push will still ensure that the .dsc you upload and the git tree
you push are identical, so this option won't make broken pushes.)
.TP
-.BI --overwrite= previous-version
-Declare that even though your git branch is not a descendant of
-.IR previous-version
-according to the revision history, in fact, it really does contain
+.BR --overwrite =\fIprevious-version\fR
+Declare that even though your git branch is not a descendant
+of the version in the archive
+according to the revision history,
+it really does contain
all the (wanted) changes from that version.
-.I previous-version
-ought to be the version currently in the archive.
-dgit push will make a
+This option is useful if you are the maintainer, and you have
+incorporated NMU changes into your own git workflow in a way that
+doesn't make your branch a fast forward from the NMU.
+
+.I previous-version
+ought to be the version currently in the archive. If
+.I previous-version
+is not
+specified, dgit will check that the version in the archive is
+mentioned in your debian/changelog.
+(This will avoid losing
+changes unless someone committed to git a finalised changelog
+entry, and then made later changes to that version.)
+
+dgit push --overwrite
+will make a
pseudo-merge (that is, something that looks like the result
of git merge -s ours) to stitch the archive's version into your own
git history, so that your push is a fast forward from the archive.
-This option is useful if you are the maintainer, and you have
-incorporated NMU changes into your own git workflow in way that
-doesn't make your branch a fast forward from the NMU.
-
(In quilt mode
.BR gbp ", " dpm " or " unpatched ,
implying a split between the dgit view and the
~ianmdlvl / dgit.git / blobdiff