How to Remove Git Files Without Deleting Locally

To remove a file from a Git repository without deleting it from your local filesystem, use the git rm --cached command. This command removes the file from Git’s tracking and the repository index while preserving the actual file on your local system. The --cached flag tells Git to only remove the file from the repository without affecting your local copy, making it ideal for accidentally committed files or generated files that shouldn’t be tracked.

Contents

• Understanding the Problem
• The Solution: git rm --cached
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Alternative Methods
• Common Use Cases
• Troubleshooting Common Issues
• Best Practices

Understanding the Problem

When you use the standard git rm file.txt command, Git performs two actions simultaneously:

1. Removes the file from the Git repository (staging area and commit history)
2. Deletes the file from your local filesystem

This behavior can be problematic when you want to:

• Remove accidentally committed sensitive information
• Stop tracking generated files or temporary files
• Remove large files that shouldn’t be in the repository
• Keep local configuration files but remove them from version control

The issue arises because Git’s default rm command is designed to maintain consistency between the repository and your working directory. However, there are times when you want to decouple these two operations.

Key Insight: The difference between git rm and git rm --cached is that the latter only affects Git’s tracking, not your actual filesystem.

The Solution: git rm --cached

The most direct and recommended approach is using the --cached flag with the git rm command. According to GeeksforGeeks, this option “tells Git to remove the file only from the repository and not from the local file system.”

The --cached flag works by:

• Removing the file from the Git index (staging area)
• Keeping the file in your working directory
• Marking the file for removal in the next commit

This approach is supported across all major Git implementations and is the standard method for this operation.

Baeldung on Ops confirms that “the git rm command provides the –cached option to allow us only to remove files from the repository’s index and keep the local…”

Step-by-Step Instructions

Basic Removal Process

1. Open your terminal and navigate to your Git repository
2. Use the git rm --cached command:
   bash

   git rm --cached file_to_remove.txt
   

3. Commit the change:
   bash

   git commit -m "Remove file from repository but keep locally"
   

4. Push to remote repository (if needed):
   bash

   git push origin main
   

Working with Multiple Files

You can remove multiple files at once:

git rm --cached file1.txt file2.txt config/local.conf

Using Wildcards

For removing multiple files that match a pattern:

git rm --cached *.tmp
git rm --cached generated/*

Verifying the Changes

After running the command, check the status:

git status

You should see the files listed under “Changes to be committed” (with deletion status) but the files will still exist in your local filesystem.

Alternative Methods

Method 1: Using git reset

For files that haven’t been committed yet, you can use:

git reset HEAD file_to_remove.txt

This removes the file from staging but keeps it in your working directory.

Method 2: Manual .gitignore Approach

If the file is already committed and you want to stop tracking it:

1. Remove the file from Git:
   bash

   git rm --cached file_to_remove.txt
   

2. Add it to .gitignore:
   bash

   echo "file_to_remove.txt" >> .gitignore
   

3. Commit both changes:
   bash

   git add .gitignore
   git commit -m "Remove file and add to .gitignore"
   

Method 3: Sparse Checkout (Advanced)

For large directories you want to exclude entirely, consider using sparse checkout as mentioned in Reddit discussions.

Common Use Cases

Accidentally Committed Sensitive Files

# Remove password file from repo but keep locally
git rm --cached secret_config.ini
git commit -m "Remove sensitive configuration"

Generated Files and Build Artifacts

# Remove build artifacts
git rm --cached build/*.js
git rm --cached dist/*

Local Configuration Files

# Remove local settings but keep file
git rm --cached config/settings.local.json

Temporary Files and Logs

# Remove log files that shouldn't be tracked
git rm --cached *.log

Troubleshooting Common Issues

File Not Found Error

If you get “pathspec did not match any files” error:

# Check file status first
git status
# Use the correct file path
git rm --cached "path/to/your/file.txt"

Permission Denied

If you can’t remove the file due to permissions:

# Force removal from Git only
git rm --cached --force file_to_remove.txt

Large File Removal

For large files that may be causing space issues:

# Remove from Git history completely (more complex)
git filter-branch --force --index-filter 'git rm --cached --ignore-unmatch large_file.zip' --prune-empty --tag-name-filter cat -- --all

Best Practices

1. Always commit the change after using git rm --cached to make it permanent in the repository
2. Add to .gitignore when appropriate to prevent future accidental commits
3. Communicate with your team about removing files that others might be using
4. Use descriptive commit messages explaining why the file was removed from tracking
5. Test the process on a branch first if you’re unsure about the outcome
6. Consider repository size - removing large files can significantly reduce repository size

According to Better Stack Community, this approach is particularly useful when you want to “remove a file from the Git repository without deleting it from the local filesystem” and should be part of every Git user’s toolkit.

Conclusion

Removing files from Git without deleting them locally is a common requirement in software development workflows. The git rm --cached command provides the perfect solution for this scenario, allowing you to maintain local copies while removing files from version control.

Key takeaways:

• Use git rm --cached to remove files from Git tracking while keeping them locally
• Always commit the change after removing files from the repository
• Consider adding files to .gitignore when appropriate
• This method works for individual files, multiple files, and file patterns
• Communicate with your team when removing shared files from tracking

By mastering this technique, you’ll be able to better manage your repository size, handle sensitive information properly, and maintain cleaner project structures without sacrificing your local working environment.

Sources

1. Remove a file from a Git repository without deleting it from the local filesystem - Stack Overflow
2. How to Remove a File from Git without Deleting it Locally? - GeeksforGeeks
3. Remove File From Git Repository Without Deleting It Locally | Baeldung on Ops
4. Remove a File from a Git Repository without Deleting It from the Local Filesystem | Better Stack Community
5. Ways to Delete a File from a Git Repository Without Locally Erasing It - Medium
6. How to Remove Files from Git Repository without Deleting Local Copies - Tecadmin
7. Remove a file from git but keep the local file - secretGeek.net
8. How to ignore a tracked file in git without deleting it? - Super User