Quick Hits: When your .gitignore file gets…ignored

abel — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:55:48 +0000

I made a mistake while creating a GIT repos that I’m hoping I can save you from making. I made my first commit on a project and I realized that a bunch of files were getting in that shouldn’t be. I created a .gitignore file, but the issue kept happening on subsequent commits. As I learned later, you SHOULD create your .gitignore file first. However, if you forgot, this is how you fix it:

Keep your .gitignore file.
Clear your GIT cache. Don’t worry, this won’t delete any of your local files, just what GIT is tracking.
git rm -r --cached .
Add everything in your project. Your .gitignore file will exclude what you want to ignore now and start tracking the good stuff.
git add .
Commit your changes.
git commit -m "Now my .gitignore file works correctly!"

Happy codding!

Kickass Labs » GIT

Quick Hits: When your .gitignore file gets…ignored