How do I remove a directory subtree from the staging area?

Question

I made a new repository, and ran git add -A. I then noticed that there was a folder containing about 100 files that shouldn't have been included, so I added it to .gitignore.

How do I now clear the staging area so that I can add all my files again taking into account the updated .gitignore?

Answer 1

In #git, you said you unintentionally added a directory that should have been ignored, so run

git rm --cached -r directory-name

to recursively remove the tree rooted at directory-name from the index.

Don't forget to update .gitignore!

Answer 2

You can just use the command:

git reset

Answer 3

Make sure you remember to put the s in --global core.excludesfile .gitignore.txt

excludesfile vs excludefile

Maybe this will save someone else the hour I lost...