Backport Skill

Create a backport pull request that applies changes from a source (current branch, a PR, another branch, or specific commits) onto a target branch — interactively, from the local workspace. The target is typically a release branch (e.g. rel/0.32), but any existing branch is allowed except the source's own base branch (a backport onto the same base is a no-op).

Inputs to resolve

Before running any git commands, determine:

1. Source — one of:
   • Current branch (default if the user says "backport this" without specifying).
   • PR number (e.g. "backport PR #1234").
   • Branch name.
   • Commit SHA(s) or range.
2. Target branch — any existing branch on origin. Typical case is a release branch (rel/*). If the user did not specify, list candidates with git branch -r --list 'origin/rel/*' first; if none match or the user wants something else, fall back to git branch -r and ask. Refuse the source's own base branch (e.g. if the PR or current branch already targets main, refuse main; if it targets rel/0.32, refuse rel/0.32) — a backport onto the same base is a no-op. Verify the target exists on origin before proceeding.
3. Squash — only if the user explicitly says "squash". Default: no squash.

If anything is ambiguous, ask once before touching the working tree.

Workflow