Creating a global .gitignore file allows you to ignore files across all Git repositories on your system, providing consistent file exclusion without duplicating patterns in every project. As the creator of CoreUI with 25 years of development experience since 2000, I’ve configured global .gitignore files on development machines to automatically exclude OS-specific files, editor configurations, and personal tools across all projects. The most efficient approach involves creating a global ignore file and configuring Git to use it system-wide through the core.excludesfile setting. This method ensures consistent ignore behavior across all repositories while reducing project-specific .gitignore maintenance overhead.

Ignoring files in Git with .gitignore prevents unwanted files from being tracked, keeping your repository clean and avoiding sensitive data or build artifacts in version control. As the creator of CoreUI with 25 years of development experience since 2000, I’ve configured .gitignore files in countless projects to maintain clean repositories and prevent security issues with sensitive files. The most effective approach involves creating a .gitignore file in your repository root with patterns that match files and directories you want to exclude from Git tracking. This method ensures consistent ignore behavior across all contributors while maintaining repository cleanliness and security best practices.

Cleaning ignored files in Git removes build artifacts, temporary files, and other content specified in .gitignore that may accumulate in your working directory. As the creator of CoreUI with extensive Git experience across numerous projects, I regularly clean ignored files to free up disk space and maintain repository hygiene. The most thorough approach uses git clean with the -x flag to remove both untracked and ignored files completely. This method provides deep cleanup while respecting Git’s file tracking configuration.