The correct option is b. Combine. When you use git rebase -i, you can interactively choose what to do with each commit, including combining or modifying them. This is useful for cleaning up commit history in a complex project.

In Git, the .gitignore file is used to specify intentionally untracked files that Git should ignore. This helps in maintaining a clean working directory and prevents unnecessary files from being committed.

The 'git log' command provides a detailed history of commits, including branching and merging. It helps visualize the chronological order of commits in the repository.

In Git, a 'Fork' is primarily used for cloning a repository from one remote to another. Forking is commonly associated with collaborative development on platforms like GitHub, where a user can fork a repository to create their copy. This copy is independent and can be modified without affecting the original repository. Forking is a fundamental concept in open-source collaboration and contributes to the decentralized nature of Git.

In complex merge scenarios, a three-way merge helps by considering the common ancestor, the source branch changes, and the target branch changes. This approach minimizes conflicts and provides a more intelligent way of resolving merge issues.

Git LFS (Large File Storage) is a Git extension designed to handle large files efficiently. It replaces large files with text pointers in the Git repository while storing the actual files on a remote server.

In advanced branching strategies, a 'release' branch serves the purpose of preparing a stable version of the project for deployment. Developers create a 'release' branch to isolate the code that will be part of the next release. This allows for thorough testing and bug fixing before merging into the main branch and deploying to production. It helps maintain a clean and organized development process.

The correct option is c. pull. The git pull command is used to fetch the changes from a remote repository and merge them into the current branch. While options like 'merge' and 'fetch' are valid Git commands, 'pull' is the specific command for combining remote changes into your local branch in a single step. Understanding the differences between these commands is essential for effective collaboration in a Git workflow.

The 'pre-receive' hook is often used to enforce server-side checks before accepting changes. This can include rejecting non-fast-forward pushes, ensuring commit message conventions, or running tests to maintain code quality. Understanding the practical applications of this hook is crucial for implementing advanced Git workflows and enforcing custom rules at the server level.

Git can be integrated into automated build systems by configuring build scripts to pull the latest code from Git repositories, ensuring an automated and streamlined build process.