Unable to remove files recursively from Git

Question

I want to remove all files from Git at ~/bin/. I run ``` git rm -r --cached ~/.vim/* # Thanks to Pate in finding --cached! ``` I get ``` fatal: pathspec '.vim/colors' did not match any files ``` This error messsage suggests me to use the following PATHs, since ~/.vim/** does not work ``` ~/.vim/* # I get the error ~/.vim/*/*/* # This removes files from the index at ~/.vim/folderA/folderB/file1.txt ~/.vim/*/* # similar error as to the first PATH ``` How can you remove all files and subdirectories at ~/.vim from Git? --

Accepted Answer

```
 git rm -r --cached ~/.vim/*   
 fatal: pathspec '.vim/colors' did not match any files
```

1/ You do not need the '`*`':

```
 git rm -r --cached ~/.vim
```

will take care of any tracked sub-files.

2/ `fatal: pathspec '.vim/colors' did not match any files` simply means one of your commands you tried before the one listed in 1/ has worked, and there is no more file to delete!

```
# to test that command, first reinitialize the state of the repository
# save first if you have any other current modifications
$ git reset --hard

# then check the rm works
$ git rm -r --cached ~/.vim
rm '.vim/aPath/aFile1'
rm '.vim/aSecondPath/aFile2'
rm '.vim/aThirdPath/aFile3'

# try it again
$ git rm -r --cached ~/.vim
fatal: pathspec '.vim/colors
```

Unable to remove files recursively from Git

Solution

Problem