How to use the command "git-rm" (with examples)

Removing a file from the repository index and filesystem

To remove a file from both the repository index and local filesystem, you can use the git rm command followed by the path to the file you want to remove. This command will remove the file not only from the repository but also from your local working directory.

git rm path/to/file

Motivation: Removing a file from the repository index and filesystem can be useful when you no longer need the file and want to permanently remove it from your project. This helps to keep the repository clean and avoid clutter.

Explanation:

• git rm is the command used to remove files from the repository index and filesystem.
• path/to/file is the path to the file you want to remove. Replace path/to/file with the actual path to the file you want to remove.

Example Output: After running the command git rm path/to/file, the specified file will be completely removed from both the repository index and your local filesystem.

Removing a directory

To remove an entire directory from both the repository index and local filesystem, you can use the git rm command with the -r flag followed by the path to the directory you want to remove.

git rm -r path/to/directory

Motivation: Removing a directory from the repository index and filesystem can be useful when you want to get rid of a directory and all its content in your project. This allows you to clean up the project structure and remove any unnecessary directories.

Explanation:

• git rm is the command used to remove files from the repository index and filesystem.
• -r is the flag that indicates the removal of a directory. It stands for ‘recursive’ and ensures that all files and subdirectories within the specified directory are removed.
• path/to/directory is the path to the directory you want to remove. Replace path/to/directory with the actual path to the directory you want to remove.

Example Output: After running the command git rm -r path/to/directory, the specified directory and all its content will be removed from both the repository index and your local filesystem.

Removing a file from the repository index but keeping it untouched locally

To remove a file from the repository index while keeping it untouched in your local filesystem, you can use the git rm command with the --cached flag followed by the path to the file you want to remove.

git rm --cached path/to/file

Motivation: There may be situations where you want to remove a file from the repository index but preserve it in your local working directory. This can be useful when you want to stop tracking changes to a file but still keep it locally for your own usage.

Explanation:

• git rm is the command used to remove files from the repository index and filesystem.
• --cached is the flag that indicates the removal should only be applied to the repository index while leaving the file untouched in the local filesystem.
• path/to/file is the path to the file you want to remove from the repository index. Replace path/to/file with the actual path to the file you want to remove.

Example Output: After running the command git rm --cached path/to/file, the specified file will be removed from the repository index, meaning it will no longer be tracked by Git. However, the file will remain untouched in your local working directory.