Create a Global .gitignore

By  on  

The .gitignore file is cherished by developers because it can keep repositories clean after build files and OS-generated files (like .DS_Store) clutter the structure of your repository. What I find is that I'm constantly adding the same files and directories (like node_modules) to every repository and I find it tedious. I was hoping there was a way to globally ignore those files and directories ... and I've found it.

You can create your global .gitignore with this magic:

# Declare the global .gitignore
git config --global core.excludesfile ~/.gitignore_global

# Create the .gitignore_global file
touch .gitignore_global

# Go into edit mode so you can add the unwanted file listing
vim .gitignore_global

The snippet above creates a .gitignore_global in your user directory which is respected throughout your user directory. Now you don't have to explicitly, repeatedly add the same files and directories to individual .gitignore files! Excellent!

This shouldn't be considered a great solution for collaborative repositories though -- someone else will inadvertently submit unwanted files and directories because the repo's own .gitignore doesn't contain the unwanted file listing. For your own purposes, however, a global .gitignore is aces!

Recent Features

  • By
    CSS 3D Folding Animation

    Google Plus provides loads of inspiration for front-end developers, especially when it comes to the CSS and JavaScript wonders they create. Last year I duplicated their incredible PhotoStack effect with both MooTools and pure CSS; this time I'm going to duplicate...

  • By
    CSS vs. JS Animation: Which is Faster?

    How is it possible that JavaScript-based animation has secretly always been as fast — or faster — than CSS transitions? And, how is it possible that Adobe and Google consistently release media-rich mobile sites that rival the performance of native apps? This article serves as a point-by-point...

Incredible Demos

Discussion

    Wrap your code in <pre class="{language}"></pre> tags, link to a GitHub gist, JSFiddle fiddle, or CodePen pen to embed!