git update-index --assume-unchanged on directory

Question

git 1.7.12

I want to mark all files below a given directory as assume-unchanged.

git update-index --assume-unchanged dir/ gives "Ignoring path."
git update-index --assume-unchanged dir/* quickly fails because it will encounter files which are not being tracked, hence it gives "fatal: Unable to mark file" and quits.
Try generating a list of files to mark. cd into the desired directory and then run git ls-files | tr '\n' ' ' | git update-index --assume-unchanged. This produces no error message, but it does not successfully mark the files. The first portion of the command, git ls-files | tr '\n' ' ', correctly produces a space delimited list of all the files I want to mark. If I copy and paste the output of that command onto the command-line, then the git update-index command works. What is not working with the pipes?

No, it is not sufficient for me to add dir to .gitignore. I need these files to be in the repository, but undesired changes will be made locally that need to be ignored so that users can do pulls.

You mispelled *--assume-uncha**n**ged* – Adam Mudianto Sep 25 '20 at 02:30 — Adam Mudianto, Sep 25 '20 at 02:30

score 215 · Accepted Answer · edited May 15 '19 at 13:07

215

git update-index wants the file names on its command line, not on its standard input.

Step 1:

cd into the folder you want to assume is unchanged

Step 2:

You can do either this:

git update-index --assume-unchanged $(git ls-files | tr '\n' ' ')

or

git ls-files | tr '\n' ' ' | xargs git update-index --assume-unchanged

Although, with either case, file names with spaces will be problematic. If you have those, you can use this:

git ls-files -z | xargs -0 git update-index --assume-unchanged

Edit: incorporated input from @MatthewScharley regarding git ls-files -z.

Windows Commands

Note: If you're on windows, use Git Bash to run these commands

edited May 15 '19 at 13:07

Community

1
1

answered Sep 05 '12 at 20:03

twalberg

59,951
11
89
84

2

FYI, that ` | tr '\n' ' '` bit is unnecessary. – Václav Slavík May 09 '13 at 08:16
@VáclavSlavík You're right... can't remember why I put that in, other than for symmetry with the `tr '\n' '\0'` case (in which case it is needed)... – twalberg May 09 '13 at 14:01
9

@twalberg: You could just use `git ls-files -z` – Matthew Scharley Jul 22 '13 at 01:35
2

@twalberg How to undo this command "git ls-files -z | xargs -0 git update-index --assume-unchanged" – Mohamed Hussain Feb 17 '15 at 13:05
3

@MohamedHussain `git ls-files -z | xargs -0 git update-index --no-assume-unchanged`, I would think... – twalberg Feb 17 '15 at 14:41
3

`git ls-files -z | git update-index -z --stdin` is cleaner. – Jed May 19 '19 at 03:42
This does not seem to work in `git version 2.33.0` for untracked files inside folders. – Michahell Sep 13 '21 at 11:33
@MichaelTrouw Asker specifically stated `git` version 1.7.2. Changes made to `git` behavior between 1.7.2 and 2.33.0 do not invalidate this answer. – twalberg Sep 13 '21 at 15:59

score 31 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 06 '15 at 13:06

31

Add the directory name to .git/info/exclude. This works for untracked files.

answered Oct 06 '15 at 13:06

Steve Pitchers

7,088
5
41
41

This work great! Did you know if this work with files too? – betomoretti Sep 28 '16 at 11:30
1

But this doesn't push the untracked files github! is there any possible way to just ignore them from the records but actually keeping them in the repos!? – Mahmoud Zalt Mar 16 '17 at 22:55

score 30 · Answer 3 · answered Aug 07 '13 at 18:56

30

The find command from GNU Findutils has a -exec option which removes most of the hassle of using xargs, although its syntax is a little special. It does however deal perfectly with filenames with spaces.

This command will get git to assume all files in and under the listed directory are unchanged:

find path/to/dir -type f -exec git update-index --assume-unchanged '{}' \;

Find takes every argument after -exec until ; (which you have to escape lest your shell eats it) and runs it once for each file found, while replacing {} (again, single quoted so your shell won't eat it) with the found file's name.

Using find's matching criteria (maximum recursion depth, whether the match is a file or is a directory, whether the filename matches an expression) and -exec you can do all sort of powerful things.

Not sure about other implementations of the find command. YMMV.

answered Aug 07 '13 at 18:56

theycallhimart

2,301
1
16
4

4

[`-exec` is a standard option](http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/009695399/utilities/find.html). You can also `-exec git update-index --assume-unchanged {} +` (also defined by the standard) which passes multiple file names to the command at once, reducing the number of times the git command is invoked. – Tom Fenech Feb 08 '16 at 15:22
The disadvantage of the `-exec git update-index --assume-unchanged {} +` is that if one file fails they all will, so it won't work if there are tracked and untracked files in the directory – StanOverflow Nov 30 '22 at 10:53
Nice one bro... – b.doe Dec 01 '22 at 17:56

score 4 · Answer 4 · answered May 17 '13 at 14:11

4

Yeap,

git update-index --assume-unchanged

works with files only, not with directories. I think, one of faster ways:

cd dir
ls | xargs -l git update-index --assume-unchanged

answered May 17 '13 at 14:11

Victor Perov

1,697
18
37

2

Instead of using `cd`, you can pass the dir as a final argument: `git ls-files -- $DIR | xargs -l git update-index --assume-unchanged -- $DIR`. – kzh Mar 03 '14 at 20:10

git update-index --assume-unchanged on directory

4 Answers4

Step 1:

Step 2:

Windows Commands

Linked

Related