Clearing the Git cache is the process of deleting temporary data that is stored in a local Git repository. This data may include file changes, temporary copies of objects, and other intermediate results of Git operations. Clearing the Git cache can have the following positive effects on the virtual and dedicated server:

  • Free up space. Removing temporary data from the Git cache helps free up disk space on the virtual server. This is especially useful when working with large repositories or when you have limited disk space.
  • Performance improvements. Аfter clearing the Git cache, operations such as cloning a repository, merging branches, and switching between branches can be performed faster because Git will not load and process unnecessary temporary data.
  • Reduce the likelihood of conflicts. Removing temporary data from the Git cache can help reduce the likelihood of conflicts when merging branches or performing other operations on the repository. This can make the process of developing and collaborating on a project easier.

This article will describe several methods and commands on how to do this.

git rm

This command removes files from the working directory and index. It can also be used to remove tracked files from the repository.

git rm <example_filename>

git reset

This command undoes changes to the index and working directory, reverting them to the state of the last commit. The –soft option saves changes to the working directory, –mixed saves changes to the index, and –hard completely discards all changes.

git reset --soft HEAD^

git reset --mixed HEAD^

git reset --hard HEAD^

  1. soft HEAD^ means undo the last commit and leave the changes in the working directory
  2. mixed HEAD^ means undo the last commit and leave the changes in the index
  3. hard HEAD^ means completely undo the last commit and remove all changes

git gc

One of the important commands for clearing the cache. The “git gc” command in Git (Git Garbage Collection) is designed to optimize and clean up the Git database. It removes unnecessary and inaccessible objects from the repository, compacts and optimizes its size. This is important to maintain the performance and efficiency of the repository, especially when it has been in use for a long time or when it has had a lot of changes and commits. The “git gc” command is also automatically run in certain cases, such as when executing the “git push” command.

git gc