How to Delete A File from A Git Repository

Delete File in Git Overview

Git was founded in 2005 and is extensively utilized by both novices and expert coders. Developers recognize the importance of Git in ensuring that projects are completed smoothly. It is a popular DevOps solution for source code management that can handle both small and large files. Some frequent uses of Git include monitoring source code changes, allowing several developers to collaborate on non-linear development, and so on. Many people look for other ways to remove a file from Git.

How to Delete Files on Git

After a quick review of Git, readers may easily comprehend the requirement to remove files on Git. Whether you're running out of space or just want to perform some cleaning, deleting files on Git is a complex but straightforward procedure. The best option is to use the methods listed below, such as deleting files using the "git rm command", deleting files recursively on Git, removing files from Git history, and so on.

1. How to Delete Files Using the Git rm Command

The "git rm" command is a popular approach for removing various files from the developer's Git repository. This command can delete a group of files or individual files. It removes files from the staging index, tracks files in the Git index, and so on. In addition, the "git rm" command takes a precaution to avoid removing modifications that are still being made. It finds differences between the "HEAD" version of the file and the working tree or staging index version and prevents its removal.

Step 1. Use the "git Is-tree" command to check the files tracked on the current system branch. The command is $ git Is-tree –r master.

Step 2. Suppose you have to delete the file named "file1" from the Git repository and the filesystem. Hence, the "git rm" command is used with the file name. The command is $ git rm file1, and Rm 'file1'.

Step 3. It gives a small confirmation message indicating that the "rm" command is executed on the file.

Step 4. Hence, the file gets removed from the filesystem only but not from the index.

Step 5. The next step is to commit the changes and push them to the remote repository.

Step 6. It is easy to confirm the file deletion from the filesystem and the index by executing the "git Is-tree" command.

2. How to Delete Files Recursively on Git

The "git rm" command is appropriate for removing one or more files. However, users may seek effective methods for removing the file from the Git repository. It may be accomplished by recursively removing files in Git and using the "git rm" command with the "-r" option for recursive deletion. The fast steps are as follows:

Step 1: To delete files recursively in Git, use the commands $ git rm -r, $ git commit -m "Deleted the folder from the repository", and $ git push.

Step 2: Delete the folder, say "folder1," from the entire directory or a file subset inside it.

Step 3: Run the "git rm" command using the "-r" option. The command for this is $ git rm -r folder1.

Step 4. The changes made can be quickly committed in the following way.

3. How To Remove A File From Git History

After going through the process of removing files from Git recursively, many users may want to remove them from Git history. Some of the reasons for this include removing sensitive information files, password-protected files, and so on. We will use the "git filter-branch" command to define the command for all Git history branches. After running this command, provide the revision to execute modifications from "HEAD", the Git repository's most recent commit. 

Step 1: As previously explained, the Git command to perform the "git rm" command is $ git filter-branch - - force - - index-filter - - prune-empty "git rm - - cached - - ignore-unmatch " HEAD.

The many components of this command are:

-force: It causes the filter-branch to start without permission. Furthermore, the temporary folders are included in the paper.

-index-filter: This is used to rewrite the index and provide what is needed in file deletion circumstances.

"git rm" command: Removes the file from the repository while ignoring files that do not match. It may be used on various commits that match in the history, revisions, and branches.

-prune-empty: Avoids empty commits in repositories with zero files and prunes them immediately.

Step 2. Suppose we're deleting "file1" from the repository. The command for the same is $ git filter-branch -f- - prune-empty - - index-filter "git rm -r - - cached - - ignore-unmatch ./file1" HEAD.

When navigating the various methods for deleting files in Git, developers might turn to GitHub to free up space for larger projects. However, distinguishing between Git and GitHub can be confusing for many. Let's start by clarifying these two similar-sounding terms.

How to Use GitHub Delete File

Git is installed and managed locally on the user's system, while GitHub is a global repository hosting service that operates exclusively in the cloud. Unlike Git, which operates on a branching model, GitHub facilitates robust data transmission, including revision and editing capabilities.

In essence, Git serves as a straightforward version control system, enabling developers to track and manage the history of their source code. On the other hand, GitHub is a cloud-based hosting service that allows for the management of Git repositories. Notably, one of GitHub's essential features is its capability to efficiently delete files.

GitHub streamlines the file or directory deletion process through straightforward steps. However, specific adjustments may be necessary depending on the file type. Here are the conditions:

• If you don't have permission to delete a file, GitHub may help by submitting a pull request to the original repository once you've committed the change.
• If the file you intend to remove contains sensitive information, it will stay in the Git history. In this scenario, the file deletion is not complete until it is removed from the file repository.

Step 1. Search the file in the GitHub you want to delete.

Step 2. Click at the top of the file and click on the delete icon.

Step 3. You can write the commit message that allows changes in the file and can be attributed to more than one author.

Step 4. It is easy to check the email address linked to the GitHub account. The verified email addresses appear in the drop-down menu.

Step 5. The next step is to select if the commit is added to the new branch or current branch before pulling the request.

Step 6. Click on the "Propose file change" option.

To  sum up

As a result, developers may remove a file in Git with relative ease. It is a robust source code management application that allows you to delete files quickly using various approaches. GitHub, on the other hand, is a cloud-based repository platform. It is simple to delete files using the "git rm" command, delete files recursively on Git, and erase files from Git history.

Users may follow the precise processes for deleting files on GitHub, as well as learn about the differences between Git and GitHub. In the case of an issue, powerful solutions such as EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard may be utilized to quickly recover files or folders.