Criss cross merging $ hg init criss-cross $ cd criss-cross $ echo '0 base' > f1 $ echo '0 base' > f2 $ hg ci -Aqm '0 base' $ echo '1 first change' > f1 $ hg ci -m '1 first change f1' $ hg up -qr0 $ echo '2 first change' > f2 $ hg ci -qm '2 first change f2' $ hg merge -qr 1 $ hg ci -m '3 merge' $ hg up -qr2 $ hg merge -qr1 $ hg ci -qm '4 merge' $ echo '5 second change' > f1 $ hg ci -m '5 second change f1' $ hg up -r3 1 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved $ echo '6 second change' > f2 $ hg ci -m '6 second change f2' $ hg log -G @ changeset: 6:3b08d01b0ab5 | tag: tip | parent: 3:cf89f02107e5 | user: test | date: Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 | summary: 6 second change f2 | | o changeset: 5:adfe50279922 | | user: test | | date: Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 | | summary: 5 second change f1 | | | o changeset: 4:7d3e55501ae6 | |\ parent: 2:40663881a6dd | | | parent: 1:0f6b37dbe527 | | | user: test | | | date: Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 | | | summary: 4 merge | | | o---+ changeset: 3:cf89f02107e5 | | | parent: 2:40663881a6dd |/ / parent: 1:0f6b37dbe527 | | user: test | | date: Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 | | summary: 3 merge | | | o changeset: 2:40663881a6dd | | parent: 0:40494bf2444c | | user: test | | date: Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 | | summary: 2 first change f2 | | o | changeset: 1:0f6b37dbe527 |/ user: test | date: Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 | summary: 1 first change f1 | o changeset: 0:40494bf2444c user: test date: Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 summary: 0 base $ hg merge -v --debug --tool internal:dump 5 --config merge.preferancestor='!' note: using 0f6b37dbe527 as ancestor of 3b08d01b0ab5 and adfe50279922 alternatively, use --config merge.preferancestor=40663881a6dd searching for copies back to rev 3 resolving manifests branchmerge: True, force: False, partial: False ancestor: 0f6b37dbe527, local: 3b08d01b0ab5+, remote: adfe50279922 preserving f2 for resolve of f2 f1: remote is newer -> g getting f1 f2: versions differ -> m (premerge) picked tool ':dump' for f2 (binary False symlink False changedelete False) merging f2 my f2@3b08d01b0ab5+ other f2@adfe50279922 ancestor f2@40494bf2444c f2: versions differ -> m (merge) picked tool ':dump' for f2 (binary False symlink False changedelete False) my f2@3b08d01b0ab5+ other f2@adfe50279922 ancestor f2@40494bf2444c 1 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 1 files unresolved use 'hg resolve' to retry unresolved file merges or 'hg update -C .' to abandon [1] $ head * ==> f1 <== 5 second change ==> f2 <== 6 second change ==> f2.base <== 0 base ==> f2.local <== 6 second change ==> f2.orig <== 6 second change ==> f2.other <== 2 first change $ hg up -qC . $ hg merge -v --tool internal:dump 5 --config merge.preferancestor="null 40663881 3b08d" note: using 40663881a6dd as ancestor of 3b08d01b0ab5 and adfe50279922 alternatively, use --config merge.preferancestor=0f6b37dbe527 resolving manifests merging f1 0 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 1 files unresolved use 'hg resolve' to retry unresolved file merges or 'hg update -C .' to abandon [1] Redo merge with merge.preferancestor="*" to enable bid merge $ rm f* $ hg up -qC . $ hg merge -v --debug --tool internal:dump 5 --config merge.preferancestor="*" note: merging 3b08d01b0ab5+ and adfe50279922 using bids from ancestors 0f6b37dbe527 and 40663881a6dd calculating bids for ancestor 0f6b37dbe527 searching for copies back to rev 3 resolving manifests branchmerge: True, force: False, partial: False ancestor: 0f6b37dbe527, local: 3b08d01b0ab5+, remote: adfe50279922 f1: remote is newer -> g f2: versions differ -> m calculating bids for ancestor 40663881a6dd searching for copies back to rev 3 resolving manifests branchmerge: True, force: False, partial: False ancestor: 40663881a6dd, local: 3b08d01b0ab5+, remote: adfe50279922 f1: versions differ -> m f2: remote unchanged -> k auction for merging merge bids f1: picking 'get' action f2: picking 'keep' action end of auction f1: remote is newer -> g getting f1 f2: remote unchanged -> k 1 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved (branch merge, don't forget to commit) $ head * ==> f1 <== 5 second change ==> f2 <== 6 second change The other way around: $ hg up -C -r5 2 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved $ hg merge -v --debug --config merge.preferancestor="*" note: merging adfe50279922+ and 3b08d01b0ab5 using bids from ancestors 