$ cat >> $HGRCPATH << EOF

  > [diff]

  > git=1

  > [extensions]

  > absorb=

  > EOF

  $ sedi() { # workaround check-code

  > pattern="$1"

  > shift

  > for i in "$@"; do

  >     sed "$pattern" "$i" > "$i".tmp

  >     mv "$i".tmp "$i"

  > done

  > }

rename a to b, then b to a

  $ hg init repo1

  $ cd repo1

  $ echo 1 > a

  $ hg ci -A a -m 1

  $ hg mv a b

  $ echo 2 >> b

  $ hg ci -m 2

  $ hg mv b a

  $ echo 3 >> a

  $ hg ci -m 3

  $ hg annotate -ncf a

  0 eff892de26ec a: 1

  1 bf56e1f4f857 b: 2

  2 0b888b00216c a: 3

  $ sedi 's/$/a/' a

  $ hg absorb -apq

  showing changes for a

          @@ -0,3 +0,3 @@

  eff892d -1

  bf56e1f -2

  0b888b0 -3

  eff892d +1a

  bf56e1f +2a

  0b888b0 +3a

  3 changesets affected

  0b888b0 3

  bf56e1f 2

  eff892d 1

  $ hg status

  $ hg annotate -ncf a

  0 5d1c5620e6f2 a: 1a

  1 9a14ffe67ae9 b: 2a

  2 9191d121a268 a: 3a

when the first changeset is public

  $ hg phase --public -r 0

  $ sedi 's/a/A/' a

  $ hg absorb -apq

  showing changes for a

          @@ -0,3 +0,3 @@

          -1a

  9a14ffe -2a

  9191d12 -3a

          +1A

  9a14ffe +2A

  9191d12 +3A

  2 changesets affected

  9191d12 3

  9a14ffe 2

  $ hg diff

  diff --git a/a b/a

  --- a/a

  +++ b/a

  @@ -1,3 +1,3 @@

  -1a

  +1A

   2A

   3A

copy a to b

  $ cd ..

  $ hg init repo2

  $ cd repo2

  $ echo 1 > a

  $ hg ci -A a -m 1

  $ hg cp a b

  $ echo 2 >> b

  $ hg ci -m 2

  $ hg log -T '{rev}:{node|short} {desc}\n'

  1:17b72129ab68 2

  0:eff892de26ec 1

  $ sedi 's/$/a/' a

  $ sedi 's/$/b/' b

  $ hg absorb -apq

  showing changes for a

          @@ -0,1 +0,1 @@

  eff892d -1

  eff892d +1a

  showing changes for b

          @@ -0,2 +0,2 @@

          -1

  17b7212 -2

          +1b

  17b7212 +2b

  2 changesets affected

  17b7212 2

  eff892d 1

  $ hg diff

  diff --git a/b b/b

  --- a/b

  +++ b/b

  @@ -1,2 +1,2 @@

  -1

  +1b

   2b

copy b to a

  $ cd ..

  $ hg init repo3

  $ cd repo3

  $ echo 1 > b

  $ hg ci -A b -m 1

  $ hg cp b a

  $ echo 2 >> a

  $ hg ci -m 2

  $ hg log -T '{rev}:{node|short} {desc}\n'

  1:e62c256d8b24 2

  0:55105f940d5c 1

  $ sedi 's/$/a/' a

  $ sedi 's/$/a/' b

  $ hg absorb -apq

  showing changes for a

          @@ -0,2 +0,2 @@

          -1

  e62c256 -2

          +1a

  e62c256 +2a

  showing changes for b

          @@ -0,1 +0,1 @@

  55105f9 -1

  55105f9 +1a

  2 changesets affected

  e62c256 2

  55105f9 1

  $ hg diff

  diff --git a/a b/a

  --- a/a

  +++ b/a

  @@ -1,2 +1,2 @@

  -1

  +1a

   2a

"move" b to both a and c, follow a - sorted alphabetically

  $ cd ..

