How do I remove a file that was checked in a few commits back using Git?

Question

I force checked in a gitignored file using git add -f. It doesn't belong in there and now I need to remove it from the repo. Is this possible?

Possible duplicate of [Remove a file from a Git repository without deleting it from the local filesystem](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1143796/remove-a-file-from-a-git-repository-without-deleting-it-from-the-local-filesyste) — Alik, Nov 12 '15 at 05:50

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 12 '15 at 05:47

3

You can git rm --cached it: it removes it from the git repo while keeping the file one the disk.

If you had already committed that file, you would then make a new commit recording the deletion of that same file.

answered Nov 12 '15 at 05:47

VonC

1 Answers1