gsd-reapply-patches

A three-way merge for patch management compares your saved backups, the pristine baseline, and the new GSD install to automatically reconcile differences. This ensures your local modifications survive upgrades without manual re application or overwriting upstream changes.

When reapplying patches results in merge conflicts, the workflow provides per-file merge status reporting and conflict handling. It alerts you to specific files requiring manual resolution, while automatically merging non-conflicting changes and maintaining patch backups by default.

You do not strictly need git history; the workflow can determine baselines from git history or a gsd-pristine snapshot. It automatically identifies the correct baseline source available in your environment to facilitate the three-way or enhanced two-way merge process.

The best way to preserve local tweaks across GSD upgrades is using a structured patch reapplication workflow. It detects your backed up patches, performs conflict-aware merging against the new baseline, and enforces post-merge verification to ensure configurations remain intact.

Yes, the patch reapplication process maintains your patch backups by default after completing the merge. It will subsequently prompt you for cleanup decisions, allowing you to choose whether to retain or remove the backup files following the successful integration.