Remove a folder from Git

Question

I have a local folder that is under git, when I was playing with some git stuff in different IDES, etc it got added to the git but I don't want it to be under git control, I just want it to be a normal folder for now! until I decide to add it to some repo later.

I am new to git so don't know much commands but if I run a git status command this is what I get:

git status
# On branch master
#
# Initial commit
#
# Changes to be committed:
#   (use "git rm --cached <file>..." to unstage)
#
#   new file:   .idea/vcs.xml
#   new file:   .idea/workspace.xml
#
# Changes not staged for commit:
#   (use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)
#   (use "git checkout -- <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)
#
#   modified:   .idea/workspace.xml
#
# Untracked files:
#   (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
#
#   .idea/.name
#   .idea/.rakeTasks
#   .idea/HisFirstService.iml
#   .idea/dictionaries/
#   .idea/encodings.xml
#   .idea/misc.xml
#   .idea/modules.xml
#   .idea/scopes/
#   Gemfile
#   Gemfile.lock
#   README
#   Rakefile
#   client.rb
#   config/
#   db/
#   models/
#   service.rb
#   spec/

Answer 1

Use git rm --cached to remove this directory from repository (it should stay in your working directory) and then put it's name into .gitignore file. At the end commit both .gitignore and directory removal.

Answer 2

It sounds like you want to remove a git repository that was automatically created by an IDE. (Note that git doesn't track folders, only files.)

If that's the case, just remove the .git directory and you'll be left with a folder that isn't tracked by git at all.