[git] Git merge is not possible because I have unmerged files

git continues to confuse me with its unhelpful error warnings This one really deserves a prize:

git merge is not possible because you have unmerged files

My situation: My master branch on github was edited (directly in the browser) while my local master branch was also edited.

I wrongly suppose you could simply merge the two versions and be done with it, but also, I cannot merge - because my files are unmerged.

git merge remote/master

results in

error: merge is not possible because you have unmerged files.
hint: Fix them up in the work tree, and then use 'git add/rm <file>'
hint: as appropriate to mark resolution and make a commit.
fatal: Exiting because of an unresolved conflict.

So, after adding and committing the local change and then trying to merge again, I get:

merge: remote/master - not something we can merge

Clearly I am missing something essential here... Do I have the wrong idea about what merging means? How do I fix this issue of having a different remote master / local master branch?

I repeatedly had the same challenge sometime ago. This problem occurs mostly when you are trying to pull from the remote repository and you have some files on your local instance conflicting with the remote version, if you are using git from an IDE such as IntelliJ, you will be prompted and allowed to make a choice if you want to retain your own changes or you prefer the changes in the remote version to overwrite yours'. If you don't make any choice then you fall into this conflict. all you need to do is run:

git merge --abort # The unresolved conflict will be cleared off

And you can continue what you were doing before the break.

I ran into the same issue and couldn't decide between laughing or smashing my head on the table when I read this error...

What git really tries to tell you: "You are already in a merge state and need to resolve the conflicts there first!"

You tried a merge and a conflict occured. Then, git stays in the merge state and if you want to resolve the merge with other commands git thinks you want to execute a new merge and so it tells you you can't do this because of your current unmerged files...

You can leave this state with git merge --abort and now try to execute other commands.

In my case I tried a pull and wanted to resolve the conflicts by hand when the error occured...

It might be the Unmerged paths that cause

error: Merging is not possible because you have unmerged files.

If so, try:

git status

if it says

You have unmerged paths.

do as suggested: either resolve conflicts and then commit or abort the merge entirely with

git merge --abort

You might also see files listed under Unmerged paths, which you can resolve by doing

git rm <file>

Another potential cause for this (Intellij was involved in my case, not sure that mattered though): trying to merge in changes from a main branch into a branch off of a feature branch.

In other words, merging "main" into "current" in the following arrangement:

main
  |
  --feature
      |
      --current

I resolved all conflicts and GiT reported unmerged files and I was stuck until I merged from main into feature, then feature into current.