ignore certain files in all folders using a single .gitignore file

git, gitignore

Solution

Just adding `*.txt` works. Check gitignore(5) man page for the gitignore format explanation

If you try to add the `content` directory, all the `*.txt` file will be ignored.

$ echo "*.txt" > .gitignore 

$ git add content

$ git status --ignored --untracked-files=all
# On branch master
#
# Initial commit
#
# Changes to be committed:
#   (use "git rm --cached <file>..." to unstage)
#
#       new file:   content/def.other
#
# Untracked files:
#   (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
#
#       .gitignore
# Ignored files:
#   (use "git add -f <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
#
#       abc.txt
#       content/abc.txt
#       content/def.txt

Problem

After reading several questions about `.gitignore` I have found no one that could answer my question: What do I have to add to .gitignore to ignore all files with a certain ending, say `*.txt` in all folders. I'd prefer to only have one `.gitignore` file at top level. I tried several things but none worked. This is what I tested (`.gitignore` was added to the repository before, no other file was added): ``` $ ls abc.txt content $ ls content/ abc.txt def.other def.txt $ echo "" > .gitignore $ git status --ignored --untracked-files=all # On branch master # 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: .gitignore # # Untracked files: # (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed) # # abc.txt # content/abc.txt # content/def.other # content/def.txt no changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a") ``` This is as expected: all files show up since .gitignore is empty. ``` $ echo "*.txt" > .gitignore $ git status --ignored --untracked-files=all # On branch master # 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: .gitignore # # Untracked files: # (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed) # # content/def.other # Ignored files: # (use "git add -f <file>..." to include in what will be committed) # # abc.txt no changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a") ``` Why don't the files content/abc.txt and content/def.txt show up in the list? ``` $ git clean -n Would not remove content/ ``` I thought they would show up here too. ``` $ echo "" > .gitignore $ git clean -n Would remove abc.txt Would not remove content/ $ cd content $ git clean -n -x Would remove def.other $ git clean -n -x Would remove abc.txt Would remove def.other Would remove def.txt ``` If the files content/abc.txt and content/def.txt are shown by `clean -n -x` but not by `clean -n`, I think they are ignored. But then why don't they show up in `git status --ignored --untracked-files=all`?

Original source