git clean
The primary function of git rm is to remove tracked files from the Git index. Additionally, git rm can be used to remove files from both the staging index and the working directory. There is no option to remove a file from only the working directory.
Use Case
Below are the 2 use cases for git rm.
| Case | Command |
|---|---|
| Remove tracked files from the Git index | git rm –cached FILES |
| Remove both the staging index and the working directory files | git rm FILES |
Besides, there are 3 common options.
| Option | Meaning |
|---|---|
| -f | The -foption is used to override the safety check that Git makes to ensure that the files in HEAD match the current content in the staging index and working directory. |
| -n | The “dry run” option is a safeguard that will execute the git rm command but not actually delete the files. Instead it will output which files it would have removed. |
| – | The separator option is used to explicitly distinguish between a list of file names and the arguments being passed to git rm. This is useful if some of the file names have syntax that might be mistaken for other options. |