@@ -223,6 +223,27 @@ a file checked into the repository which is a template or set of defaults which
can then be copied alongside and modified as appropriate. This second, modified
file is usually ignored to prevent accidentally committing it.
+[[files-in-.gitignore-are-tracked]]
+I asked Git to ignore various files, yet they are still tracked::
+ Git ignores files matching the patterns stated in the '.gitignore'.
+ Consequently, `git add` does not add the files/paths matching the
+ pattern in `.gitignore`, meaning they remain untracked; `git status`
+ does not list the aforementioned files/paths as untracked.
+
+ One thing to note is that the `.gitignore` mechanism applies only
+ to the files that are not already tracked. A file/path that is
+ already tracked will stay to be tracked even if you add a pattern
+ that happens to match it to `.gitignore` file.
+
+ This is probably the reason why Git shows some files/paths in the
+ staging area. These entities were being tracked before and later
+ were added in the `.gitignore`, due to which they show up in the
+ staging area.
+
+ To completely ignore and untrack files/paths falling in the above
+ category, it is advised to use `git rm --cached <file>` as well as
+ add these files/paths in the `.gitignore`.
+
Hooks
-----
Add issue in 'Common Issues' section which addresses the problem of Git tracking files/paths mentioned in '.gitignore'. Signed-off-by: Shourya Shukla <shouryashukla.oo@gmail.com> --- Documentation/gitfaq.txt | 21 +++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 21 insertions(+)