[Obsidian Git](../../../📁%2010%20-%20My%20Obsidian%20Stack/Obsidian%20Git/Obsidian%20Git.md)
**Command-Line Solutions for Removing Files from Git Tracking**
Below is a concise guide to various command-line solutions for removing files from Git tracking, along with their context and intended outcomes. These solutions help you manage your repository by untracking files, keeping or removing them from previous commits, and handling different scenarios as needed.
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### **1. Stop Tracking Files but Keep Them Locally**
**Context:** Untrack files or folders currently tracked by Git, keeping them in your local working directory.
#### **Commands:**
- **Universal (Works on Linux, macOS, Windows CMD, and PowerShell):**
```bash
# Remove files from Git index (staging area), but keep them locally
git rm --cached <file_or_folder>
# Example for a folder:
git rm -r --cached <folder_name>
# Commit the changes
git commit -m "Stop tracking <file_or_folder>"
# Push the changes
git push
```
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### **2. Remove Files from Both Tracking and Working Directory**
**Context:** Remove files from Git tracking and delete them from your local working directory.
#### **Commands:**
- **Universal:**
```bash
# Remove files from tracking and delete them locally
git rm <file_or_folder>
# Commit the changes
git commit -m "Remove and delete <file_or_folder>"
# Push the changes
git push
```
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### **3. Untrack All Files Listed in `.gitignore`**
**Context:** Untrack all files or folders that are now in `.gitignore`.
#### **Commands:**
- **Linux and macOS (Bash Terminal):**
```bash
# See the unwanted files (ignored but tracked)
git ls-files -ci --exclude-standard
# Remove all unwanted files from tracking
git ls-files -ci --exclude-standard -z | xargs -0 git rm --cached
# Commit the changes
git commit -m "Untrack all files in .gitignore"
# Push the changes
git push
```
- **Windows Command Prompt (CMD):**
```cmd
REM See the unwanted files
git ls-files -ci --exclude-standard
REM Remove all unwanted files from tracking
FOR /F %f IN ('git ls-files -ci --exclude-standard') DO git rm --cached "%f"
REM Commit the changes
git commit -m "Untrack all files in .gitignore"
REM Push the changes
git push
```
- **Windows PowerShell:**
```powershell
# See the unwanted files
git ls-files -ci --exclude-standard
# Remove all unwanted files from tracking
git ls-files -ci --exclude-standard | ForEach-Object { git rm --cached $_ }
# Commit the changes
git commit -m "Untrack all files in .gitignore"
# Push the changes
git push
```
**Notes:**
- **Windows Differences:** The `xargs` command is not available by default in Windows CMD or PowerShell. Instead, use `FOR` loops in CMD or `ForEach-Object` in PowerShell.
- **File Paths:** Ensure file paths with spaces are properly quoted.
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### **4. Remove Files from All Previous Commits (Rewriting History)**
**Context:** Remove sensitive data or large files from the entire repository history.
#### **Commands:**
- **Universal (Requires Git Bash on Windows or a Unix-like shell):**
```bash
# Remove files from history
git filter-branch --force --index-filter \
"git rm --cached --ignore-unmatch <file_or_folder>" \
--prune-empty --tag-name-filter cat -- --all
# Clean up backup refs
rm -rf .git/refs/original/
git reflog expire --expire=now --all
git gc --prune=now --aggressive
# Force push changes
git push origin --force --all
git push origin --force --tags
```
- **Windows Command Prompt (CMD):**
```cmd
REM Remove files from history
git filter-branch --force --index-filter "git rm --cached --ignore-unmatch <file_or_folder>" --prune-empty --tag-name-filter cat -- --all
REM Clean up backup refs
rmdir /S /Q .git\refs\original
git reflog expire --expire=now --all
git gc --prune=now --aggressive
REM Force push changes
git push origin --force --all
git push origin --force --tags
```
- **Windows PowerShell:**
```powershell
# Remove files from history
git filter-branch --force --index-filter "git rm --cached --ignore-unmatch <file_or_folder>" --prune-empty --tag-name-filter cat -- --all
# Clean up backup refs
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force .git\refs\original
git reflog expire --expire=now --all
git gc --prune=now --aggressive
# Force push changes
git push origin --force --all
git push origin --force --tags
```
**Notes:**
- **Caution:** Rewriting history affects all clones of the repository.
- **Administrator Permissions:** You may need elevated permissions to delete certain files or directories on Windows.
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### **5. Use BFG Repo-Cleaner for Easier History Rewriting**
**Context:** Simplify the process of removing files from the repository history.
#### **Commands:**
- **Universal (Requires Java and BFG Jar File):**
```bash
# Download BFG Repo-Cleaner from https://rtyley.github.io/bfg-repo-cleaner/
# Run BFG to delete files
java -jar bfg.jar --delete-files <file_or_folder> <repo.git>
# Navigate to your repository
cd <repo.git>
# Clean up and force push
git reflog expire --expire=now --all
git gc --prune=now --aggressive
git push origin --force --all
git push origin --force --tags
```
**Notes:**
- **Java Requirement:** BFG Repo-Cleaner requires Java to run.
- **Windows Users:** Use Git Bash or adjust commands for CMD or PowerShell.
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### **6. Temporarily Untrack Files Without Modifying History**
**Context:** Temporarily stop tracking changes to certain files.
#### **Commands:**
- **Universal:**
```bash
# Stop tracking changes
git update-index --assume-unchanged <file>
# Resume tracking changes
git update-index --no-assume-unchanged <file>
```
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### **Additional Platform-Specific Notes**
- **Line Endings (Windows vs. Unix):** Be cautious with line endings (`CRLF` vs. `LF`) when collaborating across different operating systems. Configure Git to handle line endings appropriately using `git config` settings like `core.autocrlf`.
- **File Permissions:** Unix-like systems (Linux, macOS) have executable permissions, which can be tracked by Git. Windows does not natively support Unix file permissions, so permission changes may not be reflected.
- **Shebang Lines:** Scripts like `#!/bin/sh` at the top of shell scripts are used in Unix-like systems. On Windows, you may need to adjust scripts or use environments like Git Bash.
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### **Summary of Intended Outcomes**
- **Keep Files Locally, Stop Tracking:** Use `git rm --cached`.
- **Remove Files Completely:** Use `git rm`.
- **Untrack All Ignored Files:** Use platform-specific commands with `git ls-files` and `git rm --cached`.
- **Remove from Entire History:** Use `git filter-branch` or BFG Repo-Cleaner, adjusting commands for your platform.
- **Temporary Untracking:** Use `git update-index --assume-unchanged`.
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**Final Tips:**
- **Testing Commands:** Before executing commands that modify the repository significantly, test them in a safe environment or on a cloned repository.
- **Backing Up:** Always back up your repository before rewriting history.
- **Collaborators:** Communicate with your team when performing operations that affect the repository history.
- **Git Version:** Ensure you're using a Git version compatible with the commands (Git 2.x or higher is recommended).
By tailoring commands to your operating system's CLI, you can effectively manage your Git repository across different platforms, ensuring consistent and expected outcomes.