  $ hg init repo4

  $ cd repo4

  $ echo 1 > b

  $ hg ci -A b -m 1

  $ hg cp b a

  $ hg cp b c

  $ hg rm b

  $ echo 2 >> a

  $ echo 3 >> c

  $ hg commit -m cp

  $ hg log -T '{rev}:{node|short} {desc}\n'

  1:366daad8e679 cp

  0:55105f940d5c 1

  $ sedi 's/$/a/' a

  $ sedi 's/$/c/' c

  $ hg absorb -apq

  showing changes for a

          @@ -0,2 +0,2 @@

  55105f9 -1

  366daad -2

  55105f9 +1a

  366daad +2a

  showing changes for c

          @@ -0,2 +0,2 @@

          -1

  366daad -3

          +1c

  366daad +3c

  2 changesets affected

  366daad cp

  55105f9 1

  $ hg log -G -p -T '{rev}:{node|short} {desc}\n'

  @  1:70606019f91b cp

  |  diff --git a/b b/a

  |  rename from b

  |  rename to a

  |  --- a/b

  |  +++ b/a

  |  @@ -1,1 +1,2 @@

  |   1a

  |  +2a

  |  diff --git a/b b/c

  |  copy from b

  |  copy to c

  |  --- a/b

  |  +++ b/c

  |  @@ -1,1 +1,2 @@

  |  -1a

  |  +1

  |  +3c

  |

  o  0:bfb67c3539c1 1

     diff --git a/b b/b

     new file mode 100644

     --- /dev/null

     +++ b/b

     @@ -0,0 +1,1 @@

     +1a

run absorb again would apply the change to c

  $ hg absorb -apq

  showing changes for c

          @@ -0,1 +0,1 @@

  7060601 -1

  7060601 +1c

  1 changesets affected

  7060601 cp

  $ hg log -G -p -T '{rev}:{node|short} {desc}\n'

  @  1:8bd536cce368 cp

  |  diff --git a/b b/a

  |  rename from b

  |  rename to a

  |  --- a/b

  |  +++ b/a

  |  @@ -1,1 +1,2 @@

  |   1a

  |  +2a

  |  diff --git a/b b/c

  |  copy from b

  |  copy to c

  |  --- a/b

  |  +++ b/c

  |  @@ -1,1 +1,2 @@

  |  -1a

  |  +1c

  |  +3c

  |

  o  0:bfb67c3539c1 1

     diff --git a/b b/b

     new file mode 100644

     --- /dev/null

     +++ b/b

     @@ -0,0 +1,1 @@

     +1a

"move" b to a, c and d, follow d if a gets renamed to e, and c is deleted

  $ cd ..

  $ hg init repo5

  $ cd repo5

  $ echo 1 > b

  $ hg ci -A b -m 1

  $ hg cp b a

  $ hg cp b c

  $ hg cp b d

  $ hg rm b

  $ echo 2 >> a

  $ echo 3 >> c

  $ echo 4 >> d

  $ hg commit -m cp

  $ hg mv a e

  $ hg rm c

  $ hg commit -m mv

  $ hg log -T '{rev}:{node|short} {desc}\n'

  2:49911557c471 mv

  1:7bc3d43ede83 cp

  0:55105f940d5c 1

  $ sedi 's/$/e/' e

  $ sedi 's/$/d/' d

  $ hg absorb -apq

  showing changes for d

          @@ -0,2 +0,2 @@

  55105f9 -1

  7bc3d43 -4

  55105f9 +1d

  7bc3d43 +4d

  showing changes for e

          @@ -0,2 +0,2 @@

          -1

  7bc3d43 -2

          +1e

  7bc3d43 +2e

  2 changesets affected

  7bc3d43 cp

  55105f9 1

  $ hg diff

  diff --git a/e b/e

  --- a/e

  +++ b/e

  @@ -1,2 +1,2 @@

  -1

  +1e

   2e

  $ hg log -G -p -T '{rev}:{node|short} {desc}\n'

  @  2:34be9b0c786e mv

  |  diff --git a/c b/c

  |  deleted file mode 100644

  |  --- a/c

  |  +++ /dev/null

  |  @@ -1,2 +0,0 @@

  |  -1

  |  -3

  |  diff --git a/a b/e

  |  rename from a

  |  rename to e

  |

  o  1:13e56db5948d cp

  |  diff --git a/b b/a

  |  rename from b

  |  rename to a

  |  --- a/b

  |  +++ b/a

  |  @@ -1,1 +1,2 @@

  |  -1d

  |  +1

  |  +2e

  |  diff --git a/b b/c

  |  copy from b

  |  copy to c

  |  --- a/b

  |  +++ b/c

  |  @@ -1,1 +1,2 @@

  |  -1d

  |  +1

  |  +3

  |  diff --git a/b b/d

  |  copy from b

  |  copy to d

  |  --- a/b

  |  +++ b/d

  |  @@ -1,1 +1,2 @@

  |   1d

  |  +4d

  |

  o  0:0037613a5dc6 1

     diff --git a/b b/b

     new file mode 100644

     --- /dev/null

     +++ b/b

     @@ -0,0 +1,1 @@

     +1d