Git ignore not ignoring one file, but all files

Question

Here is the content of my .gitignore file

# Compiled source #
###################
*.com
*.class
*.dll
*.exe
*.o
*.so

# OS generated files #
######################
.DS_Store
.DS_Store?
._*
.Spotlight-V100
.Trashes
ehthumbs.db
Thumbs.db

#Eclipse/Intellij
.classpath
.project
.settings/
target/
*.iml
.idea/

Basically all I want is to ignore the directory .idea and all the content in it. However, there is always one file that keeps popping up. I don't know why.

civilization/.idea/workspace.xml

This file keeps coming all the time, and I don't know why it doesnt get ignored!

because you already added it to the index?

Fredrik Pihl
– Fredrik Pihl

2014-09-12 18:56:07 +00:00
Commented Sep 12, 2014 at 18:56 — Fredrik Pihl
– Fredrik Pihl, Commented Sep 12, 2014 at 18:56
or even commited it?

Alex Dvoretsky
– Alex Dvoretsky

2014-09-12 19:00:39 +00:00
Commented Sep 12, 2014 at 19:00 — Alex Dvoretsky
– Alex Dvoretsky, Commented Sep 12, 2014 at 19:00

BroiSatse · Accepted Answer · 2014-09-12 19:03:39Z

2

.gitignoreonly works for new files. If the file is already tracked you need to tell git not to do so any longer:

git rm .idea --cached

If you are not sure if files which are expected to be ignored are tracked or not, just remove all the files from the index and then add them back - git will use .gitignore when the files are being put back in the index.

git rm -r . --cached
git add .

answered Sep 12, 2014 at 19:03

BroiSatse

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3 Comments

Shervin Asgari Over a year ago

Aaaah! Yes that indeed is the problem. I would thing it was smart enough to understand it should ignore it. Oh well. Now at least I know

Shervin Asgari Over a year ago

After running rm git they are marked as deleted and git wants me to commit it. Guess thats fine...

BroiSatse Over a year ago

@Shervin - Yes that's fine. Be sure to add --cached option, otherwise it will remove files from your working copy as well.

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