git-flask-python : Is it safe to remove pycache and flask session folders

Question

I had implemented my project along with daily commits to Github, which is a website implemented using Flask and Python, while daily commits I used to git add --a, thus it has added all folders like __pycache__ and flask_session. I think it is safe to delete those from my Github, Is it so? If not why?

Answer 1

If you look at gitignore.io/python, you will find in the generated .gitignore file

### Python ###
# Byte-compiled / optimized / DLL files
__pycache__/

However, you won't find flask_session, not even in flask-common/.gitignore.

The Flask documentation mentions:

SESSION_FILE_DIR The directory where session files are stored.
Default to use flask_session directory under current working directory.

If that is something private to the user and the flask execution, then add to your .gitignore:

/*_session/

But considering a Flask session stores secrets, the best practice would be to configure Flask to store its session outside the Git repository: that way, no risk to add by mistake anything, .gitignore or not.

Answer 2

Both these folders contain temporary objects that are created in runtime, and there's no point in committing them to git. I'd remove those folders from your repository and then add them to .gitignore to prevent them from being re-added there by mistake.