git shows files as modified after adding to .gitignore

In Visual Studio, once the .Net project is setup with git, you might notice that it will keep track for extra files, like autogenerated files in obj/debug folders.

You can ignore these selected folders/files by using .gitignore file.

To ignore debug, release, bin and obj folders etc., you can make these entries in .gitignore file.

[Dd]ebug/
[Rr]elease/
[Bb]in/
[Oo]bj/

After settings these changes you might notice that git is still tracking the files in these folders.

The reason is that these are the changes before the .gitignore file is updated.

To fix this issue you need to removes all files that have been cached (as being 'tracked'), then re-add files based on the .gitignore file entries.

Here are the steps, notice the dot (.) in the end of first 2 commands, this . is part of command syntax:

• Remove all files recursively from index that are cached (being tracked).

  git rm -r --cached .
  

  rm is to remove files, -r is to remove recursively.

• Add all files that have changed (re-add the files). This command will add all files except those which are mentioned in .gitignore.

  git add .
  

• This command will commit your files again and remove the files you want to ignore, but keep them in your local directory.

  git commit -am "Remove ignored files"