.gitignore doesn't ignore files

Question

My .gitignore file gets ignored and the files which should be ignored are still visible.

user@host ~/workdir % git status
# On branch master
# Changed but not updated:
#   (use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)
#   (use "git checkout -- <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)
#
#       modified:   .htaccess
#       modified:   application/controllers/statistics.php
#
no changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a")
user@host ~/workdir % cat .gitignore
.htaccess
application/config/config.php
application/config/database.php
user@host ~/workdir %

The files are in version control, but with sensible changes I dont want to push. git rm ... is not an option because the files should be in version controll (with other settings in the files). I just dont want to push my changes on this files.

Answer 1

Ignoring files in git doesn't mean that you won't push them. It means that you won't version control them. If you don't want to push then, I suggest you create a local branch which will contain stuff for the local machine and then merge necessary changes to a branch which you'll push to remote.

I think you've already added your files and are now trying to ignore them.

Answer 2

i had same problem: i wanted different .htaccess file per repository then i couldn't because htaccess file had already been added to repository. It's working now, i can change any of the .htaccess file from any version without getting git pushing them. Marc is right when he says "You need to remove it first, before it can be ignored. This can be done using git rm".

i proceeded in this order:

• backup your .htaccess file somewhere
• remove .htaccess file using git rm .htaccess
• commit this change (.htaccess deletion)
• push it (git push)

this will obviously remove your .htaccess file

• then edit .gitignore and add /.htaccess
• commit then push it
• recreate your .htaccess file by restoring your previous backup

then you're done: whatever changes you make into .htaccess won't be pushed anymore. The hard part is following steps order...

hope this is clear

Answer 3

after anybug's steps noted here my git still kept track of .htaccess and this helped:

git update-index --assume-unchanged .htaccess

To revert back:

git update-index --no-assume-unchanged .htaccess

Answer 4

Since you want to:

• keep .htaccess in the Git repo (no git rm)
• have local sensitive data in it

use a filter driver which will:

• during the checkout phase, complete the .htaccess with private data
• during the commit phase clean the .htaccess from all sensitive data

you can then version an encrypted file that your smudge script will:

• be the only one to decrypt
• use in order to complete the classic (and pushed/pulled) .htaccess file.

You can version that encrypted sensible data in a special branch you won't push.
Even if you did push that file somehow, the damage would be limited, since only your workstation has the private key needed to decrypt said file.

Answer 5

Suppose the below is the content of .gitignore file. Here, .htaccess is in the project's root directory.

/.htaccess
application/config/config.php
application/config/database.php

Let's run the below command to ignore the .htaccess, config.php and database.php files.

badelal143@gmail.com:work-dir$ git update-index --assume-unchanged .htaccess
badelal143@gmail.com:work-dir$ git update-index --assume-unchanged application/config/config.php
badelal143@gmail.com:work-dir$ git update-index --assume-unchanged application/config/database.php

If you want to start tracking it again:

badelal143@gmail.com:work-dir$ git update-index --no-assume-unchanged path/to/file

e.g.

badelal143@gmail.com:work-dir$ git update-index --no-assume-unchanged .htaccess

Answer 6

It seems that the .htaccess file has already been added to the version control. You need to remove it first, before it can be ignored. This can be done using git rm

Answer 7

I do this all the time. I start with configuration files in my repo then decide that I don't want them in there.

You can remove something from your repo by using

git rm --cached <<filename>>

Answer 8

This one bugged me for days. The .htaccess file is already under version control and has been modified.