0f6b37dbe527 and 40663881a6dd calculating bids for ancestor 0f6b37dbe527 searching for copies back to rev 3 resolving manifests branchmerge: True, force: False, partial: False ancestor: 0f6b37dbe527, local: adfe50279922+, remote: 3b08d01b0ab5 f1: remote unchanged -> k f2: versions differ -> m calculating bids for ancestor 40663881a6dd searching for copies back to rev 3 resolving manifests branchmerge: True, force: False, partial: False ancestor: 40663881a6dd, local: adfe50279922+, remote: 3b08d01b0ab5 f1: versions differ -> m f2: remote is newer -> g auction for merging merge bids f1: picking 'keep' action f2: picking 'get' action end of auction f2: remote is newer -> g getting f2 f1: remote unchanged -> k 1 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved (branch merge, don't forget to commit) $ head * ==> f1 <== 5 second change ==> f2 <== 6 second change Verify how the output looks and and how verbose it is: $ hg up -qC $ hg merge 1 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved (branch merge, don't forget to commit) $ hg up -qC $ hg merge -v note: merging 3b08d01b0ab5+ and adfe50279922 using bids from ancestors 0f6b37dbe527 and 40663881a6dd calculating bids for ancestor 0f6b37dbe527 resolving manifests calculating bids for ancestor 40663881a6dd resolving manifests auction for merging merge bids f1: picking 'get' action f2: picking 'keep' action end of auction getting f1 1 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved (branch merge, don't forget to commit) $ hg up -qC $ hg merge -v --debug --config merge.preferancestor="*" note: merging 3b08d01b0ab5+ and adfe50279922 using bids from ancestors 0f6b37dbe527 and 40663881a6dd calculating bids for ancestor 0f6b37dbe527 searching for copies back to rev 3 resolving manifests branchmerge: True, force: False, partial: False ancestor: 0f6b37dbe527, local: 3b08d01b0ab5+, remote: adfe50279922 f1: remote is newer -> g f2: versions differ -> m calculating bids for ancestor 40663881a6dd searching for copies back to rev 3 resolving manifests branchmerge: True, force: False, partial: False ancestor: 40663881a6dd, local: 3b08d01b0ab5+, remote: adfe50279922 f1: versions differ -> m f2: remote unchanged -> k auction for merging merge bids f1: picking 'get' action f2: picking 'keep' action end of auction f1: remote is newer -> g getting f1 f2: remote unchanged -> k 1 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved (branch merge, don't forget to commit) $ cd .. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9350005/how-do-i-specify-a-merge-base-to-use-in-a-hg-merge/9430810 $ hg init ancestor-merging $ cd ancestor-merging $ echo a > x $ hg commit -A -m a x $ hg update -q 0 $ echo b >> x $ hg commit -m b $ hg update -q 0 $ echo c >> x $ hg commit -qm c $ hg update -q 1 $ hg merge -q --tool internal:local 2 $ echo c >> x $ hg commit -m bc $ hg update -q 2 $ hg merge -q --tool internal:local 1 $ echo b >> x $ hg commit -qm cb $ hg merge --config merge.preferancestor='!' note: using 70008a2163f6 as ancestor of 0d355fdef312 and 4b8b546a3eef alternatively, use --config merge.preferancestor=b211bbc6eb3c merging x 0 files updated, 1 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved (branch merge, don't forget to commit) $ cat x a c b c $ hg up -qC . $ hg merge --config merge.preferancestor=b211bbc6eb3c note: using b211bbc6eb3c as ancestor of 0d355fdef312 and 4b8b546a3eef alternatively, use --config merge.preferancestor=70008a2163f6 merging x 0 files updated, 1 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved (branch merge, don't forget to commit) $ cat x a b c b $ hg up -qC . $ hg merge -v --config merge.preferancestor="*" note: merging 0d355fdef312+ and 4b8b546a3eef using bids from ancestors 70008a2163f6 and b211bbc6eb3c calculating bids for ancestor 70008a2163f6 resolving manifests calculating bids for ancestor b211bbc6eb3c resolving manifests auction for merging merge bids x: multiple bids for merge action: versions differ -> m versions differ -> m x: ambiguous merge - picked m action end of auction merging x 0 files updated, 1 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved (branch merge, don't forget to commit) $ cat x a c b c Verify that the old context ancestor works with / despite preferancestor: $ hg log -r 'ancestor(head())' --config merge.preferancestor=1 -T '{rev}\n' 1 $ hg log -r 'ancestor(head())' --config merge.preferancestor=2 -T '{rev}\n' 2 $ hg log -r 'ancestor(head())' --config merge.preferancestor=3 -T '{rev}\n' 1 $ hg log -r 'ancestor(head())' --config merge.preferancestor='1337 * - 2' -T '{rev}\n' 2 $ cd ..