way merge handles conflicts by comparing the pristine baseline, user-modified backup, and newly installed version. When both upstream and user changes affect the same content, it flags the file as a conflict for manual review.

The best way to distinguish user changes from version drift is performing a three-way comparison against a pristine baseline, user backups, and the new install, parsing backup-meta.json to determine per-file merge statuses.

Yes, you need a pristine baseline from git history or a clean install to enable a three-way merge. It provides the reference point needed to accurately separate your local patches from upstream version drift.

When reapplying local patches, you can expect per-file statuses of Merged, Conflict, or Incorporated. This output identifies which custom changes were successfully applied and which files require conflict resolution.

Updates overwrite custom files because they wipe and reinstall versions without automatically preserving local modifications. You must explicitly reapply patches using a three-way merge to safely integrate custom changes back into the new install.