Home / Questions / 3575
Accepted
Gepser Hoil
Asked: 2020-02-03 13:56:30 +0800 CST 2020-02-03 13:56:30 +0800 CST

Remove files added before a commit

  • 772

By mistake I added some files that I didn't want to add to a commit, I did this:

git add .

The thing is, that added all the files in the folder and there are a couple of files that I didn't want to commit because they were for my tests.

When I do this:

git status

I get:

archivo1.js
archivo2.js
archivoQueNoQuieroCommitear.js

Ask

Since I haven't done commithow do I remove archivoQueNoQuieroCommitear.jsfrom the commit?

If possible I am trying to reset the head.

The files didn't exist before so I can't do them checkout.

git

5 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    You must remove them from the index with:

    git reset <paths>

    Taken from the documentation :

    git reset [-q] [<tree-ish>] [--] <paths>…​

    This form resets the "index" entries for all <paths>to their corresponding state in <tree-ish>(This does not affect the current "working tree" or "branch").

    This means that it git reset <paths>is the opposite ofgit add <paths>

    So that you better understand what is happening, what the command git adddoes is add an entry to the "index" with the current content of the file in the "working tree" (your working directory).

    When I say add an entry to the "index", I mean that it git addmakes a copy of your working file (the one you edited) to a "zone" known as staging (it's a folder inside the directory .git), from where it takes the files the command git commit.

    These are new files so they are only in the working tree and in the index, but not in the current branch, so they don't have HEAD so you won't be able to get them from there.

    git resetremove the file(s) from the "index" and only the original will remain in your working tree. Which is what you wanted.

    • 13

  2. To revert specifically git add, it is done with:

    git reset <archivo>

    Documentation (English):

    git reset [-q] [<tree-ish>] [--] <paths>…​: This form resets the "index" entries for all to their corresponding state in (This does not affect the current "working tree" or "branch").

    In fact I see that it is a very seen question in stackoverflow:

    Revert 'git add' before a commit .

    • 4 
  3. git reset ruta [nombre del archivo]

    If the file is in the current directory

    git reset [archivo a ignorar]

    If the file is in a different path than the current directory

    git reset [ruta/nombre archivo a ignorar]
    • 4

  4. With git reset <archivo>you revert the file you added with git add .before a commit.

    • 3

  5. I think it would not be good to use a git reset, since these are for removing commits or rolling back to a specific commit.

    If you want to remove a file from the index (list of files that were added with add but not committed) it is better to use git rm:

    git rm --cached ruta-de-archivo
    • 2