Can't ignore UserInterfaceState.xcuserstate

Question

I'm using Git for Xcode 4 project version control. I've explicitly added ProjectFolder.xcodeproj/project.xcworkspace/xcuserdata/myUserName.xcuserdatad/UserInterfaceState.xcuserstate to .gitignore, but Git it won't ignore it. Any ideas why this is so?

Answer 1

Git is probably already tracking the file.

From the gitignore docs:

To stop tracking a file that is currently tracked, use git rm --cached.

Use this, replacing [project] and [username] with your info:

git rm --cached [project].xcodeproj/project.xcworkspace/xcuserdata/[username].xcuserdatad/UserInterfaceState.xcuserstate git commit -m "Removed file that shouldn't be tracked" 

Alternatively you can use the -a option to git commit that will add all files that have been modified or deleted.

Once you've removed the file from git, it will respect your .gitignore.

Answer 2

In case that the ignored file kept showing up in the untracked list, you may use git clean -f -d to clear things up.

1.

git rm --cached {YourProjectFolderName}.xcodeproj/project.xcworkspace/xcuserdata/{yourUserName}.xcuserdatad/UserInterfaceState.xcuserstate 

2.

git commit -m "Removed file that shouldn't be tracked" 

3. WARNING first try git clean -f -d --dry-run, otherwise you may lose uncommited changes.

Then: git clean -f -d