title: Repository Cleanup and Git Hygiene tags: [git, cleanup, maintenance, hygiene] author: OpenCode created: 2024-12-30

Repository Cleanup and Git Hygiene

Context

When to use this skill:

• Repository has accumulated unused directories from various AI tools
• Files are tracked despite being in .gitignore (committed before rule was added)
• GitHub Agentic Workflows logs are taking up disk space
• Need to clean up before a release

Why this matters:

• Keeps repository clean and professional
• Reduces disk usage from accumulated logs
• Prevents accidental commits of local-only files

Solution

Step 1: Identify Candidates for Removal

# Check what's in .gitignore but still present locally
git ls-files --others --ignored --exclude-standard | head -50

# Check which directories are gitignored
git check-ignore .data .factory .junie .kilocode .letta .skills .idea report/

# Find directories with sizes
du -sh */ .*/ 2>/dev/null | sort -hr | head -20

Step 2: Untrack Files Already Committed

If files were committed before being added to .gitignore:

# Untrack but keep locally
git rm --cached -r <path>

# Example: untrack .skills/ directory
git rm --cached -r .skills/

This removes from git tracking but preserves local files.

Step 3: Clean GitHub Agentic Workflows Logs

The .github/aw/logs/ directory accumulates run logs. Best practice .gitignore:

# .github/aw/logs/.gitignore
*
!.gitignore

Clean up run directories:

# Check size
du -sh .github/aw/logs/

# Delete run directories (preserves .gitignore)
rm -rf .github/aw/logs/run-*

Step 4: Delete Unused AI Tool Directories

Common AI tool directories that can be safely deleted:

# All are typically gitignored
rm -rf .junie/      # JetBrains AI
rm -rf .idea/       # JetBrains IDE settings
rm -rf .kilocode/   # Kilocode AI tool
rm -rf .factory/    # Factory AI tool
rm -rf .data/       # Legacy cache (use .var/ instead)
rm -rf report/      # Generated jscpd reports

Check before deleting:

• .letta/ - May contain memory tool config
• .factory/ - May contain skills you want to keep

Verification

# Verify directories removed
ls -d .junie .idea .kilocode 2>&1  # Should show "No such file"

# Check git status
git status --short

# Check disk space recovered
du -sh .

Pitfalls & Troubleshooting

Problem: git rm --cached shows files as "deleted" in status

• Cause: Normal - files are deleted from index, not disk
• Fix: This is expected. Commit the changes.

Problem: Can't delete directory - permission denied

• Cause: Process using the files
• Fix: Close IDEs and processes, try again

Problem: Accidentally deleted files you needed

• Cause: Files weren't backed up
• Fix: If in git history, use git checkout HEAD -- <path>

Related Resources

• Internal:

  • .fleet/context/blocks/project/gotchas.md - Git hygiene section
  • .gitignore - Project ignore patterns

• External:

  • GitHub Agentic Workflows

Notes

• Always verify what you're deleting before running rm -rf
• Local-only directories (.skills/, .factory/) should stay gitignored
• Run this cleanup periodically, especially before releases

Last Updated: 2024-12-30 Status: Active