How do I remove local (untracked) files from the current Git working tree?

 

To remove local (untracked) files from the current Git working tree, you can use the git clean command. This command is used to remove untracked files and directories from your working directory. Be careful when using this command, as it permanently deletes files that are not under version control. Here's an example of how to use it:

To remove untracked files:

bash

git clean -n

This will perform a dry run and show you the list of untracked files and directories that would be deleted without actually removing them. It's a good way to preview what will be deleted.

To actually remove untracked files:

bash

git clean -f

This command will forcefully remove all untracked files and directories from the current working directory.

Here's an example of how to remove untracked files:

Suppose you have a Git repository with some untracked files and directories:

bash

$ git status
On branch main
Untracked files:
  (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
        untracked_file.txt
        untracked_dir/

nothing added to commit but untracked files present (use "git add" to track)

To remove these untracked files, you can first do a dry run to see what will be deleted:

bash

$ git clean -n
Would remove untracked_file.txt
Would remove untracked_dir/

Now, you can safely remove these untracked files:

bash

$ git clean -f
Removing untracked_file.txt
Removing untracked_dir/

Be cautious when using the git clean command, especially with the -f flag, as it can permanently delete files that you may not have intended to remove. Always double-check the list of files that will be deleted with a dry run (git clean -n) before using the -f flag.