(not) tracking config-files with git
23 Feb 2018A typical project scenario is, that there are some config files which should be tracked with git - but only with their default/initial values.
For production and/or testing any changes on these config-files should not be tracked.
The first hasty idea would be to use .gitignore, but once a file is tracked any changes will be recognized by git.
The solution is update-index or update-index --skip-worktree!
To ignore all current changes made to my-file.config
git update-index my-file.config
To ignore any changes made to my-file.config from now on
git update-index --skip-worktree my-file.config
When you want to track the file again, call
git update-index --no-skip-worktree my-file.config
To see which files are currently untracked use
git ls-files -v |grep '^H'
You will get into a dilemma when you want to switch branches with an untracked file, but git stash is your friend.
We first track the file again, then locally save the changes with git stash, switch the branch, do something, switch back, get the changes from git stash, untrack the file again.
~/my-project % git checkout master
error: Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by checkout:
my-file.config
Please commit your changes or stash them before you switch branches.
Aborting
~/my-project %
~/my-project % git update-index --no-skip-worktree my-file.config
~/my-project % git stash push
Saved working directory and index state WIP on development: cde75e0 a meaningful commit message
~/my-project % git checkout master
Switched to branch 'master'
~/my-project % ./do-something-on-master-branch.sh
~/my-project % git checkout development
Switched to branch 'development'
Your branch is ahead of 'origin/development' by 1 commit.
(use "git push" to publish your local commits)
~/my-project % git stash list
stash@{0}: WIP on development: cde75e0 a meaningful commit message
~/my-project % git stash pop
~/my-project % git update-index --skip-worktree my-file.config
git stash saves the changes only locally - no need to be afraid your secret config will be pushed somewhere public.